Nat Adderley

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Nat Adderley
Birth name Nathaniel Adderley
Born November 25, 1931
Origin Tampa, Florida, USA
Died January 2, 2000 (aged 68)
Genre(s) Hard bop
Soul-jazz
Occupation(s) Cornettist
Instrument(s) Cornet
Associated acts Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, Johnny Griffin, Ron Carter, Sonny Fortune

Nathaniel Adderley (born November 25, 1931 in Tampa, Florida–died January 2, 2000 in Lakeland, Florida) was an American jazz cornetist who played in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. He was the brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley.

In the 1950s he worked with his brother's original group, with Lionel Hampton, and with J. J. Johnson, then in 1959 joined his brother's new quintet and stayed with it until Cannonball's death in 1975. He composed "Work Song," "Jive Samba," and "The Old Country" for this group.

After his brother's death he led his own groups and recorded extensively. During this period he worked with, among others, Ron Carter, Sonny Fortune, Johnny Griffin, Antonio Hart, and Vincent Herring. He also helped in the founding and development of the annual Child of the Sun Jazz Festival, held annually at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida.

On his passing in 2000 at his home in Lakeland, Nat Adderley was interred near his brother in the Southside Cemetery in Tallahassee, Florida. His son, Nat Jr. a keyboardist, was Luther Vandross' long time musical director.

Among his notable recordings are:

  • Work Song (with Wes Montgomery, Bobby Timmons, Percy Heath, and Sam Jones) (1960)
  • Mercy! Mercy! Mercy! (with the Cannonball Adderley Quintet)
  • Country Preacher (Live with the Cannonball Adderley Quintet) (1969)
  • Autobiography (1964)
  • Soul Zodiac (1972)
  • A Little New York Midtown Music (1978)
  • Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! '95 (1995)

The pioneer white blues band, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, covered "Work Song" on their landmark album East-West, with amplified harmonica instead of brass.