About Me
Park "Pepper" Adams III was arguably the most original and influential baritone saxophonist in modern jazz. A true "musician's musician," Adams' unique style was characterized by a big sound, adventuresome use of harmony, quick-witted humor, a strong sense of swing, and an abundance of technique.Born October 8th, 1930 in Highland Park, Michigan, his family soon relocated to Rochester, New York. Here, he took up the tenor saxophone and clarinet and played with the Ben Smith band. It was in Rochester where he first heard the Duke Ellington band and met Harry Carney. Around 1947, his family moved back to Michigan, and while working at a music store in Detroit, Adams purchased a baritone saxophone, and he stuck with it from then on. While in Detroit, Adams formed strong relationships with many of the young musicians coming up at that time including Donald Byrd, Hank Jones, Thad Jones, Elvin Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Kenny Burrell, Doug Watkins, Curtis Fuller, Billy Mitchell, Frank Foster, Paul Chambers, and Bernard McKinney. After briefly studying English at Wayne University, as well as gigging around Detroit, Adams served in the Korean War from 1951-1953. Upon returning to Detroit from Korea, Adams played in the house band at the Bluebird and at Klein's, backing up musicians such as Wardell Gray, Sonny Stitt, and Miles Davis. Around 1955, Adams moved to New York. Soon thereafter, Adams joined Stan Kenton's for six months. After Kenton, Adams briefly worked with Maynard Ferguson on a tour that led him back to New York. Adams was progressively getting busier as a sideman, including tours with Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. Around this time, he and Donald Byrd began co-leading a long-standing, well-documented quintet. He won the DownBeat New Star award on baritone saxophone in 1957. Other sideman associations by Adams in the late '50s into the 60's included those with bandleaders Charles Mingus and Thelonious Monk. Adams became a fixture baritone saxophonist on numerous jazz record dates for many labels including Blue Note. Pepper Adams was an original member of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra in which he played from 1965-1977, performing weekly at the Village Vanguard, as well as recording and touring. Upon departing the Jones-Lewis band, Adams remained very active in recording, and became more focused on touring as a leader, usually playing with local rhythm sections. Adams succumbed to cancer on September 10, 1986.
