George Adams (musician)
Encyclopedia
George Rufus Adams was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

 who played tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...

, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...

 and bass clarinet
Bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...

. He is best known for his work with Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...

, Gil Evans
Gil Evans
Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...

, Roy Haynes
Roy Haynes
Roy Owen Haynes is an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Haynes is among the most recorded drummers in jazz, and in a career lasting more than 60 years has played in a wide range of styles ranging from swing and bebop to jazz fusion and avant-garde jazz...

 and in the quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...

 he co-led with pianist Don Pullen
Don Pullen
Don Pullen was an American jazz pianist and organist. Pullen developed a strikingly individual style throughout his career. He composed masterworks ranging from blues to bebop and modern jazz...

, featuring bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Dannie Richmond
Dannie Richmond
Dannie Richmond was an American drummer who was best known among jazz fans for his work with Charles Mingus, and among pop fans for his work with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond....

. He was also known for his idiosyncratic singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

.

Biography

George Adams's musical style was rooted in the blues and in primarily that of African-American popular music. As a saxophonist his greatest influences seem to have been Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rahsaan Roland Kirk was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute and many other instruments...

, with whom he played in Mingus's band on occasion, as well as the adventurous edginess of John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...

 and Albert Ayler
Albert Ayler
Albert Ayler was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer.Ayler was among the most primal of the free jazz musicians of the 1960s; critic John Litweiler wrote that "never before or since has there been such naked aggression in jazz" He possessed a deep blistering tone—achieved...

. He played with tremendous intensity and passion, as well as lyricism and subtlety. At times he bent over backwards when playing, almost ending up on his back. His singing varied from wild wailing blues to ballads.

Adams and Don Pullen shared a musical vision and their quartet straddled the range from R&B to the avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....

. (The quartet was sometimes known as the "George Adams–Don Pullen Quartet", and sometimes as the "Don Pullen–George Adams Quartet"). After Adams' death, Pullen dedicated to his memory the CD Ode To Life, recorded by his African-Brazilian Connection, and in particular the ballad "Ah George, We Hardly Knew Ya".

One of his last recordings was America on the Blue Note
Blue note
In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Typically the alteration is a semitone or less, but this varies among performers and genres. Country blues, in particular, features wide variations from the...

 label. This album consists of classic American songs like "Tennessee Waltz", "You Are My Sunshine
You Are My Sunshine
"You Are My Sunshine" is a popular song first recorded in 1939. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana as a result of its association with former state governor and country music singer Jimmie Davis. The song is copyright 1940 Peer International Corporation, words and music by...

" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as well as a few original songs that articulate Adams's positive view of his country and the gifts it had given him. It also includes "The Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful
America the Beautiful
"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward....

".

George Adams was a member of the band that played Epitaph
Epitaph (Mingus)
Epitaph is a composition, and a live album, by jazz musician Charles Mingus. It is over 4000 measures long, takes more than two hours to perform, and was only completely discovered during the cataloguing process after his death...

by Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...

.

As leader

  • Jazz a Confronto 22 (Horo
    Horo Records
    -HDP series:*HDP 1-2 Irio De Paula orchestra Casinha Branca*HDP 3-4 Sam Rivers trio Black Africa 1*HDP 5-6 Sam Rivers trio Black Africa 2*HDP 7-8 Ran Blake solo piano Open City*HDP 9-10 Max Roach quartet The Loadstar*HDP 11-12 Michael Smith duo Elvira Madigan...

    , 1975)
  • Suite for Swingers (Horo, 1976)
  • Paradise Space Shuttle (Timeless, 1979 - released 1989)
  • Sound Suggestions
    Sound Suggestions
    Sound Suggestions is an album by the American jazz saxophonist George Adams recorded in 1979 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars stating "The playing is advanced but not as fiery as most of Adams' later sets".-Track listing:# "Baba" ...

    (ECM, 1979)
  • Hand to Hand
    Hand to Hand (album)
    -Track listing:# "The Cloocker" - 9:08# "Yamani's Passion" - 10:55# "For Dee J." - 8:07# "Joobubie" - 11:20*Recorded at Barigozzi Studio in Milano, Italy on February 13 & 14, 1980-Personnel:*George Adams – tenor saxophone, flute...

    with Dannie Richmond
    Dannie Richmond
    Dannie Richmond was an American drummer who was best known among jazz fans for his work with Charles Mingus, and among pop fans for his work with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond....

     (Soul Note, 1980)
  • Melodic Excursions
    Melodic Excursions
    -Track listing:# "The Calling" – 6:36# "God Has Smiled on Me" – 3:23# "Kahji" – 6:00# "Playground Uptown and Downtown" – 4:50# "Decisions" – 6:50# "Reflexions Inward" – 4:24...

    with Don Pullen
    Don Pullen
    Don Pullen was an American jazz pianist and organist. Pullen developed a strikingly individual style throughout his career. He composed masterworks ranging from blues to bebop and modern jazz...

