Reflections in Black: Cannonball Adderley

Born Julian Edward Adderley in Sept. 1928, Cannonball Adderley's father was a jazz cornetist. With a musical family, the young Adderley explored all the possibilities musical creativity had to offer. He studied music in the U.S. Navy School of Music and led two military bands before moving to New York City. The bebop scene of the 1950s attracted Adderley, and he formed a quintet with his brother, Nat. Further cementing his musical stature, Cannonball joined Miles Davis for an 18-month run of shows and joined the trumpet icon on two of his landmark albums: Kind of Blue and Milestones. Some refer to Cannonball Adderley as the heir to Charlie Parker, and he continued with a complex sound that drew on the emotions of his audiences. Adderley worked through the '60s and '70s to ensure the presence of jazz was felt throughout the music world. He died in 1975.