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research materials for Cannonball Adderley....

8K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  BizarreBazaar 
#1 ·
Hello everyone! This message is partly a desperate plea for help, but the subject is an interesting one in general - I think so, at least!

I am currently researching Cannonball Adderley's improv style for a dissertation. There's some scholarly stuff out there - obviously not as much for Cannonball as for other, bigger names - but enough to go on. However, most of it seems very difficult to get hold of!

What I've found consists of:
1) a few books of general analysis/transcription
2) a pretty comprehensive-sounding 'bio-discography'
3) a few magazine/journal articles
4) Doctoral theses, a few of which sound excellent (just from the titles!)

I'll write up the list in the next post. I have 2 main requests:
Firstly, if anyone has any ideas, either for books, essays, or their own thoughts on Cannonball's style, please write them up!! It'd be so helpful to me, and possibly others too. Maybe we can get a bit of a discussion going!
Second, as I mentioned I have found it really hard to see most of this material. I live in England, and most of the this isn't available in any UK library! I'll give details below - but if any of you lot knows how I could find a book, or has a copy of something they could lend (or sell) me, I'd be so grateful for the help.

:) Please read on....
 
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#2 ·
the 'literature' so far....

Books

1 David Baker, The Jazz Style of Julian "Cannonball" Adderley: A Musical and Historical Perspective

(I've not seen it, but this must be the key book! It's out of print for some reason, and nowhere to be found in England as far as I know)

2 Tim Price, The Julian Cannonball Adderley collection

(a selection of transcriptions, hopefully with info too - might be pretty good, and it's easy to buy off Amazon)

3 Chris Sheridan, Dis here: a bio-discography of Julian "Cannonball" Adderley

(looks good! but out of print and very expensive second hand)

Magazines etc

1 John Janowiak, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley - Cult Of Cannonball, (Down Beat 70, no 3, 2003)

(could be good! no idea really)

2 Ryan Jones, 'You Know What I Mean?': The Pedagogical Canon of 'Cannonball' Adderley, (Current Musicology, 79/80: 2006)

(I think this is mostly about his teaching, so it might be useful)

Theses

1 Leslie D Owen, A study of tension and resolution as found in the improvisation style of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (Virginia Commonwealth University, 1985)

2 Gig B Brown, Know what I mean: the life and music of Julian Cannonball Adderley (Rutgers University, 1999)

3 Terrence M Cook, Style-specific transcriptions of selected improvised solos for alto saxophone by Charles Parker, Jr. and Julian Adderley (Indiana University, 1996)

4 Robert B Karns, The jazz style of Julian Adderley: a note by note study. (University of Houston, 1988)

5 Karim Adam Al-Zand, Theoretical observations on jazz improvisation: The solos of Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley (Harvard, 2000)

6 Ricky Alonzo, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley: Selected highlights of his life and music (The Florida State University, 2001)

7 Michael Neal Jacobson, A comparison of the improvisational performance practices of jazz saxophonists Charlie Parker and Julian Adderley with the embellishments found in the "Methodical Sonatas" of Georg Philipp Telemann (The University of Texas at Austin, 1999)

8 Barry Kernfeld, Adderley, Coltrane, and Davis at the Twilight of Bebop: The Search for Melodic Coherence (1958-59) (Cornell University, 1981)

(some of these theses must be really helpful! - they're all in America, of course, and mostly there's only one copy of each. I don't suppose anybody's read them? Perhaps a SOTW member is an author...)
 
#9 ·
Re: the 'literature' so far....

Books

1 David Baker, The Jazz Style of Julian "Cannonball" Adderley: A Musical and Historical Perspective

(I've not seen it, but this must be the key book! It's out of print for some reason, and nowhere to be found in England as far as I know)

2 Tim Price, The Julian Cannonball Adderley collection

snip;;
(some of these theses must be really helpful! - they're all in America, of course, and mostly there's only one copy of each. I don't suppose anybody's read them? Perhaps a SOTW member is an author...)
Thanks- there never can be enuf " Ball" my friend,,,,

I got 3 more volumes of transcriptions and storys I need to publish- but I can NOT internet them as this is my living....THAT SAID....Check my book as there are over 24 solos there and a in depth article on Nat Adderly I did.

To me Cannon was as important as Miles conception wise and also on the tip of genere bends.

In any case....KEEP ON AND GOOD LUCK. If I can help you -hit me up dude- I'll try to assist.

This place sells the book too.

