Alto-sax master Tony Kofi fronts this loving celebration of the jazz giant (in every sense) Julian ‘Cannnonball’ Adderley. With Andy Davies on trumpet, Alex Webb (piano), Andrew Cleyndert (bass) and Alfonso Vitale (drums) the group traces the explosive music of Cannonball from his first session as leader in 1955 through work with Miles Davis to the soul-jazz of the 1960s.
Music from the show is now available on the 2020 Tony Kofi album Another Kind of Soul, available from http://www.lastmusic.co.uk/albums/another-kind-of-soul
The repertoire includes Adderley brothers classics like Things Are Getting Better, Another Kind Of Soul, Del Sasser, Sack o’Woe and Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. Critical reaction to the band has been unanimous: ‘An absolute blast, one of the most exciting gigs of the year’ (London Jazz News) ‘Hard-bop heaven’ (Jazzwise) ‘Breathtaking’ (Northern Sky Mag) ‘Fantastically expressive players … the best gig that I’ve seen at Progress.’ (Jazz In Reading).
The band has played to capacity audiences at Ronnie Scott’s, the 606 Club, The Hideaway, The Vortex and many others jazz clubs and out of London, as well as at the Swanage, Southport, Wigan and Ealing Jazz Festivals.
Cannonball Adderley was one of the best-loved figures in post-war jazz. Hailed as ‘the new Bird’ on his emergence, he made historic recordings with Miles Davis and John Coltrane as well as having many crossover hits as a pioneer of soul-jazz. Born Julian Edwin Adderley in Tampa, Florida, on September 15th 1928, he attended the US Navy School of Music before moving to New York City in the 1950s. Spanning bebop to jazz-funk, he was a unfailingly inventive and communicative virtuoso. He died on August 8, 1975; 2020 would have been his 92nd year.
‘Kofi’s improvising has an arrestingly raw power’ – The Guardian
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