Nat Adderly

          Nat Adderly was born November 25, 1931 the younger brother of Julian "Cannonball" Adderly.  Both brothers excelled at music and academics.  When Cannonball rejected the trumpet (bought by their father, who played professionally) in favor of the saxophone, Nat picked up the trumpet.

           After coming back from the Korean War and a tour with the Lionel Hampton band in July of 1955, the brothers went to New York City on a whim and ended up at the famous Café Bohemia.  Cannonball, showing confidence and nerve, made his way to the stage and played with bassist Oscar Pettiford, drummer Kenny Clark, and pianist Horace Silver and proved his mettle.  By night's end, both brothers were playing with a new band, and hadn't even spent the night.

          Nat and Cannonball went on to form a quintet and pioneered the "soul jazz" sound. Nat played lead coronet, kept the books, and penned many of the groups' original compositions, including one of their most successful, the jazz classic Work Song.  In 1960 the group released the groundbreaking soul jazz album The Cannonball Adderly Quintet in San Francisco.  

          After Cannonball's death in 1975, Nat finished the tour with the remaining band members.  He played in different bands until 1990.  Afterward, he found a new outlet to share his musical knowledge - teaching.  He taught musical theory at Florida Southern College for ten years until poor health from diabetes made him retire.

         Nat Adderly died in 2000.