Results for "Pepper Adams"

Pepper Adams

Born: October 8, 1930

Pepper Adams was one of hard bop's most significant baritone saxophonists. His dark, hearty tone on the horn and driving rhythmic sense provided the antithesis to the lighter, floating (and consequently more popular) styles of Gerry Mulligan.

His family moved to Rochester, New York when he was young and in that city he began his musical efforts. That said his family's later move to Detroit, Michigan, a suburb of which was his birthplace, would be more important to his career. This occurred when he was sixteen and in Detroit he met several musicians who would later be important to his career, one example being Donald Byrd. He also became interested in Wardell Gray's approach to the baritone saxophone and indicates he and Harry Carney were his baritone influences. He also spent time in a United States Army band and briefly had a tour of duty in Korea.

Ronnie Cuber: Baritone Boss

by Mark McKergow
September 14, 2026

Ronnie Cuber (1941-2022) made his mark on the jazz world as a versatile and muscular baritone saxophonist. Born in New York on Christmas Day 1941, he started on tenor saxophone but switched to baritone at 17, attracted by the vacant chair in Marshall Brown's Newport Jazz Youth Band (which also featured lifelong colleagues Eddie Gomez and Michael ...

Michael Dease Big Band: Return Trajectory

by Jack Bowers
July 3, 2026

While it is not true that a photo of Michael Dease appears in Webster's dictionary next to the word “versatile," the metaphor does not seem too far-fetched once one considers the many tasks Dease carries out on his latest recording, Return Trajectory. Not only does Dease lead his big band, he wrote three of the album's ...

Leigh Pilzer: Keep Holding On

by Jack Bowers
June 19, 2026

There are times when the friends you make can make a world of difference. That is certainly true of baritone saxophonist Leigh Pilzer's recording, Keep Holding On, whose trio format--admirable in its own way--is considerably enriched by a quartet of friends and colleagues whose expertise helps brighten even further five of the album's 11 already-impressive numbers. ...

Fuchsthone Orchestra featuring Evi Filippou & UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra featuring Jazzmeia Horn at Jazzfest Bonn 2026

by Artur Moral
June 1, 2026

Fuchsthone Orchestra featuring Evi FilippouUMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra featuring Jazzmeia HornTelekom Forum Bonn, GermanyMay 9, 2026  Its host city may lack the jazz pedigree of others, but the truth is that, barely fifteen years old, Jazzfest Bonn has carved out a place among its most prestigious German counterparts--those of Moers, ...

The Legacy of Billy Strayhorn, part III: Such Sweet Thunder and The Far East Suite

by Larry Slater
April 24, 2026

Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington recorded a number of musical suites in the 50s and 60s. The Shakespearean Suite “Such Suite Thunder" ranks up there with the greatest Ellington recordings. “The Far East Suite" was another important collaboration and highpoint in the Ellington discography. The band's famous reinterpretation of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, was all Strayhorn. Ellington's last ...

Dave Schumacher & Cubeye: Agua con Gas

by Jack Bowers
March 18, 2026

As the name Agua Con Gas suggests, Chicago-born, New York-based baritone saxophonist Dave Schumacher and his Cubeye ensemble favor jazz with an unmistakable Latin accent. Schumacher's fourth album with the ensemble leans south of the border all the way, harbored in a sharp and buoyant rhythmic groove that suits them like the proverbial glove.

Joshua Weiner's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025

by Joshua Weiner
December 12, 2025

As we approach the holidays and the end of the year, here are my favorite albums I reviewed for AAJ in 2025! McCoy TynerForces Of Nature: Live At Slugs' Blue Note Records Larry GoldingsI Will Sam First Records

Pepper Adams: Pepper Adams Quintet

by Joshua Weiner
November 16, 2025

Formed in 2025, the Gammaut label has upped the ante on deluxe audiophile reissues of classic jazz with their debut release, Pepper Adams Quintet (Mode Records, 1957). Original master tapes used? Check. Careful lacquer cutting at 45 RPM by Bernie Grundman? Check. Top-notch heavy vinyl pressing by Gotta Groove Records housed in a sturdy Stoughton gatefold? ...

WDR Big Band featuring John Goldsby and Bob Mintzer: Big Band Bass

by Artur Moral
November 7, 2025

What better way to bid farewell to a long, fruitful relationship than with a mutual gift? That is the decision John Goldsby and the extraordinary WDR Big Band made after 30 years of intense collaboration. Extended partnerships are perhaps not too frequent in today's jazz landscape, even in the more conducive orchestral realm: well-known are the ...