Is it possible that I’ve been posting Sunday Jazz segments all this time and haven’t gotten around to possibly my favorite saxophonist ever? Well a search of the archives says yes, so today I will correct that oversight. Here’s a clip of Julian “Cannonball” Adderley leading one of his most potent groups ever — brother Nat Adderley (cornet), Yusef Lateef (tenor sax, oboe, flute), Joe Zawinul (piano), Sam Jones (bass), and Louis Hayes (drums). This is from a 1963 TV appearance I can’t place, performing Nat Adderley’s “Jive Samba.”

Cannonball clearly is in the Charlie Parker school, but carved out a sound all his own. Listen to that trill at around the 2:26 mark. Awesome. The whole sextet is in the zone here, but Cannonball in particular is in complete control. He makes it look so damn easy.