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Nat Adderley, Jazz Musician born

Nat Adderley

Nat Adderley was born on this date in 1931. He was a Black jazz musician.

Born in Tampa, FL, Nathaniel Adderley's cornet was always a complementary accent to his brother Julian Cannonball Adderly in their popular quintet. His career ran parallel to his older brother for many years. Adderley took up trumpet in 1946, switched to cornet in 1950, and spent time in the military, playing in an Army band from 1951 to 1953. In 1954, after the service, he played with Lionel Hampton and then made his recording debut in 1955.

He joined his brother’s quintet from 1956 to 1957, then spent time with the groups of J.J. Johnson and Woody Herman.  In 1959, Adderley joined the Cannonball Adderley quintet again. This time, the group became a major success, and Nat remained in the quintet until his brother died in 1975. During this time, he contributed such originals as "Work Song," "Jive Samba," and "The Old Country," along with many exciting, hard bop solos. Adderley was proficient at playing solos that dipped into the subtone index of his horn.

He led his quintets; his most notable sidemen were alto players Sonny Fortune and Vincent Herring.  Adderley continued recording worthwhile sessions in the years before his death on January 2, 2000.

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