Bird and Herbie

© Gary Carner. Copyright Protected. All rights reserved.




I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and that you are anticipating a great Christmas season and new year. In the last few weeks one of my readers suggested that I open my Pepper Adams biography with the story of when Pepper heard Bird at Detroit's Mirror Ballroom in 1949. I end the opening section of Ch 1 with it, in a way building to it. He felt that, because it's about Bird, it would create far greater interest among readers than what I have now. Back to the drawing board, as they say.

I've been rereading the very fine biographical primer The Biographer's Art, written by Milton Lomask. One of the things he recommends is for an author to conceive of an ending well in advance, then work your way there as a destination. I'm toying with ending my biography with Pepper's appearance on the Grammy Awards telecast. It seems to me that the way the New York chapter of NARAS rallied behind Pepper when his appearance on the show was threatened with cancellation is a metaphor for much that occurred in New York when Adams got ill. Maybe I don't need to worry that much about the ending? The way the book is set up, the second section of the book (analysis) follows mine. Is it perhaps more appropriate to have John Vana's work summarize the entire book?

Over the last few weeks I also came across this great piece about Herbie Hancock: https://onmilwaukee.com/music/articles/herbie-hancock-curros-milwaukee.html#_
Hancock discusses how he joined the ByrdAdams Quintet. Here's his only mention of Pepper:

"In December of 1960, a couple of months after the Coleman Hawkins gig, I got a call from John Cort, the owner of the Birdhouse, a small club in a second-floor walkup on Dearborn Street, on the North Side. ‘Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams are playing in Milwaukee this weekend,’ he told me. ‘You want to play with them?’ "‘Are you kidding?’ I said. ‘Yeah, I want to play with them!’ I couldn’t believe it – I’d just been invited to gig with one of the best jazz trumpeters around. Donald Byrd was a veteran of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and he’d earned a master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music. He’d performed with many of the jazz greats over the years, including John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, and in 1958 he’d started a quintet with the baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams. That was the group I was being invited to play with."

This piece is the most in-depth one I've read about Hancock and his "discovery" by Donald Byrd. It turns out that John Cort deserves much of the credit for recommending Hancock to Byrd.


One thing that has always surprised me is how little Pepper Adams is mentioned by Hancock over the years. I know that Byrd is the one who met with Hancock's mother and assured her that young Herbie would be fine living with Byrd in New York once the band left Chicago. With that in mind, it seems likely that Pepper didn't have the same degree of responsibility for Hancock as Byrd. Still, you would think that Herbie would have absorbed some influences from Adams, perhaps his harmonic usage? It sure would be fascinating to know what kind of conversations the two of them had during the year that Herbie was in the Byrd-Adams Quintet.

Detroit Groove: Al McKibbon

© Gary Carner. Copyright Protected. All rights reserved.

I'm very pleased and genuinely excited to report that I've finished the first chapter of Pepper Adams' biography. I've been building to this moment for 34 years so for me it's very gratifying to be at long last getting my thoughts about Pepper down on paper.. Some of you might not know that I first conceptualized this project in 1984. I wanted to write a biography of a jazz musician. Somehow, really quite miraculously, Pepper became my subject. What a blessing!

Entitled "What Is It?" the twenty pages cover 1947-1951, the period of Adams' life in or transitioning to Detroit. The chapter is divided into sections in this order:

1. Adams seeing Charlie Parker live for the first time. 

2. Why Adams moved from Rochester NY to Detroit, and its many implications.

3. Taking a month of saxophone lessons in New York City with Skippy Williams.

4. The racial climate in Detroit.

5. The influence of Grinnell's Brothers Music House.

6. Mentorship with Wardell Gray, the talent show with Lionel Hampton, meeting Charles Mingus.

7. Adams goes to Wayne University, he buys his Berg Larsen mouthpiece and his first Selmer horn.

8. Gig with Little John and His Merrymen, first gig with Donald Byrd and Paul Chambers, mentorship with Beans Bowles, enlisting in the Army.

Chapter Two will be called "Inanout." It will explore Adams' early life, moving around a great deal from Detroit to rural Indiana and to various places in Upstate New York. Much of his time, from about three years old until sixteen, was spent in Rochester, New York. Rochester's history, especially its World War II climate and jazz scene, will be examined. The effect on him -- of not being grounded, of having attachment and intimacy issues -- will be discussed. 

Because I spent much of the week wrapping up Chapter 1 and then organizing 150 pages of notes for Chapter 2, there's not anything else to add. I do have some "outtakes" that I won't be using for the biography that I hope you find interesting. What follows are some notes and quotes from my 1988 interview with the great Detroit bassist Al McKibbon that likely won't make the Pepper biography. In addition are some notes from his interview for the Smithsonian.

My interview with McKibbon:

Lanny Scott was a fine pianist from Cleveland who played around Detroit. According to McKibbon, he played like Art Tatum.

"When I was 16 or 17, I worked at a place called the B&C. That was a place that had an old-time vaudeville format. They had a bunch of singers, male and female, and they would do what they called "ups." They did turns, coming up to entertain. We had a five-piece band behind them. They would play and the girls would go around to the different tables and pick up the tips, sometimes not with their hands! We played whatever were the popular tunes of the day, and blues, of course. I never played rock 'n' roll. That was never a part of it when I was a kid, never. Even before that, I played with a dance band. They had two or three or four dance bands around there. We tried to play like Basie or Jimmie Lunceford or Duke Ellington."

Cut Collins was Ocie's husband and drummer. Another band was Hal Green. Another was Gloster Current. His brother, Lester, played trumpet. He had a good band and later became known for his work with the NAACP.

Today it's thought of as a suburb but, in the 1930s, Pontiac was another town a long way away from Detroit. 

