 Louis HayesİAndrea Canter Of the great saxophonists of 1950s and 60s, one of the best—if historically under-rated—was altoist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. And during his peak period of musical productivity, the man behind the trapset was Louis Hayes. A few years ago, Hayes organized a band to honor the legacy of Canononball. This Cannonball Legacy Band will be on stage at Sweet Rhythm in Greenwich Village on December 31st to celebrate not only the great saxophonist but also the New Year. With a soulful sound born from his southern gospel roots, Cannonball Adderley’s career exploded in the late 50s when he joined Miles Davis’ sextet, progressing to his own bands with brother cornetist Nat and pianist Bobby Timmons. His exuberant hard bop resulted in many acclaimed Blue Note and Riverside recordings, but his later, commercial work on Capitol--for better or worse—has been more associated with the soul music movement than serious jazz. As a result, Cannonball Adderley has been relatively underappreciated by most jazz historians. Said his old Riverside producer, Orrin Keepnews, “his work is considered relatively invalid because it’s popular…An awful lot of the soul music nonsense of that period was rightly or wrongly attributed to him and his success… There is continuous evidence of musical intelligence and sensitivity in his work. He is one of the most impressive ballad players. He was never in any danger of being swallowed by that soul stuff.” Although compared to Charlie Parker early in his career, Cannonball Adderley had his own style. Said altoist Donald Harrison, “Each note was an entity all to itself, meaning that he put something special on each note…”
Drummer Louis Hayes managed the drum chair for the popular altoist during the great bands of the late 50s and 60s. Nearing 70, Hayes’current project celebrates the legend of Cannonball Adderley, and features some of the hottest young jazzmen on the planet, including celestial pianist Rick Germanson, versatile bassist Richie Goods, and, in the Cannonball chair, alto sax lion Vincent Herring. Special guests for this New Year’s Eve party include trumpet master Wallace Roney and veteran trombonist Curtis Fuller.  Vincent Herring
Vincent Herring played sax at West Point in the U.S. Military Band. Dubbed a “Young Lion” in the early 80s, he toured with the Lionel Hampton Band before his big break with Nat Adderley's band, displaying a style in the vein of Nat’s brother, Cannonball. Notes International Jazz Productions, “Vincent has developed into a virtuoso with a voice that is uniquely intense and vigorous with the energy and direction.” Regarding his place in the Cannonball chair with the Legacy Band, Jazz Times (November 2002) noted that he has “formidable technique and the appropriately aggressive attitude to put it over. Like Adderley, Herring tells a story when he plays, quotes other songs in his solos…and always plays hip turnarounds at the ends of his phrases.” (For more information on Vincent Herring, see www.vincentherring.com)  Rick GermansonİAndrea Canter Pittsburgh native Richie Goods began his music career playing in local churches and clubs. After earning his degree at the Berklee College of Music, Goods studied jazz bass with Ron Carter. Adept on both electric and acoustic bass, Goods has toured or recorded with Milt Jackson, Stanley Turrentine, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Christina Aguilera, and more recently with Mulgrew Miller, Russell Malone and Vincent Herring.  Wallace RoneyİAndrea Canter An acclaimed prodigy of Miles Davis who has lived up to his early promise, Wallace Roney’s latest recordings and three Grammy Awards have helped to establish him as one of the masters of his generation. Leading a hot sextet infusing acoustic and electronic elements, Roney has released several acclaimed recordings over the past few years. Said Dave Wayne (Jazz Weekly), “amazing chops and tremendous stylistic range.” Veteran trombonist Curtis Fuller is one of the last of the bop era pioneers and a former bandmate of Cannonball Adderley. With a resume including stints with Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie, Fuller was one of a small handful of trombonists who elevated the instrument to a new level of appreciation and recognition for its melodic potential.  Curtis Fuller Catch the legacy of Cannonball and usher in the new year at Sweet Rhythm, sets at 9 ($50) and 11 pm ($75).. Sweet Rhythm is located at 88 Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, Manhattan; 212-255-3626; www.sweetrhythmny
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Thursday, 08 January 2009
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