(Black PR Wire) Fort Lauderdale, FL, ―Old Dillard Museum and the Dillard Center for the Arts present our annual Cannonball Birthday Concert in celebration of the birthday of Fort Lauderdale's own, the late, great Julian "Cannonball" Adderley as his nephew, world renowned jazz pianist and arranger, Nat Adderley, Jr. performs in concert with the DCA Jazz Ensemble on December 2, 2017 @ 7:00pm. 

The Cannonball Birthday concert is the final event of Old Dillard Museum’s 2017 Cannonball Jazz Series. The series began in 2009 to honor Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's connection to the Broward County Public School System and Dillard High School. Adderley taught music and directed the school band at the historic Dillard School (Colored School #11) site at 1009 NW 4th Street in Fort Lauderdale between 1948 and 1950 and later taught at the current Dillard High School between 1953 and 1956.After serving in active military duty, he relocated to New York City and in short order, became a fixture within The Miles Davis Quintet, playing alongsidedrummer Philly Joe Jones, fellow saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist Bill Evans.

Born into a famed jazz family,Nat Adderley, Jr. started playing piano as a child and had his first song, "I'm on My Way", recorded by his uncle “Cannonball” Adderley on the 1967 album Why Am I Treated So Bad! when the young Nat Adderley was only 11 years old. Later, at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, Adderley met fellow student Luther Vandross, with whom he would later spend much of his musical career. He was the music arranger for Vandross’ 1981 album Never Too Much which reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and fourth on the dance charts. He continued working with Vandross until the singer's stroke in February 2003 that effectively ended his career. More recently, Adderley has returned to his jazz roots, performing his own works, as well as tributes to both his father and uncle. We at Dillard are honored to have him return “home” headlining the Cannonball Jazz Series.

Old Dillard Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1991 as the first public schoolhouse built for blacks in Broward County and the first “Colored School” to offer classes beyond the sixth grade. For many years after the school graduated its first seniors in 1938, Dillard was the only high school in the county to provide a 12th Grade to black students in Broward County.

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For more information, please contact Denise Harrison at Old Dillard Museum or email at denise.harrison@browardschools.com.