Search - Nat Adderley Quintet, Cannonball Adderley Group :: Live On Planet Earth

This live album transforms two decades of the career of Adderley-Brothers, that legendary institution of Hardbop and Soul-Jazz. The high point of the recording is naturally ""Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"" the biggest radio jazz-funk hit of alltime, written by a young Austrian pianist named Joe Zawinul years before Weather Report. Nat Adderley began playing trumpet as a teenager growing up in Florida and played with local groups before switching to cornet in 1950. As his brother Julian ""Cannonball"" Adderley had, Nat played in a military band from 1951 to 1953, but his first important job was with the Lionel Hampton band from 1954 to 1955. In 1956 he joined his brother's quintet, but this group would disband after a year due to financial constraints. While brother Cannonball played with Miles Davis from 1957 to 1959, Nat played with trombonist J.J. Johnson and with band leader Woody Herman. After his stint with Davis, Cannonball formed a second quintet and once again Nat joined, staying with this group until Cannonball's untimely death in 1975. Nat Adderley's playing remains in the hard bop vein, but with an obvious knowledge of bebop. His solos are lyrical, often blazing in the upper register, and contain rapid-fire runs that could rival some of the best of his peers.