Nat Adderley, Jr., is a renowned jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and producer. Nat is perhaps best known for his more than twenty-year tenure as music director for R&B legend Luther Vandross, during which time he wrote, arranged, and produced many of Luther’s most iconic and beloved songs. He is also known for his work on the recordings of Kirk Whalum, Gloria Lynn, and Aretha Franklin. In recent years, Nat has primarily performed with his jazz ensemble and in the piano chair with notable jazz musicians, including Vincent Herring, Regina Carter, Tom Scott, and Jay Hoggard.
Nat has appeared at jazz festivals and venues all over the world, including Beijing, Singapore, Cape Town, Vienna, and Tokyo, as well as at the INNtöne Jazzfestival in Diersbach. In 2019, Nat’s band headlined the Central Jersey Jazz Festival, produced by WBGO’s Sheila Anderson. More recently, Nat headlined the star-studded reopening of the storied Apollo Theater in Harlem. This past year, Nat headlined the New Brunswick Jazz Festival and appeared at the Berks Jazz Festival, the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown, NY, Ashford and Simpson’s Sugar Bar, Minton’s in Harlem, and other venues around the country.
After a long absence from theater, Nat recently did three important shows for the Crossroads Theater Company in New Brunswick, NJ. In April of 2019, he was musical director for Sophisticated Ladies, directed by Tony winner Andre DeShields. In September of that year, he was MD and appeared as “Larry” (Paul Robeson’s accompanist) in Robeson. In June 2023, Nat was MD and appeared as Jimmy Powers (Billie Holiday’s pianist) in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. Nat was nominated for the Audelco Award for Best Musical Director.
Nat’s inimitable style—his authentic and reverential craft as a jazz pianist, mixed with his mastery of pop and R&B idioms, his unparalleled musical sensitivity and artistry, and his showman’s charm and wit—make his shows memorable events that are not to be missed.