Nat
Adderley
Jr
Quartet
History Maker
Music arranger and pianist Nat Adderley, Jr. was born on May 23, 1955 to Nat Adderley, Sr. and Ann James in Quincy, Florida. Adderley attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan, New York. In high school, he performed and wrote music for his father’s group, the Cannonball Adderley Quintet. Adderley also worked as a keyboardist for R&B singer Valerie Simpson. Adderley earned his B.A. degree in African American studies from Yale University in 1977.
In 1981, Adderley became the music director for Luther Vandross. Adderley arranged the music for Vandross’ 1981 album, Never Too Much on the songs “Never Too Much” and “Sugar and Spice (I Found Me a Girl).” He then co-wrote the song “Better Love” for Vandross’ 1982 album, Forever, for Always, for Love. In 1984, Adderley arranged “Superstar,” as well as “If Only for One Night” and “Creepin’” for Vandross’ album, The Night I Fell In Love. He co-wrote Vandross’ first top twenty hit, “Stop to Love” and arranged the songs “So Amazing” and “Give Me The Reason” from the album, Give Me The Reason. In 1988, Adderley arranged the songs “I Wonder” and “Love Won’t Let Me Wait” for Vandross’ album, Any Love. The album was nominated for a 1989 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Adderley also played keyboard for Vandross’ 1991 Grammy award winning album, Power of Love. He produced Vandross’ albums Your Secret Love, Luther Vandross, and the Grammy award winning album, Dance with My Father. Adderley arranged Vandross’ 2003 Grammy award-winning duet with Beyonce Knowles, “The Closer I Get to You,” which won for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. He then produced the live album, Luther’s Live 2003 at Radio City Music Hall.
In addition to his work with Vandross, Adderley has worked with several other musicians. He arranged the songs for Aretha Franklin’s 1983 album, Jump To It, the string section for Doc Powell’s Grammy nominated song “What’s Going On” and Natalie Cole’s song “When I Fall in Love.” Recordings of Adderley playing piano were used by playwright August Wilson for his play The Piano Lesson in 1990. Adderley later formed the Nat Adderley, Jr. Trio.
Read more: https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/nat-adderley-jr
Mike Lee
As a saxophonist, MIKE LEE has been a part of the New York jazz scene for more than 30 years. He has played with some of the great luminaries of the music and currently performs regularly with Oliver Lake, Wallace Roney, Josh Evans Big Band, Dave Stryker and Loston Harris. Mike is Adjunct Professor of Jazz Saxophone at Montclair State University and maintains a strong private teaching practice.
Tommy Campbell
Tommy Campbell grew up outside of Philadelphia steeped in a musical environment, permeated with the notes of his father, an organist and singer, and his uncle, Jimmy Smith, the renowned Hammond B-3 virtuoso.
“I was surrounded by music from the time I was two years old. My father and drummer Mickey Roker would rehearse at the house a lot. Whenever Uncle Jimmy had a new record he was releasing, he’d come over with a prerelease copy. We would listen to it together as a family. I used to play along with those records for hours.”
Tommy attended the Berklee College of Music, the international center for education in professional music renowned for its acclaimed Jazz faculty, where he majored in instrumental performance (1979) and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998.
Campbell’s long tenure with Dizzy began in the late 70’s, and continued through the 80’s and 90’s, and concluded with a personal jam session with the renowned master several months before Gillespie’s passing in January of 1993.
He has been inspired by legendary drummers such as Buddy Rich, Billy Cobham, Max Roach, the late greats Art Blakey and Tony Williams. Mr. Campbell has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of Jazz’s leading talents. He has performed as a regular member with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, John McLaughlin, The Manhattan Transfer, Kevin Eubanks, Jimmy Smith, Stanley Jordan, Tania Maria, Gary Burton, and a host of other Jazz greats. Tommy’s intelligent, exciting and stylistically authentic drumming has established him as a leading member of a new generation of Jazz Masters.
Belden Bullock
Belden L. Bullock is an American jazz double-bassist. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Bullock learned to play bass guitar before picking up stand-up bass in the early 1970s. He studied at Berklee College of Music from 1977 to 1981 and played in the 1980s with George Adams, Roy Haynes, Andrew Hill, and Ahmad Jamal.
“I never heard of a Jazz musician who retired. You love what you do, so what are you going to do . . . play for the walls?”
Nat Adderley Jr
Line Up – Schedule – Tickets – Location – Organizers – Past Photos
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