     (Timeless, 1982)
  • Gentlemen's Agreement
    Gentleman's Agreement (album)
    -Track listing:# "More Sightings" - 5:10# "Don't Take Your Love from Me" - 4:50# "Symphony for Five" - 11:30# "Prayer for a Jitterbug" - 8:20# "Dream of the Rising Sun" - 6:20# "Rip Off" - 7:36...

    with Dannie Richmond (Soul Note, 1983)
  • More Sightings with Hannibal Peterson (Enja, 1984 - released 1994)
  • Nightingale (Blue Note, 1989)
  • America (Blue Note, 1989)
  • Old Feeling (Something Else, 1991)

As the George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet

  • All That Funk
    All That Funk
    All That Funk is a live album by American jazz pianist Don Pullen and saxophonist George Adams recorded in 1979 for the Italian Palcoscenico label.-Track listing:# "Dee Arr" - 7:15# "Alfie" - 6:35...

    (Palcoscenico, 1979)
  • More Funk
    More Funk
    More Funk is a live album by American jazz pianist Don Pullen and saxophonist George Adams recorded in 1979 for the Italian Palcoscenico label.-Track listing:# "Metamorphosis for Charles Mingus" - 15:12...

    (Palcoscenico, 1979)
  • Don't Lose Control
    Don't Lose Control
    -Track listing:# "Autumn Song" - 8:57# "Don't Lose Control" - 5:33# "Remember?" - 5:00# "Double Arc Jake" - 15:47# "Places & Faces" - 3:30*Recorded at Theatro Ciak in Milano, Italy on November 2 & 3, 1979-Personnel:...

    (Soul Note, 1979)
  • Earth Beams
    Earth Beams
    Earth Beams is a studio album recorded by noted jazz performers George Adams and Don Pullen as the George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet. Adams and Pullen had met through their work with composer and double-bassist Charles Mingus, who had died the year the Adams/Pullen Quartet began in 1979...

    (Timeless, 1981)
  • Life Line
    Life Line (album)
    -Track listing:# "The Great Escape or Run John Henry Run" – 4:42# "Seriously Speaking" – 8:02# "Soft Seas" – 7:20# "Nature's Children" – 9:48# "Protection" – 1:35# "Newcomer; Seven Years Later" – 9:34...

    (Timeless, 1981)
  • City Gates
    City Gates
    -Track listing:# "Mingus Metamorphosis" 13:20# "Samba For Now" – 8:31# "Thank You Very Much Mr. Monk" – 7:57# "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" – 5:18# "City Gates" – 7:56...

    (Timeless, 1983)
  • Live at the Village Vanguard
    Live at the Village Vanguard (George Adams & Don Pullen album)
    Live at the Village Vanguard is a live album by the George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet recorded in 1979 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.-Reception:...

    (Soul Note, 1983)
  • Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. 2
    Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. 2
    -Track listing:# "Saturday Night in the Cosmos" – 11:25# "City Gates" – 17:40# "The Great Escape" – 11:15# "Big Alice" – 17:44*Recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City on August 19, 1983-Personnel:*Don Pullen – piano...

    (Soul Note, 1983)
  • Decisions
    Decisions (album)
    -Track listing:# "Trees and Grass and Things" - 9:07# "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" - 4:28# "Message Urgent" - 8:16# "Decisions" - 7:11# "Triple Over Time" - 8:19# "I Could Really for You" - 7:00...

    (Timeless, 1984)
  • Live at Montmartre
    Live at Montmartre
    -Track listing:# "I.J." - 8:07# "Flame Games" - 11:30# "Well, I Guess We'll Never Know" - 8:27# "Forever Lovers" - 10:53# "Song Everlasting" - 11:23*Recorded at the Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen on April 4 & 5, 1985...

    with John Scofield
    John Scofield
    John Scofield , often referred to as "Sco," is an American jazz guitarist and composer, who has played and collaborated with Miles Davis, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey Defrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham,...

     (Timeless, 1985)
  • Breakthrough
    Breakthrough (George Adams & Don Pullen album)
    -Track listing:# "Mr. Smoothie" - 6:07# "Just Foolin' Around" - 6:20# "Song From the Old Country" - 8:13# "We've Been Here All the Time" - 9:09# "A Time for Sobriety" - 9:43...

    (Blue Note, 1986)
  • Song Everlasting
    Song Everlasting
    -Track listing:# "Sun Watchers" 5:43# "Serenade for Sariah 7:35# "1529 Gunn Street" - 6:14# "Warm Up" - 9:50# "Sing Me a Song Everlasting" - 10:30# "Another Reason to Celebrate" - 8:44 Bonus track on CD only...