McKibbon never played Hastings Street. That's where all the "joints" were based. In McKibbon's view, they were scuzzy, rough-and-tumble places. In the twenties, Hastings Street "had a good theater over there that had vaudeville. I saw the first sound movie over there: Al Jolson, The Jazz Singer." This is where he saw Butterbeans and Susie, Ethel Waters and others.

Peers in Detroit: Saxophonist Ted Buckner, drummer Kelly Martin (who played a long time with Errol Garner). McKibbons' group at the Congo Club included Howard McGhee and Matthew Gee (trombonist; though from Newark, he was in Detroit for a long time), Kelly Martin, Wardell Gray, Teddy Edwards. It was about 10 pieces--a killer band, led at first by Martin, then co-led by McGhee and another. Their guitarist, Ted Smith, went with Andy Kirk: "Good guitarist." Fantastic band. In 1940, "Lionel Hampton came through there with his first big band. Carl George, his lead trumpeter, said, 'Hey, I'll come down and play some first with you guys.' 'Oh, fine,' McKibbon related sardonically. He came in the door and Howard McGhee was hitting altissimo something. He never took his horn out! Two sets, he listened to us."

Around 1940: "The Paradise Theater used to feature New York shows. I remember one show was going to hang over there, so the chorus guys and girls came into the [Congo] club where we were playing and we had to play for them. We played for Una Mae Carlisle, Billie Holiday."

"The Cozy Corner had a five piece group in there that was really swinging! J.C. Heard played in there."

About Detroit: "There were all those people there, all playing good. They had some tenor players and piano players that used to wipe everybody out! There was one tenor player named Lorenzo Lawson. He went to audition for Basie's band. The rehearsal was late and he said, 'The hell with them,' and went home. . . Trombone Smitty. I thought he was fantastic! He used to take his horn out of pawn and play the job and put it back. There was another guy there by the name of 'Cubby' . . . He played the Cozy Corner with J.C. Heard. Bill Johnson played trumpet."

Lawson was fantastic, but likely never recorded. He played like Prez. Julius Watkins came from there. Major Holley was younger. So was "Bags."

"There used to be a guy around there, when I was really not playing too well. His name was Frank Fry. He was a hell of a trumpet player! There was another name, Buddy Lee. He used to teach a lot of trumpet players that came through there. In the thirties, yeah. Lannie, the piano player. There was Maurice King, the saxophone player. I used to be in his band.”

Smithsonian interview with Al McKibbon:

In the early 1930s, McKibbon played with Milt and Teddy Buckner (alto, originally with Lunceford), and later with drummer Freddie Bryant.

At the Graystone Ballroom, depending on the weather, they had either inside or outside dancing. Fletcher Henderson, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Luis Russell (with Louis Armstrong), Ellington and Cab Calloway played there. McKibbon's older brother, Alfonso McKibbon, played guitar and banjo with McKinney's Cotton Pickers and encouraged his brother to play bass, thinking string bass would be the new thing. Ted Smith, guitarist, played like Charlie Christian. He, McKibbon, and a saxophonist had a trio. Milt Buckner, not George Shearing, invented the locked-hands style of piano, he pointed out. He played the Congo Club, then the Three Sixes with Teddy Buckner's band--Kelly Martin on drums (who played with Erskine Hawkins). Wellman Braud was McKibbon's first influence. He had a big sound and McKibbon strove for that big, strong sound. He also liked the way Walter Page walked. After them, Blanton and Pettiford were an influence on his playing.

                                   (Al McKibbon, Bud Powell's favorite bassist)

Detroit Cats and Clubs

© Gary Carner. Copyright Protected. All rights reserved.

Here's some random historical information about Detroit's jazz history that I've collected from my many Pepper Adams interviews. It pertains mosty to Detroit in the 1940s and '50s. Because it's not likely to be used in my Pepper Adams biography, I'm posting it here to make it available to researchers.

Elvin Jones:

"I used to peep in the window [at the Blue Bird] and watch him. I always used to tell him, 'Keep the curtain open so I can watch you and see what you're doing.' And he did. I was watching him because the drums were right there by the window. (Roy Brooks used to stand out there sometimes.) I think he was playing more then than he was later on in life. He didn't have more chops. He had more swing and more drive. He began to get it together there. Billy Mitchell told me that when Elvin came out of the Air Force, his right hand was weak. When he'd be playing the ride cymbal, instead of getting a clear ti-ti-TING, he'd get a ti-TING, ti-TING. So Billy Mitchell told him, 'Look, your right hand is weak. Fill in with your left hand.' And that's what he would do. Elvin, and all of the Jones', had an uncanny sense of time--like Thad. So, Elvin too, it seemed like he was playing in three a lot, but you don't know that because the four is there too! Elvin was dynamite!" - Frant Gant

Clubs/Regions:

"The Paradise Valley was a cluster of many clubs. . . A gorgeous place to be, safe, everybody had a ball going from place to place. It was downtown, about four or five blocks from the heart of town. All the entertainment was there. That's where all the big stars went. Hastings Street bordered it. It was between Hastings Street and Brush Street, bordered by Adams and St. Antoine and Gratiot Avenue, that whole area of six or eight blocks square." - Maurice King

The Valley was really buzzing before 1938, when Maurice King arrived in town. It stayed that way until 1943, when the riot broke out. After that, wealthy whites stopped visiting. Then, the clubs moved north, closer to Wayne University, such as the Flame Showbar, which looked like a Las Vegas club. Two others within a block or two were the Frolic Showbar and Chesterfield Lounge.

"In the early '40s, there were many clubs in The Valley: small clubs where there was music, all up and down Hastings Street, extended all the way to the north end, which became Oakland Avenue. Later on, the clubs started moving to the west side, like the Blue Bird, like Klein's on Twelfth Street. Hastings more or less died. In fact, there is no more Hastings now. It's the Chrysler Freeway. City planning changes the complexion of cities. That's what happened." - Yusef Lateef

“The Valley was only maybe two or three or four blocks long, from Hastings Street and Adams to, say, John R and Adams.” - Charles Boles

"There were many bars, all of which had live music. The first beginning of it was the Sportree's, a club. It started from The Valley, going up Hastings Street. The most famous place on Hastings Street was the Cozy Corner. That was the most plush nightclub. It had a Copa atmosphere. Just a place where people would go to dance. They had a cover charge and had dinner. It was a supper club." - Maurice King

Hastings Street had prostitution. “It had all the evils that any major city had.” - Charles Johnson

The Club Sudan was downtown. Kenny Burrell played there.

