Park "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was a
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
baritone saxophonist. Nicknamed "The Knife" for his sound on the horn, he had a hearty tone and driving rhythmic sense which provided the antithesis to the lighter, floating (and consequently more popular) style of his contemporary
Gerry MulliganGerald Joseph "Gerry" Mulligan was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger.Though Mulligan is primarily known as one of the leading baritone saxophonists in jazz history - playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz - he was also a notable...
.
Pepper Adams was born in . His family moved to when he was young. and in that city he began his musical efforts.
Park "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was a
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
baritone saxophonist. Nicknamed "The Knife" for his sound on the horn, he had a hearty tone and driving rhythmic sense which provided the antithesis to the lighter, floating (and consequently more popular) style of his contemporary
Gerry MulliganGerald Joseph "Gerry" Mulligan was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger.Though Mulligan is primarily known as one of the leading baritone saxophonists in jazz history - playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz - he was also a notable...
.
Biogrphay
Pepper Adams was born in . His family moved to when he was young. and in that city he began his musical efforts. Then when he was sixteen he moved back to , near where he had been born, and where he met several musicians who would later be important to his career, including trumpeter
Donald ByrdDonaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter.-Early life and education:...
. Adams now became interested in
Wardell GrayWardell Gray was an American jazz bebop tenor saxophonist.-Early years:Wardell Gray was born in Oklahoma City, the youngest of four children...
's approach to the saxophone, later naming Gray and
Harry CarneyHarry Howell Carney was a swing baritone saxophonist, clarinetist, and bass clarinetist best known for his 45-year tenure in Duke Ellington's band. Carney started off in Ellington's band playing alto, but soon switched to the baritone. His strong, steady saxophone often serves as the anchor of...
as his influences. He also spent time in a
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
band, and briefly had a tour of duty in Korea.
He later moved to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, where he played on the album
Dakar-Track listing:Track# "Dakar" — 7:07# "Mary's Blues" — 6:46# "Route 4" — 6:53# "Velvet Scene" — 4:52# "Witches Pit" — 6:40# "Catwalk" — 7:11-Personnel:Recorded April 20 1957* John Coltrane — tenor saxophone...
by
John ColtraneJohn William "Trane" 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...
, played with Lee Morgan on
The Cooker, and briefly worked with
Benny GoodmanBenjamin David Goodman was an American jazz musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as "King of Swing", "Patriarch of the Clarinet", "The Professor", and "Swing's Senior Statesman"....
's band in 1958. During this time, Adams also began working with
Charles MingusCharles Mingus, Jr. was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and pianist. He was also known for his activism against racial injustice....
, performing on one of Mingus's finest albums from this period,
Blues & RootsBlues & Roots is an album by Charles Mingus, recorded and released in 1959. It has been reissued twice as a CD, first by Atlantic Records, and then again by Rhino Entertainment in 1998.Mingus explained the birth of this record in the album's liner notes:...
. Thereafter he recorded with Mingus sporadically until the latter's death in 1979. He later became a significant member of the
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big BandThe Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was a jazz big band formed by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis around 1965. The band performed for twelve years in its original incarnation, and included a tour of the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. The band won a 1978 Grammy...
from 1965 to 1978, and continued to record Jones's compositions on many of his own albums. Adams also co-led a quintet with trumpeter
Donald ByrdDonaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter.-Early life and education:...
, with whom he recorded a live date,
10 to 4 at the 5 Spot, featuring
Elvin JonesElvin Ray Jones was one of the great jazz drummers of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan. He served in the United States Army from 1946 to 1949 and subsequently played in a Detroit houseband led by...
.
He died of
lung cancerLung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs. The vast majority of primary lung cancers are carcinomas of the lung, derived from epithelial cells...
in on September 10, 1986.
As can be heard on his recordings with Morgan and Mingus, Adams's sound on the baritone was very big and intense – almost completely contrasting that of Gerry Mulligan – and so lent itself very well to up the up-tempo
hard bopHard bop is a style of jazz that is an extension of bebop music. Hard bop incorporates influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing.David H...
style that was prevalent during the 1950s and '60s. The styles of Adams and Mulligan are considered to be the foundation for contemporary playing of the baritone saxophone, and Adams's influence can be heard in the work of such notable jazz baritone saxophone players as
Scott RobinsonScott Robinson is an American jazz musician. Robinson is best known for his work with various styles of saxophone, but has also performed with the clarinet, flute, and sarrusophone, along with other, more obscure instruments....
,
Ronnie CuberRonnie Cuber is primarily a jazz baritone saxophonist. He has also played in Latin, pop, rock and blues sessions. In addition to baritone sax, he has also played soprano sax and flute, the latter on an album by Eddie Palmieri. As a leader, Cuber is known for hard bop and Latin jazz...
and Vanguard Jazz Orchestra "bari chair"
Gary SmulyanGary Smulyan is a jazz musician who plays baritone saxophone. He studied at SUNY before working with Woody Herman. He also leads a quartet with Roland Hanna, Ray Drummond, and Kenny Washington....
, among many others.
As leader
- Pepper Adams Quintet (1957)
- Critic's Choice (1957)
- 10 to 4 at the 5 Spot (1958), with Donald Byrd and Elvin Jones
- Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams, Out of This World: The Complete Warwick Sessions (1961), with pianist Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American jazz pianist and composer. He is regarded as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. His music embraces elements of funk and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz...
- Encounter (1968)
- Ephemera (1973)
- Julian (1975)
- Twelfth and Pingree (1975)
- Live in Europe (1977)
- Live Jazz By the Sea (1977), live in California
- Reflectory (1978)
- The Master (1980)
- Urban Dreams (1981), quartet with pianist Jimmy Rowles
Jimmy Rowles was an American jazz pianist who was best known as an accompanist. He also released a number of albums under his own name, and explored various idioms including swing and cool jazz.Born in Spokane, Washington, Rowles studied at Gonzaga College in Spokane, Washington...
- Conjuration: Fat Tuesday's Session (1983), live with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler
Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC is a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. since the 1950s....
- The Adams Effect (1989, posthumously)
As sideman
With Ben WebsterBenjamin Francis Webster , aka "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...
- See You at the Fair
See You at the Fair is an album by jazz saxophonist Ben Webster, released on Impulse! Records.-Tracklisting:#"Someone to Watch over Me" 4:30#"In a Mellow Tone" 4:26#"Over the Rainbow" 4:42...
(1964)
With Charles MingusCharles Mingus, Jr. was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and pianist. He was also known for his activism against racial injustice....
- Blues & Roots
Blues & Roots is an album by Charles Mingus, recorded and released in 1959. It has been reissued twice as a CD, first by Atlantic Records, and then again by Rhino Entertainment in 1998.Mingus explained the birth of this record in the album's liner notes:...
(1959)
With The Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra
- Consummation
Consummation has been considered one of the best albums by the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. It was released in 1970 on Blue Note Records and re-released in 2002. It was recorded at A&R Studios in New York City. The album was nominated for a 1970 Grammy award in the "Best Jazz...
(1970)
External links