George Adams, anyone?

[Gheorghe]

1 hour ago, Milestones said:

One could add Arthur Blythe, Lester Bowie, Henry Threadgill and Adams' cohort Don Pullen--guys deep in the tradition but also with free and exploratory leanings.  They could go "out" and still be accessible.

 

Yeah of course, all those you mentioned.

[B. Clugston]

On April 6, 2016 at 8:50 PM, Mark Stryker said:

It hasn't been mentioned yet, but "Sound Suggestions" on ECM is a record that holds up -- interesting to hear George with Beirach/Holland/DeJohnette and how the group finds a balance between the pianist's more formal and advanced harmonic language and George's homegrown harmonic "looseness." Rhythmically, everyone is bashing together in a good way. Doesn't really sound like a working band but rather one of those days in the studio with a good cats and a good vibe. Plus, you get Kenny Wheeler in the mix. I used to play "Imani's Dance" with my group in Urbana.

I love that album. The hand of Manfred is apparent and it sounds more like at a Kenny Wheeler album at times, but all the more fascinating to hear Adams in this context. Heinz Sauer is also part of what is a really interesting group. 

[BFrank]

On 4/6/2016 at 1:31 PM, Michael Weiss said:

I played with George in Mingus Epitaph and he brought it every night. 

I'm sure you have great memories of that!

[Michael Weiss]

Some aspects of the tour I have great memories, others less so. There were several players that were a joy to play and hang out with. Randy Brecker, Eddie Bert, George, Joe Temperley, Ronnie Cuber, Don Butterfield, and Warren Smith come to mind.

 

[Tom in RI]

I am a George Adams fanatic. A couple of lesser known dates to keep an eye out for, Hank Marr, Sounds From the Marr-ket Place on King, no doubt his 1st recording (with Blood Ulmer too boot) and Boston based Orange Then Blue featuring George on Where Were You. My favorite Adams date is the Adams/Pullen disc Life Lines  I crack up every time I hear Protection, 1:35 of Adams channeling '50's r'n'b tenor.

And his version of Send in the Clowns always gives me goose bumps.

[Gheorghe]

Thank you Mr. Weiss for sharing this great video.

[soulpope]

On 4.4.2016 at 8:28 PM, HutchFan said:

So true.

I love George Adams' music. The man made a GORGEOUS sound on the saxophone. 

I think Adams was at his best when he played with Don Pullen.  Earth Beams is GA/DP Quartet record that I return to most frequently. 

!!

[Mark Stryker]

On ‎4‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 11:19 AM, Michael Weiss said:

Some aspects of the tour I have great memories, others less so. There were several players that were a joy to play and hang out with. Randy Brecker, Eddie Bert, George, Joe Temperley, Ronnie Cuber, Don Butterfield, and Warren Smith come to mind.

 

I've told Michael Weiss this story before, but I don't think I've shared it with the forum. I saw "Epitaph" performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival in the early '90s. At one point during one of the more abstract and quietly intense "night music" sections, John Hicks interrupted the spooky mood by coming down hard on the keyboard with both hands to play a dissonant, double forte tone cluster. I happened to look over at Gunther, who was conducting, and he was looking at Hicks and shaking his head and waving his arms in big "no" gestures. Then after conducting a couple more bars, Gunther gave a big cue toward Hicks, who brought his hands down and played the cluster again. 

The first, obviously, was a mistake. Oops.

 

 

Edited April 10, 2016 by Mark Stryker

[kh1958]

And if anyone is in Dallas is looking for Horo recordings featuring George Adams, Josey Records has (it's been sitting there awhile) the excellent Dannie Richmond Horo release.

[Michael Weiss]

4 hours ago, Mark Stryker said:

I've told Michael Weiss this story before, but I don't think I've shared it with the forum. I saw "Epitaph" performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival in the early '90s. At one point during one of the more abstract and quietly intense "night music" sections, John Hicks interrupted the spooky mood by coming down hard on the keyboard with both hands to play a dissonant, double forte tone cluster. I happened to look over at Gunther, who was conducting, and he was looking at Hicks and shaking his head and waving his arms in big "no" gestures. Then after conducting a couple more bars, Gunther gave a big cue toward Hicks, who brought his hands down and played the cluster again. 

The first, obviously, was a mistake. Oops.

Ha ha.

[kh1958]

The last couple of days I've been listening to a Roy Haynes recording featuring George Adams that I had previously missed---it showed up as a cut out in Half Priced Books recently. Its called the Island, recorded in 1990. George Adams solos on most of the tracks and has one composition on the record. Craig Handy and Graham Haynes are also featured.  It's a darn good record.

