Bio

Pepper Adams was born in Highland Park, Michigan in 1930. He would lead a long and fruitful career spanning 28 years, and over 600 recordings. He began to play the clarinet in a school band in 4th grade, and eventually purchased a bari saxophone from a job at a music store in Detroit. It was also during this time that he would gain an early ear for the music from listening to the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, and Fats Waller’s nightly radio show. He would go on to attend Wayne State University and also begin to make a name for himself on the Detroit scene. While in Detroit, he met many musicians who he would later collaborate with, including Donald Byrd, Willie Wells, Wardell Grey, Thad Jones, and Kenny Burell. It was after this period that Pepper Adams moved to New York City, and began an amazing chapter of his career. He was instantly recorded with John Coltrane (Dakar), Lee Morgan (The Cooker), and Benny Goodman. He also recorded on Charles Mingus’ album ‘Blues and Roots’ which features an extended bari solo on the song ‘Moanin’. Soon after this, Adams formed a quintet with Donald Byrd from the late 50’s to 1961. After the quintet disbanded, he was without a regular group for a number of years before formally joining Thad Jones. He joined first as a member of Thad’s Small group, but was right there at the start of the Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis big band, in which he played until the late 70’s. Pepper Adams has such a long list of collaborators, including Gene Ammons, Chet Baker, Red Garland, Curtis Fuller, Dizzy Gillespie, Elvin Jones, Quincy Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Blue Mitchell, Herbie Mann, Stan Kenton, Thelonious Monk, and Oliver Nelson.