Friday 21 November 2025
Deelee Dube and Tony Kofi celebrate Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley!
Two of the masters of post-war jazz, Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley and vocalist Nancy Wilson came together in June 1961 and dashed off a series of tracks which became immortal examples of the marriage of jazz singing and instrumental improvisation. Release in Capitol Records in 1962, Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley is now an essential part of any jazz collection and is the inspiration for this show by Deelee Dube and Tony Kofi.
The show will include all the vocal numbers from the album – such as Never Will I Marry, Save Your Love for Me, The Masquerade Is Over and Happy Talk – while the band will also play some of the great instrumentals associated with Cannonball, including Unit 7, Teaneack and Work Song.
Line up:
Deelee Dube – vocals
Tony Kofi – saxophone
Andy Davies – trumpet
Alex Webb – piano
Hamish Moore – d.bass
Alfonso Vitale - drums
Tony Kofi is a British Jazz multi-instrumentalist born of Ghanaian parents, a player of the Alto, Baritone, Soprano, Tenor saxophones and flute. Having 'cut his teeth' in the “Jazz Warriors” of the early 90’s, award-winning saxophonist Tony Kofi has gone on to establish himself as a musician, teacher and composer of some authority.
“There is so much respect in jazz circles for Tony Kofi.” – Jazzwise
“Passionate… superb… heartfelt” – The Guardian
“[Kofi’s] improvising has an arrestingly raw power” - The Guardian
Deelee Dubé made history by becoming the first British Winner and recipient of the 2016 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and is one of today’s foremost gifted vocalists to have emerged from the London scene in many years!
“Dubé, whose deft…performance pointed to the power inherent in connecting with one’s own unique voice” - Downbeat
"A voice of deep grainy power … Dubé has a quick-witted musicality" - Daily Telegraph
Video 1 (Tony Kofi plays Cannonball Adderley at Jazz Steps Nottingham): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z0LMnPh27w