[Hot Ptah]

I saw George Adams live with McCoy Tyner several times and he was always great. One of the most amazing solos I have ever heard in my life was his solo on "Fly With The Wind" at the Earle in Ann Arbor in December, 1978. He blew the roof off of the place. It was incredible.

I bought every album he released as a leader or sideman as soon as I could get it, in the 1970s and early 1980s.

[kh1958]

Ed Blackwell, George Adams, Don Pullen, and Reggie Workman 1984-05-05 Festival Tent 5:30 PM

This group appeared at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1984. Looks like an interesting variation  of the Adams/Pullen quartet.

 

 

[Gheorghe]

16 hours ago, kh1958 said:

Ed Blackwell, George Adams, Don Pullen, and Reggie Workman 1984-05-05 Festival Tent 5:30 PM

This group appeared at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1984. Looks like an interesting variation  of the Adams/Pullen quartet

 

 

 

Really interesting, two Mingus-orientated players, one Ornette Coleman orientated player and the allrounder Reggie Workman (though I remember I heard Workman mostly with drummers, Roach and Blakey.

It´s really astonishing to read about the combination Adams/Pullen with Blackwell, especially since Richmond was still alive.

Mentioning Ed Blackwell:  Wasn´t 1984 also the year of that kind of Ornette Coleman acoustic revival (without Ornette) "Old and New Dreams"?  I always found it interesting how former sideman kept acoustic groups, while their leaders had gotten tired of it  (VSOP , an acoustic Miles Band without Miles , "Old and New Dreams" an acoustic Colemanband without Ornette ).....

[Milestones]

And a good thing.  I generally prefer Old and New Dreams over Ornette's Prime Time.

 

[felser]

On 4/5/2016 at 8:02 AM, Milestones said:

Mingus Moves in indeed a fine record--one of the best from Mingus' last decade.  

agreed

[JSngry]

On 8/11/2017 at 10:32 PM, Gheorghe said:

 Wasn´t 1984 also the year of that kind of Ornette Coleman acoustic revival (without Ornette) "Old and New Dreams"?...

No no no, it was around 1976 or so, the first album was on Black Saint, that much I remember.

Also, let's not forget the George Adams/Blood Ulmer intersections

 

etc.

[robertoart]

The two Adams/Ulmer Phalanx sessions on DIW are really special. Sirone and Rashid Ali on those. Very majestic. There are compositions by all except Rashid I think. Some very deep playing by George Adams on those. The DIW albums are 'chamber jazz' for want of a better term, while the band with Amin Ali and Calvin Weston above is a 'harmolodic bar band' for want of a better term 

[JSngry]

Cat couldn't sing for shit, but all the more reason for him to do so, because, you know, sometimes you just gotta say fuck it and get it ALL out!

 

 

[John L]

Yea, I love his sax playing, but am a bit...indifferent...to his singing.  

[JSngry]

It's the kind of thing that if anybody else did it, you'd cuss 'em out, but since it's George Adams, and since the singing comes with the tenor playing, it's like the same picture changing focus all of a sudden and then popping right back in. A wildly different set of partials off the same fundamental.

If it was anybody else....

[Justin V]

I like his singing.  'Devil Blues' is a hoot and  'I Could Really For You' is warm and avuncular.  I'll spin some of his music this weekend.

[felser]

I always mourned the wasted space on a 40 minute LP where he indulged in his vocal artistry.  What could we have had instead?

[mjazzg]

4 hours ago, felser said:

I always mourned the wasted space on a 40 minute LP where he indulged in his vocal artistry.  What could we have had instead?

With you there. Number of times I've not bought an album of his for that reason

[Fabio Baglioni]

On ‎18‎/‎05‎/‎2017 at 3:30 AM, kh1958 said:

The last couple of days I've been listening to a Roy Haynes recording featuring George Adams that I had previously missed---it showed up as a cut out in Half Priced Books recently. Its called the Island, recorded in 1990. George Adams solos on most of the tracks and has one composition on the record. Craig Handy and Graham Haynes are also featured.  It's a darn good record.

 Here is a ''RARE''  Live jazz session of..: Roy Haynes  with..: George Adams,.!!  ROY HAYNES,.dr 5t,. Live in Boston ,, Workshop,1973.. '’Hip Ensamble'' on..,13* february,1973.. George Adams..sax ,,John Mosley.,tr ,, Cedric Lawson,.piano-kys ,,Don Pete.,bass..t.,40’..cd138,.-

 

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