The Flame was on John R and Garfield.

The El Sino and The Three Sixes (666) were near each other in The Valley.

When Thad and Billy Mitchell had their band in 1949-1950 or so: "The jazz scene was hot during that time. The Blue Bird was going six nights a week and it was packed every night." - Bob Pierson

"I got into Bizerte and Royal Blue occasionally when underage. - Bob Pierson

The Pine Grove, the Black Hawk: little bars on the Near West Side; Clarence Beasley and Pepper Adams played at these clubs after 1948.

"We first began to hear Sonny Stitt when we were still going to dances as teenagers." -Clarence Beasley

Sonny Stitt's father was a minister and he allowed all these aspiring youngsters to jam at his church. At that time, Stitt played the Iragon Ballroom on Woodward, near the Mirror Ballroom (where Bird played). Beasley and his cohort hung out at the Iragon from their middle teens until around 19 years old, when they started branching out and getting their own gigs and moving away from the dance scene.

The Brady Bar was going on the East Side in 1955. Barry Harris played there, as did Pepper Adams.  Harris' nickname was "Little Bud."

Gigs in Detroit took place from 9-2. After the gig, all the musicians in town used to congregate across the street from the Bowl-o-Drome (12707 Dexter Blvd. near Davison or Burlingame) at the Esquire Restaurant for breakfast. Roland Hanna, Barry Harris and Harold McKinney, however, didn't hang out. They were very studious.

The Paradise Theater in Detroit: "They had the best black talent in the world. It was another Apollo. In fact, it might have been a couple degrees above it. You go see a movie and then you stay and see the stage show. You could stay as long as you wanted." - Oliver Shearer

Local musicians:

Eddie Jamison, a great local alto player, "had a distinctive sound," according to Clarence Beasley. "It was soulful."

Willie Anderson: "So many big names tried to get him out of Detroit and he would not go. He never had the confidence in himself because he never had the formal training, the building blocks that he could use. He simply refused to go out of town with these bands. He didn't want to be pigeonholed or whatnot, but, my God, did he have a reputation for being one of the finest pianists locally. He was a fantastic jazz player." - Clarence Beasley

"Hugh Lawson had a very fine, strong left hand." - Clarence Beasley

Tim Kennedy was a very fine Detroit drummer, about five years older. He played with Illinois Jacquet.

- Clarence Beasley

"Johnny Allen was a really good pianist on the scene and a fantastic arranger. He was from Chicago and went to school with Nat Cole but relocated in Detroit. He played the Silver Slipper with Tate Houston when Eckstine worked there."  - Clarence Beasley

Willie Wells dissipated with drugs, and was sad to see, but a great player on the scene.

Joe Brazil hosted jam sessions at his house that Wells and a lot of the youngsters played.

Jimmy Glover, a real good bass player out of Detroit. - Bob Pierson

"A lot of guys never made it. There was Will Davis, a real good piano player, and Bu Bu Turner, another good piano player. . . . There were some real good tenor players. Tommy Barnet, and Lefty Edwards--they were a little bit older, more mature." - Bob Pierson

Abe Woodley: "Abe was something! I'll tell ya, next to Milt, he had the best feel I ever heard on vibes and he could play some great bebop piano too!" - Bob Pierson

Bu Bu Turner: "Great player, great accompanist, too, for a horn player, and he could burn his ass off playing jazz." - Bob Pierson

Art Mardigan sound: "He had a great feel and you could hear the beat of the stick on the cymbal. He had the best sound out of the cymbal I've ever heard and I've heard them all. Art had that, and a lot of guys that played around Detroit got that from him. They all got the nice sound out of the cymbal." - Bob Pierson

Warren Hickey: "A tenor player. A wonderful player." - Bob Pierson

Other fine Detroit players, as per Bob Pierson: Leon Rice (dm), Willie Wells (before junk got to him), Gus Rosario.

Tate Houston had a nice sound.

Lefty Edwards was a good tenor player.

Claire Roquemore: “couldn’t stay out of jail.” - Charles Johnson

Roquemore: "He was a wonderful, young, Caucasian-looking trumpet player. He was very fair-skinned, blonde-haired. He probably had a white mother and a mixed father. He looked white but he wasn't white. He was mixed. Whenever Claire had a gig, he'd use Pepper." - Roland Hanna

“The great Claire Rocquemore? He could play anything. He’d wear Miles out. He’d wear anybody out. Donald didn’t want to get on the bandstand with him. He ended up being strung out. And he didn’t go anywhere. He would always be around, when he could keep it together, and kick everybody’s butt. He was at Barry’s house all the time.” - Charles Boles

"There was a guy named Benny Benjamin. He was a guy that went with Motown. He was a bad sucker! He could play in any kind of groove--bebop, or the blues. He had the feeling. He was a bitch! Wilbur Harden, this trumpet player [moved to Detroit in 57 and played with Yusef, was sick for four years then played with Curtis], and Teeter Ford [in Barry Harris' group in the early 50s, replacing Claire Roquemore, with Sonny Red.] - Frank Gant

                                              (Elvin Jones)

Pepper Adams Biography

© Gary Carner. Copyright Protected. All rights reserved.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone in the U.S. Woefully, mine passed away seven years ago. Life hasn't been the same since, but it rolls on nonetheless. 