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/a/pro...ta=HL.673244&searchtitle=sheet music&id=71080

Arriving Soon A Minor, composed by Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
Clouds G Major, composed by Durval Ferreira, Mauricio Einhorn
Joyce's Samba A Major, composed by Durval Ferreira, Mauricio Einhorn
Sambop D Major, composed by Durval Ferreira, Mauricio Einhorn
Scotch and Water G Major, composed by Joe Zawinul
Tengo Tango D Major, composed by Nat Adderly, Julian Adderly
Them Dirty Blues G Major, composed by Julian Adderly
Wabash A Major, composed by Julian Adderly
One For Daddy'o G Minor, composed by Nat Adderly
Two Base Hit Bb Major, composed by Dizzy Gillespie, John Lewis
Fran Dance G Major, composed by Miles Davis
All Blues E Major, composed by Miles Davis
Dat Dere A Minor, composed by Bobby Timmons
Freddie Freeloader G Major, composed by Miles Davis
See all contents
Grand Central D Minor, composed by John Coltrane
Jeannine C Major, composed by Duke Pearson
Limehouse Blues A Major, composed by Douglas Furber, Philip Braham
Love For Sale C Major, composed by Cole Porter
Sleeper C Major, composed by John Coltrane
Stars Fell On Alabama G Major, composed by Mitchell Parish, Frank Perkins
The Way You Look Tonight D Major, composed by Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields
Work Song D Minor, composed by Nat Adderly
Marabi A Major, composed by Julian Adderly
Teaneck G Major, composed by Nat Adderly
 
#5 ·
Wow, thanks - fantastic stuff! The inter-library loans work the same in England, so when the new term starts I can have that Sheridan book sent over from the British library (on holiday at the moment). The Sheridan's the only one there, though - it's funny as I thought they had a copy of everything ever published, within reason.

I'm glad Cannonball is appreciated by fellow saxophonists - on this site he is, anyway! He seems to be so underrated by most jazz fans, as if people hear that wonderful, bluesey sound, love it, and at the same time put him aside as 'easy listening' because of it.

Whereas, the 2 most highly regarded of all, Bird and Coltrane, had harsher sounds - and to me they sound more stylized, less spontaneous as well.
 
#13 ·
I'm glad Cannonball is appreciated by fellow saxophonists - on this site he is, anyway! He seems to be so underrated by most jazz fans, as if people hear that wonderful, bluesey sound, love it, and at the same time put him aside as 'easy listening' because of it.
I can't add much to all the excellent references in the previous posts. However, I don't agree that Cannonball has been underrated or put aside as 'easy listening.' I've never heard anyone characterize him that way. Quite the contrary. When he first came on the scene in NYC, he blew everyone away almost overnight. He was hailed by some as the 'new Bird,' which may have been a bit of a problem for him, because he was not Bird, even if he was influenced by Bird, as everyone was.

Cannonball did play with a strong blues orientation, but then so did all the greatest jazz musicians (especially Bird). He may have played with a funkier, 'soul-jazz' sound than most, but then he did very well with that sound in the early to mid-'60s when a lot of jazz musicians were not doing so well. He knew how to fit into the times yet not compromise his sound in any way.

Bottom line, he was one of the most-respected musicians of his time. I would only add one caveat. He probably wasn't as innovative as Miles/Coltrane/Bird, in the sense that he didn't create a whole new style of jazz, but that takes nothing away from his playing. And he did have an unmistakable sound of his own.
 
#8 ·
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

Thanks for the help - they're both great sites, so many transcriptions.
A few of the theses you can download online; I've just got the Kernfeld (looks amazing), and also the "Theoretical observations on jazz improvisation". If anyone would like to have a look at them, get in touch.

Has anyone got any thoughts, or done any research? What about people who have transcribed, learned solos etc - what do you notice with Cannonball that's different to others?

He's clearly influenced by Bird, but at the same time, he's so different. You do begin to hear patterns after a while - used quite sparingly, with lots of irregular phrasing, and at his best he sounds rather like Parker from Carnegie Hall '47, a sort of stream of original inspiration without let up.

Good Stuff! Keep the suggestions coming - it's all so helpful!
 
#11 ·
You can get dissertations from the UMI Dissertation Services in Ann Arbor Mich.
www.bellhowell.infolearning.com
or 1-800-521-0600

I picked up Thomas Owens 2 volume dissertation on Charlie Parker
about ten years ago for about $35. They have everything unless the author specifically requests that it not be made public.
 
#14 ·
Cannonball seems to be lower on the totem pole of influential altoists than Bird because Bird did so much to actually further develop the language. But as I said in my paper, Cannonball was the supreme consolidator. But I see more altoists today list Cannonball closer to the top of their list of influences than they do Bird. Bird died too soon (so did Cannon but for different reasons) and Cannon had the opportunity to assimilate and build upon what Bird did while also incorporating his own distinct style and soul.

In reality, Cannon wasn't AS influenced by Bird as most people think but the conception they both brought to the alto developed along similar lines, namely imitating tenor players and bringing that power to the alto. That's why Cannonball played bebop but was anything but a Bird clone. Because he developed his style concurrently with Bird instead of simply copying him.
 
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