加农炮·阿德雷1928年出生于美国佛罗里达州，于1975年逝世。Adderley是一位卓越的中音萨克斯演奏家，他的演奏粗纩豪放，热情洋溢，具有一种原始美。Adderley不仅是硬波普爵士乐中的重要人物，他还是同一时期另一个重要流派——Soul Jazz中举足轻重的人物。仅仅活了47岁的Adderley在爵士音乐史上，始终只受到少数有识之士的敬重，对大部分爵士乐迷而言，或许他只是一位流行乐匠，而很少体会到他大师级地位与影响力的一面。他的音乐风格带有蓝调的影响，虽然有时会因老式作风引起人们的批评，但在展露锋芒之时，却总让人惊讶于他对于爵士乐艺术的奉献和执着之深。Cannonball Adderley最大的贡献应该是他运用特别的节奏组合，赋予60年代Soul Jazz风格的本质确立。虽然有些人认为那只是商业手段的推波助澜，但仔细聆听同时期其它人作品，仍以Cannonball Adderley的最为精纯。
 
在服役前后，Cannonball曾担任高中音乐老师，并组团表演。后来受到萨克斯风手Eddie Vinson的鼓励，于1955年，在纽约录制他的第一张作品，与Paul Chambers与Kenny Clarke合奏。这时正巧Charlie Parker才过世不久，纽约之行Cannonball适时接替了这个空缺，并造成当地的震撼。接着，他和弟弟Nat Adderley合组一支五重奏，以节奏变换特性广受欢迎。即兴的独奏明显的受到Charlie Parker的影响，但却没有Charlie那种刻意引人注目的声调。在节奏方面，亦呈现同时期Eddie Vinson和Louis Jordan的特有韵味，毫无拘泥之意。在综合这些特点之后， Cannonball经常在经营旋律时长篇大作的冠以装饰音，让听者喘息难当。然而，这个偏好至今尚无人出其右。
 
by Scott Yanow
 
One of the great alto saxophonists, Cannonball Adderley had an exuberant and happy sound (as opposed to many of the more serious stylists of his generation) that communicated immediately to listeners. His intelligent presentation of his music (often explaining what he and his musicians were going to play) helped make him one of the most popular of all jazzmen.
 
Adderley already had an established career as a high school band director in Florida when, during a 1955 visit to New York, he was persuaded to sit in with Oscar Pettifords group at the Cafe Bohemia. His playing created such a sensation that he was soon signed to Savoy and persuaded to play jazz full-time in New York. With his younger brother, cornetist Nat, Cannonball formed a quintet that struggled until its breakup in 1957. Adderley then joined Miles Davis, forming part of his super sextet with John Coltrane and participating on such classic recordings as Milestones and Kind of Blue. Adderleys second attempt to form a quintet with his brother was much more successful for, in 1959, with pianist Bobby Timmons, he had a hit recording of This Here. From then on, Cannonball always was able to work steadily with his band.
 
During its Riverside years (1959-1963), the Adderley Quintet primarily played soulful renditions of hard bop and Cannonball really excelled in the straight-ahead settings. During 1962-1963, Yusef Lateef made the group a sextet and pianist Joe Zawinul was an important new member. The collapse of Riverside resulted in Adderley signing with Capitol and his recordings became gradually more commercial. Charles Lloyd was in Lateefs place for a year (with less success) and then with his departure the group went back to being a quintet. Zawinuls 1966 composition Mercy, Mercy, Mercy was a huge hit for the group, Adderley started doubling on soprano, and the quintets later recordings emphasized long melody statements, funky rhythms, and electronics. However, during his last year, Cannonball Adderley was revisiting the past a bit and on Phenix he recorded new versions of many of his earlier numbers. But before he could evolve his music any further, Cannonball Adderley died suddenly from a stroke.