For me, the biggest thing now in my life is writing Pepper Adams' biography. After many fits and starts over the last five or so years, about two years ago I finally completed the book's Prologue after wrestling with it for over a year. I had concluded that I needed an argument to present to those who didn't know anything about Adams. Why should they care to read a book about this guy? I wrote the Prologue in two parts. The first section was about Adams in crisis, giving notice to Thad and Mel, then going out on his own as a "single." It turned out to be a great decision for him. From 1977-1983 Adams wrote nearly 20 compositions, made a number of superb recordings as a leader, toured the world, was nominated for four Grammy Awards, and essentially burnished his legacy. Then came the fall: his bizarre car accident, his cancer, the dissolution of his marriage, and his death at age 55.

The second part of the Prologue discusses my personal association with Adams. How I met him, the work we did together on his memoirs, what I witnessed, and so forth. I figured the reader would be interested in that and I wanted to, in a sense, get me out of the way of the book. Nevertheless, I wanted to further my case for how important Adams is, listing a few additional reasons why I feel he's a worthy subject and to set up a few themes in the reader's mind.

Now, several years after writing the Prologue, I'm finding that the writing is really flowing out of me, that I'm on a roll. I've written the first 5-10 pages of Chapter 1. It may not seem like much production but it takes so much time to polish and fully refine each point. I begin with Pepper seeing Charlie Parker for the first time in Detroit at the Mirror Ballroom in 1949. For him, it was a magical moment. Then I write about the transition from Rochester to Detroit: how his relocation came to be and why it was so life-altering. Then, I include a section about Adams' pivotal four-week experience in New York City studying with Ellington tenor saxophonist Skippy Williams. 

My first chapter is entitled "What Is It?," taken from one of Pepper's compositions (from the arcane 1969 MPS date Muses for Richard Davis). Chapter 1 is all about Pepper's Detroit experience. That's the core of his being and where he became a great musician. I just now decided that I'll have a separate chapter on his Korean War experience, unless I feel there's not enough material to make it into a full chpater. Continuing the concept of using Pepper's colorful compositional titles as chapter headings, for the Korea chapter do you prefer "Witches Pit" or "Etude Diabolique?" 

That presupposes a separate chapter for his return to Detroit, 1953-55, before he leaves for New York City. Since I like the title "Urban Dreams" for the New York City chapter, what should I call his three-year period in Detroit? "Joy Road?" "Excerent?" Twelfth and Pingree?" I kind of prefer the third one. As it stands, there will also be a separate chapter on his experience growing up in Rochester, New York. That will be entitled "Inanout."

Working on the Detroit chapter, I've had to go through a ton of material I've accumulated over the years. The last few days I've been sorting stuff germane to Detroit from the rest of it. While doing so, I've found some things worthy of posting on my Instagram site. Have any of you seen it? There's a wealth of material there. You can always get to it by clicking the Instagram icon at the top of pepperadams.com.

For those of you who didn't see the following posted on my Facebook page a few backs ago, here's a quote from Detroit pianist Willie Metcalf (brother of Freddie "Freddie Froo" Metcalf) about Pepper and Sonny Stitt. 

"From roughly 1953 to 1955, Stitt was traveling with three horns including baritone sax. At the Blue Bird one night, Stitt was the featured soloist with a local rhythm section and Pepper Adams. Clarence Edding, the Blue Bird owner, preferred having local horn players, along with the house rhythm section, perform with a guest soloist. This gig would have likely been in the second half of 1953 or 1954, after Adams was discharged from the Army and returned to Detroit for two and a half years. Metcalf said to me in an interview, "Sonny was playing the baritone then, and Pepper was giving him so much static on the baritone. Sonny said, 'Shit, I better put this motherfucker down and pick up my alto!' I heard that [Metcalf said, laughing]. Pepper is just so fluent!" Can we assume that Pepper is one the reasons Stitt dropped the baritone and reverted back to just tenor and alto?"

To a question I asked Metcalf in my interview with him about whether it was ever awkward for Pepper as a white guy in the 1940s and 50s to play in Detroit almost exclusively with black musicians, Metcalf said, "Not the fellas, but more so on the white musicians, because they would comment. I never heard it personally but people have said that some of the white musicians have said 'he played too black.'" About Pepper, Metcalf said, "He was a for-real cat."

Reader Responses

© Gary Carner. Copyright Protected. All rights reserved.

I want to thank Jon Wheatley and Kevin Goss for their perceptive Facebook replies last week. I hope others feel free to reply to future posts, if only on Facebook. I'm happy to cut and paste, understanding it's often easier for folks to respond on Facebook while they're there. Can someone please tell me if it's hard to post replies directly on Blogspot? Thanks again to the intrepid Peter Landsdowne for doing so.

So often I think of Adams as a complex soloist and forget how difficult his tunes are to play. Other than playing a few of his lead sheets on piano, the only Pepper tune I've ever played on my instrument is "Rue Serpente." I did that in the mid-1980s, while working on my Pepper Adams thesis at Tufts. I put together my own arrangement for solo guitar. It sure took me a long time to work it out.

During that time, I studied briefly with guitarist Jon Wheatley. His perception of Pepper's original tunes having melodies that are not easily singable is interesting and certainly deserves more scrutiny. Is that unusual in the jazz canon? Is that a reason to exclude his (or anyone's) tunes from the standard repertoire? It seems that "Muezzin'" and "Freddie Froo" are the only Adams compositions to ever make it into a fakebook. Please let me know what you think about this.

As for Wheatley's claim that Pepper played his own, difficult material, yes, that's true chiefly once he went out as a single in 1977, after leaving Thad/Mel. As drummer Ron Marabuto told me, after Pepper made the move he focused on organizing a book he could take around with him. His wife, Claudette, said Pepper at that time spent a lot of time composing at the piano. Fortunately, Pepper's two dates for Muse (Reflectory and The Master) gave him an outlet to record some of his new tunes, as did two subsequent dates on Uptown and recordings as a sideman with Bill Perkins and Hod O'Brien.

