Nat Adderley Jr. gave a powerhouse performance in Lee Hall with Longineu Parsons as cornetist, Diron Holloway on the saxophone, Ricky Ravelo on bass and Von Barlow on drums.
The quartet not only exposed listeners to jazz music but its history and culture.
Young and old jazz lovers felt the rhythmic sounds of both Cannonball and Nat Adderley.
Adderley has collaborated with great musicians like Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin. The performance was the first of Florida A&M’s Lyceum Series.
Adderley comes from a deeply rooted music family, his father Nat Adderley Sr. was a great cornetist and composer and his uncle is the well-known Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. The audience couldn’t get enough of the music.
“This event is wonderful it’s a great way to kick-off the Lyceum series this year,” said Antoinyce Eaton, 20, a third-year professional MBA student from Raleigh, NC.
Eaton said that the performance a good way to open students up to jazz music.
Adderley is also a FAMU alum, students were proud to see Adderley perform some of their favorite Cannonball songs.
Students who were already music majors felt honored to be at the concert and hear one of their favorite jazz musicians.
Micah Jones, 20, a third-year jazz studies student from Deerfield Beach, Fla., was happy to see one of his favorite artists return and play for his alma mater.
“I listen to Cannonball’s music all the time,” Jones said.
Jones is a member of FAMU’s jazz band, and said that students should take an advantage of the jazz culture.
“It’s an honor that Nat Adderley came out to FAMU, and I really feel that no one should take it for granted,” Jones said.
Jones appreciated Adderley’s musicianship and performance skills, and said he hopes that he can be as successful.
“Just alone to hear this type of music is a blessing, and I’m trying to gain all that I can from watching him,” Jones said.
David Lindberg, 20, a third-year music education student from Baltimore, is also a fan of Adderley.
“It was an amazing show, Nat Adderley Jr. is a wonderful pianist and musician,” Lindberg said.
Diron Holloway, the quartet’s saxophonist, is also is a music professor at FAMU and Lindberg, one of Holloway’s students, was excited to see his professor play alongside Adderley.
“I am proud of Holloway and his performance tonight,” Lindberg said.
“He’s performed all over and it’s great that someone of his caliber is passing knowledge to me.”