Complete Albums Collection 1960-1962

The '60s would continue to be Cannonball Adderley's most fruitful period, recording no fewer than 28 albums under his own name by the end of the decade. Several of these would include saxophonist and flautist Yusef Lateef and pianist Joe Zawinul, the latter of whom would compose 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,' a signature tune for Adderley which first appeared on Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live At 'The Club' and would reach No. 11 on the Billboard chart. As the years passed, Adderley became increasingly enamored with the avant-garde elements of jazz, much like his former counterpart Miles Davis. He began to double on soprano saxophone on such albums as Accent On Africa and The Price You Got To Pay To Be Free, while also experimenting with new instrumentation and larger arrangements. The 1970s would see the release of a great number of electric jazz albums, although by now the critics were more mixed in their reviews. Sadly, the opportunity for Adderley to retain his reputation would never come to pass. Following his final two albums - Phenix and Big Man: The Legend Of John Henry - Cannonball Adderley suddenly died following a stroke on 8th August 1975, just over a month short of his 47th birthday. With his exceptional talent and extraordinary catalogue over his tragically shortened career, Julian Cannonball Adderley will always be remembered as one of the finest American jazz alto saxophonists in history. Included on this four disc set are eight remastered albums - over five hours of music in total - of some of the finest work the man ever put to record, with Nat Adderley, Bill Evans, Yusuf Lateef and Nancy Wilson all featuring. All in all, this compilation proves just how much of an impact this musician had on the genre that he held so dear, and how he is just as deserving of praise as many of his better-known contemporaries.