Even though by 1977 Pepper had already written and recorded more than twenty original compositions, he didn't play many of them on his own gigs. For those, he might pull one out from time to time, answer a request, or chose a favorite Thad Jones tune. More often, though, Adams played standards. 

Adams was careful with his repertoire. Let's not forget that non-American rhythm sections really varied in terms of quality before the 1980s or '90s.  As he put it, Pepper didn't "want to show distain for the audience" and downgrade a performance by calling a tune that a rhythm section couldn't handle.

As for Pepper's tunes being difficult to play, trumpeter Red Rodney said in my interview with him that Valse Celtique was "tough" and he would have appreciated some rehearsal time with it before a Barry Harris concert, when Pepper pulled it out to play. More recently, drummer Mike Melito, between tunes at a 2015 Rochester, New York concert he led of Pepper's music, said to the Bop Shop audience, "This music is really hard." Melito's superb band of Eastman guys (including pianist Harold Danko) played the music impeccably, by the way. I wish I had a tape of it. Many years ago, bassist Rufus Reid told me that some of Pepper's tunes were "too intellectual." Did he in part mean they were tough to play?

I thought I'd shoot an email to Mike Melito and ask him to elaborate on why he feels Pepper's music is hard to play. He wrote right back with the following:

"Hey Gary:

Here are some thoughts on why I think Pepper's tunes were difficult from the drums' standpoint.

Pepper Adams' compositions were masterpieces but posed many challenges for musicians to play them. As a drummer, you need to be able to play the ensembles of tunes but not just play generic time. You need to know how to make the melodies of compositions come alive, otherwise everything will sound the same. Pepper's tunes can not be played by a chump drummer who doesn't know how to deal with the ensembles. Pepper wrote certain tunes that were hard rhythmically. You need to be able to deal with that in a musical way. For instance, you need to know how to make short sounds for short notes in the melodies. But you also have to know how to make longer notes in the melody BUT also play around the rhythms without clashing with the ensembles, and knowing when to leave space. Developing this is not an easy task! 

One of my favorite Pepper tunes is "Cindy's Tune," originally recorded on his record Encounter with Zoot Sims. First off, the melody of this tune is tricky for the horns so you can't get in the way. When you come across a composition like this, you can orchestrate it in different ways. Elvin Jones, the drummer on Encounter, brought his brillant organic thing to the melody. He played around the melody, outlining it but having such a wide beat. Being Elvin, it worked great. There is only one Elvin Jones, though, so as a drummer we have to come up with our own way of playing the difficult melodies Pepper wrote. What works for one guy may not work for another. That is one of the biggest challenges as a drummer when playing Pepper's music: knowing how to make the melodies come alive."

Great stuff from Mike Melito! Thanks so much for your insights. Aside from the various comments about Pepper's tunes being difficult, I found Kevin Goss' comments about audiences "listening with their eyes" really fascinating. For one thing, Pepper just didn't care that much about how he dressed. Some musicians, like Bobby Timmons, would get on his case in the late 1950 and 60s for his raggedy sport coat (possibly the one worn in the photo on pepperadams.com's homepage), or how indifferent Pepper was to dressing up for a gig. Even later in life, when his wife and step-son tried to get him au courant by wearing a leather vest and dress shirt (see the cover to Live at Fat Tuesday's below), Pepper's white tee shirt always seemed to peek out of his wide-open collar. To see another one of Pepper's informal outfits, see this performance with Clark Terry in Sweden. Pepper, with his flannel shirt, almost looks like he could have just milked a cow: 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k5jQMY4dbU4 

There were some notable exceptions when Pepper did show some concern for appearance on the bandstand. In 1960, Pepper came to his gig at Montreal's Little Vienna wearing a bow tie and criticized pianist Keith White for not wearing socks. The Little Vienna had a completely unpretentious coffee house like vibe that in no way approximated a white-table cloth supper club, nor was it a place where the audience would dress up. White's response to Pepper's criticism was, "This is the Little Vienna, not the Waldorf Astoria."

Regarding Pepper's looks, if you check out some of the photos of Adams as a child on my Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/pepperadamsblog/), you might agree with me that Pepper was quite a cute kid. Somewhere along the way, he was stigmatized about being ugly. Being branded with the nickname of "Pepper" in the Seventh Grade certainly didn't help. He said repeatedly over the years that Pepper Martin (to whom he was compared by his schoolmates, and nicknamed after) was "an ugly son-of-a-gun." 

In one interview I did, I was told that Pepper was quite sensitive about his looks. His Princeton haircut of the 1950s and 60s--close on the sides and almost a Mohawk on top--certainly made him look rather eccentric in some photographs. In 1985, during intermission at a gig in New Jersey, Pepper joked about his crooked front teeth (that he couldn't afford to fix), that were damaged by playing hockey in Rochester. About them, he said to me with a twinkle in his eye, "Do you think they grow that way?" Despite his misgivings about his looks, from what I can tell there never seemed to be any shortage of groupies and women around him. Musicians really have it made, don't they?

This past week I also heard from saxophonist/arranger Frank Griffith and saxophonist Frank Basile. Both wrote me about how much they enjoyed what Tony Inzalaco had to say a few weeks back. Tony is a really special person. Anyone in the Anaheim area should try to catch his group, hear him while he's still going strong, and get to know him.

Saxophonist Aaron Lington also emailed me about the first 50 Years at the Village Vanguard post, saying it's a great book. My review of the book's contents is still forthcoming. I want to give it the attention it deserves. Unlike many jazz picture books, there's a considerable amount of text. Lington, by the way, is in the midst of an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Please help put him way over the top: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bicoastal-collective-chapter-five-jazz#/

A few other things of interest took place this week. I got a wonderful email from tenor saxophonist Osian Roberts. He said he was enjoying the blog. I immediately wrote back telling him how much I appreciated he and others giving me feedback, that intermittent reinforcement from readers is so important to my psyche to keep all this Pepper work going. 