    (Blue Note, 1987)

As sideman

With Craig Harris
Craig S. Harris (trombonist)
Craig S. Harris is a Jazz trombonist and composer who has been a major figure in the jazz avant-garde movement since his stint with Sun Ra in 1976. Subsequently, Harris has worked with such notable jazz artists as Abdullah Ibrahim, David Murray, Lester Bowie, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Muhal...

  • Black Bone
    Black Bone
    Black Bone is an album by American jazz trombonist and composer Craig Harris recorded in 1983 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.-Reception:...

    (Soul Note, 1983)


With Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...

  • Mingus Moves
    Mingus Moves
    Mingus Moves is a 1973 album by jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus.- The Music :Mingus Moves is one of the late works of jazz bassist, composer, and bandleader Charles Mingus. He hired three new musicians for the recording: Don Pullen, piano; Ronald Hampton, trumpet; and George Adams, tenor...

    (Atlantic, 1973)
  • Mingus at Carnegie Hall
    Mingus at Carnegie Hall
    -Track listing:# "C Jam Blues" - 24:32# "Perdido" - 21:53*Recorded on January 19, 1974 at Carnegie Hall, New York City-Personnel:*Charles Mingus - bass*Jon Faddis - trumpet*Charles McPherson - alto saxophone...

    (Atlantic, 1974)
  • Changes One
    Changes One (Mingus)
    Changes One is a 1974 album by jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus.- Remember Rockefeller at Attica :This track is dedicated to the Attica Prison Riots of 1971 and the Governor of New York State at that time, Nelson Rockefeller.- Devil Blues :The lyrics are by Clarence Gatemouth Brown, but...

    (Atlantic, 1974)
  • Changes Two
    Changes Two
    Changes Two is an album by Charles Mingus. It was recorded on 27, 28, and 30 December 1974 at Atlantic Studios in New York City—the same sessions which resulted in Mingus' album Changes One. Accordingly, Atlantic Records initially released the record...

    (Atlantic, 1974)


With Don Pullen
Don Pullen
Don Pullen was an American jazz pianist and organist. Pullen developed a strikingly individual style throughout his career. He composed masterworks ranging from blues to bebop and modern jazz...

  • Jazz a Confronto 21
    Jazz a Confronto 21
    Jazz a Confronto 21 is an album by American jazz pianist Don Pullen recorded in Rome, Italy, on March 21, 1975 and released on the Horo label as part of the "Jazz a Confronto" series.-Track listing:# "Calypso in Roma" - 7:55...

    (Horo, 1975)
  • Tomorrow's Promises
    Tomorrow's Promises
    Tomorrow's Promises is an album by American jazz pianist Don Pullen recorded in 1976 and 1977 and released on the Atlantic label.-Reception:...

    (Atlantic, 1977)


With James Blood Ulmer
  • Revealing
    Revealing (album)
    Revealing is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer featuring George Adams, Cecil McBee, and Doug Hammond recorded in 1977 and released on the In + Out label....

    (In + Out, 1977)


With McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career.-Early life:...

  • The Greeting
    The Greeting
    The Greeting is a 1978 live album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, his thirteenth release on the Milestone label. It was recorded in March 1978 at the Great American Music Hall and features performances by Tyner with a sextet featuring George Adams, Joe Ford, Charles Fambrough, Woody "Sonship" Theus...

    (Milestone, 1978)
  • Horizon
    Horizon (McCoy Tyner album)
    Horizon is a 1979 album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner released on the Milestone label. It was recorded in April 1979 and features performances by Tyner with Joe Ford, George Adams, John Blake, Charles Fambrough, Al Foster and Guilherme Franco. The Allmusic review by Michael G. Nastos states "Tyner...

    (Milestone, 1979)
  • Things Ain't What They Used to Be
    Things Ain't What They Used to Be (McCoy Tyner album)
    Thinga Ain't What They Used to Be is a 1989 album by McCoy Tyner released on the Blue Note label. Like Revelations it was recorded at Merkin Hall and features solo performances by Tyner, in addition he performs three duets with John Scofield and two with George Adams...

    (Blue Note, 1989)


With Gil Evans
Gil Evans
Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...

  • 1975 There Comes a Time
  • 1977 Priestess
  • 1981 Lunar Eclypse (live in Europe 1981)
  • 1984 Live at Sweet Basil: Volume 1 and 2
  • 1987 Live At Umbria Jazz: Volume 1 and 2


With Phalanx
Phalanx (band)
Phalanx was a jazz quartet featuring guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer, drummer Rashied Ali, tenor saxophonist George Adams, and bassist Sirone. They released three albums in the 1980s, two for DIW Records....

  • 1988 Original Phalanx
  • 1988 In Touch

External links

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