In part, too, Osian was consoling me for not getting my Detroit proposal approved for the 2017 Darmstadt conference. Looking back, I was a tad naive. I should have first asked around about what kind of language they usually look for in these proposals. I was just too excited about the prospect of traveling abroad and presenting my research on 1950s Detroit. In turns out that they give preference to those with academically germane jargon. Not being a member of "the club," I wrote it in plain English. No big deal. It helped me get some Detroit work done. But I wanted to get to Prague and hear Osian play some Pepper tunes with his small group and big band.

In Osian's email, he told me about his recent tour with Detroit pianist Kirk Lightsey. I'm hoping to interview Lightsey by Skype sometime soon. Lightsey currently lives in Paris and he knew Pepper as an elder on the scene. I'm especially interested in Kirk's remembrances of growing up in Detroit.  

Roberts wrote that Lightsey on their tour spoke of "how smartly dressed Doug Watkins was," and "the picture he painted of the music scene [in Detroit] when he was growing up and the standard of the musicians was vivid and impressive. What struck me was the fact that all the musicians he mentioned were studying classical music to a very advanced level (enthusiastically I should add!), whereas jazz was mainly learnt at friends' houses such as Barry Harris' and so forth. The fact that [Lightsey] majored on oboe (which he played in the symphony orchestra with Paul Chambers), but could play all the woodwind instruments from clarinet to bassoon, gives you an idea of how thoroughly trained and accomplished these guys were. Apparently, [Lightsey] was in an Army band with Joe Henderson on bass (and he was excellent)!"

As I'll be traveling for the next few weeks, lecturing about Pepper Adams in Utah, this post will be my last in March. The next installment will be on April 16. I hope everybody in the U.S. gets their income taxes done. 

I'm going to close with the stunning discovery that the webmaster of pepperadams.com, Dan Olson, made just three days ago. A few months ago some of you marveled at the discovery of the triumphant and previously unseen 1982 Pepper Adams TV performance on the Grammy Awards telecast. Amazingly, Olson just found a much better YouTube version. It has better resolution, includes John Denver's introduction for context, and most importantly has a completely unsulllied version of Adams' cadenza. All known versions beforehand had a defect on Pepper's concluding "funny note." We now have a complete two-minute take of the entire thing with the rhythm section, and how it then dovetails into his two-minute version of "Blue Rondo a la Turk" with Al Jarreau. As Pepper told me, his uptempo arrangement of (appropriately enough) "My Shining Hour" allowed him to at least get a chance to improvise. Finally seeing his complete comedic routine, beginning with the "Muppets Theme" and ending with him looking into the bell of his horn, is something I've waited over thirty years to see. As Pepper told me about that experience, a limo picked him up at the airport, everything was first-class. "Two minutes in the big time," he said.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nfI6ljMgvuQ 

Lecture Notes

© Gary Carner. Copyright Protected. All rights reserved.

I was off for much of the week, enjoying a few rounds of golf with a good friend. Because of that, the second part of my review of 50 Years at the Village Vanguard will be delayed at least a week. Thanks for your patience.

As of yesterday, I began preparing a new Pepper Adams lecture for at least four talks I'll be giving in Utah over a two-week period starting March 27. I've been invited to Utah State University for a few days as a guest of professor Jon Gudmundson. I'll be speaking about Pepper Adams in a classroom setting on April 4, and again at a pre-concert talk on April 5. The latter will be before a concert by the Utah State Jazz Band. They're performing some of Tony Faulkner's big band charts of Pepper Adams tunes, with Jason Marshall as the featured baritone saxophone soloist. The previous week I'll be lecturing to mostly music students at Westminster College (3/28), Salt Lake Community College (3/30) and Brigham Young University (3/31).

As I always do, I try to bring something new to these lectures. Apart from choosing different videos and music examples, I've tried to further refine why Pepper Adams remains overlooked. After all, why am I standing before these people, and why have so few in attendance not heard of him? Below is part of what I'll be presenting. (For one class I'll need to truncate my talk, hence the bracketed thing about Detroit.) I'm interested in your feedback. Am I on the right track? 

PEPPER LECTURE #4: PEPPER ADAMS (1930-1986)

Thank you, ________. It's great to be here. Today I'm going to discuss Pepper Adams' contribution to American music [ . . . and I'll touch on why his postwar Detroit generation of musicians is unique in jazz history.] 

Before I begin, do you have any burning questions for me about Pepper Adams or about my work about him? Have any of you seen pepperadams.com, my Instagram site, or my blog?

Before my lecture here was announced, how many of you had even heard of Pepper Adams? . . . 

There's no doubt that among jazz musicians during Adams' lifetime, and for many insiders up to this day, Pepper Adams is viewed as a jazz titan, an icon. Nevertheless, he still isn't widely known as a musician of significance, as I think he should be, nor even discussed in any depth in jazz histories that really should know better. Despite the reverence he commands among musicians, Adams still lingers as somewhat of a footnote to history. That disconnect, albeit gradually improving over time, is something I've dedicated my life to changing.

I've been working on Pepper Adams for 33 years, since I met him in the summer of 1984. I knew him during the last three years of his life, two during his terminal illness. I'm continually struck by how much he's overlooked as an innovator. Part of this, I think, is due to the sheer complexity of his style. There's a lot going on, a lot to grasp, when you hear a Pepper Adams solo! 

Another reason, as I see it, is the bias in the way jazz history is told and the way it's sold. For me, they are two sides of the same phenomenon. If you look through the histories of jazz, you'll likely notice that so much of it discusses bandleaders and their recordings. Those who led jazz bands have historically made the most well-known recordings because they are the ones most promoted by record companies, PR firms, radio and TV, and other affiliated industries. Such bandleader recordings in turn have gotten the most press and continual airplay. So, around and around it goes in a circular, self-aggrandizing cycle of promotion and acclaim.

Yet, I'd like to point out that there's a lot more to the history of jazz than music made only by bandleaders. The way they've been anointed as the core history of this amazing music is myopic and unfortunate. For one thing, there's the overlooked history of music made in major cities such as Detroit. Fortunately, this kind of localized scholarship is really beginning to flower. 

Then there's the issue of sidemen. Some of the greatest jazz musicians, such as Pepper Adams or Sonny Stitt, to name just two saxophonists, preferred to tour as soloists, playing with pickup rhythm sections throughout the world. They didn't want the responsibility of leading a band and running a business. Being a sideman doesn't make them any less important as players, nor, as I've said, shouldn't marginalize them in term of their historical influence. It's simply a business decision they've made, though it certainly has its implications, doesn't it? Even Charlie Parker, by the way, though extremely well known, also spent much of his career touring this way. 

So, part of Pepper Adams' lack of recognition is due to issues related to commerce, as well as the common narrative sold by the media and told in jazz books. In addition, he played the baritone saxophone, an instrument that before him was thought to be cumbersome and unwieldy; a low-pitched instrument that early in the Twentieth Century was somewhat of a novelty instrument. One of Adams' great contributions to music is the way he brought the level of playing on the baritone saxophone up to the level of all other instruments. 

Forthcoming Books on Detroit Music

Soon after my entry was posted last Sunday, I got a reply from Thomas Glusac. HIs father, Rodney Glusac, had been interviewed by Mark Slobin for a book Slobin was writing about the music culture of Detroit. Slobin, a retired professor at Wesleyan University, is an acclaimed ethnomusicologist who grew up in Detroit, attended Cass, and was educated at the University of Michigan. Glusac included in his reply this link, totally new to me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuxJWqEPt70. It's a lecture Slobin gave in 2016 at the Library of Congress. Entitled "Improvising a Musical Metropolis: Detroit, 1940s-1960s," it gives a sense of his interests and the nature of his research. 

As Slobin points out in his lecture, "There is no book that is the life of any American city's music in any period of time." What intrigues me especially, of course, is Slobin's timeframe. Adams returned to Detroit in 1947 and left in early 1956. Slobin's work corresponds to Pepper's experience in his hometown.

Intrigued, I emailed Slobin after watching his lecture, wanting to know more about his research and when the book might be published. Fortunately, it's finished and has been submitted for publication. I suspect we'll see it sometime in 2017. 

Mark told me that he's giving a talk in Ann Arbor for the University on March 15: "They asked me to come up with something on Detroit in 1943, which happens to be my birth year, and the talk is on my birthday." If you're in the area, stop in to hear his talk on the Detroit Riot of 1943 and its many implications. Wish him a happy birthday for me, while you're at it.

                                       (Mark Slobin)

A second important book about Detroit's musical culture that we can expect in 2017 is Made in Detroit: Jazz from the Motor City. It's a collection of jazz profiles by Mark Stryker, former Detroit Free Press Arts Reporter and Critic. Stryker took a buy-out from the newspaper in December, 2016 after twenty-one years on the job. Stryker had been making progress on his book but the day job (as I well know) got in the way. Now, Stryker can finish it up. (He's currently at work on the Milt Jackson chapter.) Judging from his superb piece on Thad Jones, the book should be an excellent contribution to jazz history:

http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/2016/02/07/thad-jones-mel-lewis-jazz/79845538/

                                                          (Thad Jones)

Stryker's book, as I understand it, will be comprised of pieces about a handful of important Detroit jazz musicians. Some (a la Gary Giddins, Whitney Balliett and others) will be reworked pieces that he wrote earlier. That's a good thing because few of us have had the good fortune to read them. Will he be writing about Pepper Adams? No, he told me. That's my gig. Gee, isn't there anyone else out there who wants to write about Pepper?

                                          (Mark Stryker)

Biography Update

Here's my first post of 2017. I caught the flu in late December while on vacation, then got blogged down in catch-up activities for much of the new year.

Apart from my day job, I'm happy to report that things have been moving ahead on my Pepper Adams research. My focus throughout 2017 is researching and writing the section of Adams' biography regarding his time in Detroit. Pepper considered himself a Detroiter through and through, so this is a very important part of the book. In order to make sense of it, I've had to read several books and articles, and comb my notes for things germane to that experience. I've also been listening again to all the personal interviews I conducted with Detroiters.

A few weeks ago I conducted an hour-long interview with Bennie Maupin. That was quite interesting. Maupin came of age in the fifties and was influenced by Adams, Yusef Lateef and Joe Henderson, among other Detroit musicians. Generally speaking, I've stopped doing interviews about Pepper, except those related to the Detroit experience. A forthcoming interview with Detroit pianist Charles Boles will likely be my last one this year.

It's not just the world Adams inhabited that intrigues me. It's also the music culture of Detroit. How did it come to be? How is it that so many great jazz musicians (and musicians of all styles) come from that city? No one has really pinned it down. Additionally, what was it about Pepper's amazing generation of musicians that brought it to fruition? How unique in jazz history is it? I'm pleased to say that a picture is beginning to emerge.

In the great biographies, I commonly see some kind of sweeping historical context conveyed about why and how its subject fits into its milieu. There's an explanation of the city he grew up in, for example, and how that informed his experience. It's this kind of narrative that I'm after for Pepper's biography, and he certainly deserves no less. That's why I've been reading all these books. Here's the ones most important so far:

Austin, Dan. Lost Detroit: Stories Behind the Motor City's Majestic Ruins. Charleston SC: History Press, 2010.

Bjorn, Lars; Jim Gallert. Before Motown: A History of Jazz in Detroit: 1920-1960. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 2001.

Goldstein, Laurence, editor. "Detroit: An American City." Michigan Quarterly Review, Spring, 1986

Lemann, Nicholas. The Promised Land: The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America. New York: Vintage, 1991.

Lewis, David L.; Laurence Goldstein, editors. The Automobile and American Culture. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1991.

Martelle, Scott. Detroit: A Biography. Chicago: Chicago Review, 2012.

Sugrue, Thomas J. The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit. Princeton: Princeton University, 1966.

I'm currently reading my last book about Detroit: The Most Dangerous Man in Detroit: Walter Reuther and the Fate of American Labor by Nelson Lichtenstein. I was very impressed by, and highly recommend, the documentary film Brothers on the Line (2012), directed by Sasha Reuther.

During the last month or so I also took two left turns to read Michael Segell's wonderful The Devil's Horn: The Story of the Saxophone, From Noisy Novelty to King of Cool and Vladimir Simosko's Serge Chaloff: A Musical Biography and Discography.

For context, I also watched again two TV shows about Pepper's friend, the great American poet Phil Levine. He's interviewed by Bill Moyers here: https://vimeo.com/82438969; and by Jeffrey Brown here: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment-jan-june10-levine_01-12/

I'll be summarizing my observations about Pepper Adams' great generation of postwar musicians in a few lectures I'll be doing in Utah in March and early April. Maybe I'll see you there? I'll be at Utah State in Logan for a few days as part of a residency, and also at Westminster College and Salt Lake Community College. A few other schools are possibilities too. At Utah State, the university big band is performing big band charts of Pepper's music, arranged by Tony Faulkner, featuring guest soloist Jason Marshall.

For those of you who haven't seen my recent Facebook posts, these two amazing Lionel Hampton videos were just posted on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOzUbvhwTIk&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21qpqYHQob0&feature=youtu.be

Both are from 1964, Pepper's first trip to Europe. They include two magnificent solos and are his earliest known videos (at age 34).

                                                            (Bennie Maupin)

Adams Biography, Straight Ahead

© Gary Carner. Copyright Protected. All rights reserved.

This week has been a busy one for me. Apart from the heavy demands of my day job, all of my free time has been put into polishing up Chapter 1 of Pepper's biography. For the last six weeks or so I've been thinking about Pepper's boyhood and how significant elders stepped in after the early death of his father. The music of Duke Ellington and Rex Stewart (one of those elders) has been playing non-stop in my car--and, now, constantly in my head--as the unofficial soundtrack to my work. 

The first chapter is in tip-top shape now, though I endless tweak things (a writer's curse) while I await word from my gifted readers Ron Ley and John Gennari. For the Prologue, they recommended other topics to discuss, as well as grammatical issues to repair. I expect much the same this time around. Then, it's back to writing.

Next week I'll start listening to Pepper's Duke Ellington 8-track material, then eventually move to his Charlie Parker and Tommy Flanagan compilations. Bird, of course, was a huge influence on Pepper, but so was Flanagan. Tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins pointed out in an article in Cadence that Pepper was playing Flanagan lines. Can anyone recommend specific Flanagan solos that I should check out that are markedly similar to Pepper's playing style? I know that Chicago drummer George Fludas felt that the head of Pepper's composition "Conjuration" was very much written in a graceful Flanagan/Detroit feel, but how about some solos to compare? So far, I'm only hearing a similarity when they play fast double-time passages.

While tweaking Chapter 1, I'll move on to researching Chapter 2. That chapter will involve discussing Pepper's father, his side of the family and Pepper's early days in Rochester, New York. It will probably dovetail into a long discussion about Detroit. I'll need to go back and listen again to many interviews I conducted more than twenty years ago. That will be lots of fun and quite nostalgic. I shared many phone calls with so many great musicians, many of whom are no longer with us. In addition, I'll be reaquainting myself with the music of Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Art Tatum, Wardell Gray and Sonny Stitt, all important early influences on Pepper. I don't expect a first draft of Chapter 2 for quite some time, but you never know!

"Early Years" Is Updated!

© Gary Carner. Copyright Protected. All rights reserved.

This week I spent a lot of time reworking the first section of Pepper's chronology (1930-1958): http://www.pepperadams.com/Chronology/EarlyYears.pdf  This is the second one I've finished and posted in the last month. ("Thaddeus" was posted three weeks ago.) Getting the updated "Early Years" posted at pepperadams.com is important to me because I'm soon going to be writing Chapter 2 of Pepper's biography. That chapter will be about Detroit, the real center of Pepper's experience. I'll be covering the city's history, culture and jazz lineage to create a context for Adams' artistic flowering. Having an updated, fleshed out chronology helps me position things in time when I write.

I'm especially grateful to drummer Rudy Tucich. He's been a trusty guide to me all these years. I met Rudy in the late 1980s when he invited me to appear on his Detroit radio show "52nd Street." Woefully, the show was cancelled after a very long and influential run. Now, at 80 years old, he's still an invaluable source of information about Detroit. Tucich attended Cass Tech, worked with Pepper at Al's Record Mart in Detroit, and ran with a group of fine musicians, including Charles McPherson, that were the next wave of Detroit jazz musicians after Adams, Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Paul Chambers, Tommy Flanagan, Bary Harris, Donald Byrd, Doug Watkins, Elvin Jones and the rest. Rudy knew everyone on the scene and was a witness to so much important Detroit musicial history. 

This past week Tucich helped me with the 1954 and 1955 parts of the chronology by advising me about the early history of the World Stage. That helped me figure out on what days the Blue Bird Inn and Klein's were dark, thus spurring me to figure out the final pieces of the puzzle of Pepper's wherabouts.

From pepperadams.com, here's "Early Years":

EARLY YEARS: 1930-1958

Posted in April, 2015. Please send updates, corrections or comments to info@pepperadams.com.

1930

Oct 8: Highland Park MI: Park Frederick Adams III is born at Highland Park General Hospital. His parents, Park Adams II and Cleo Marie Coyle, reside at 4695 Courville Road, Grosse Pointe Village, Michigan in suburban Detroit. See birth certificate at http://instagram.com/p/rmrBrDJnqf/?modal=true and photo at http://instagram.com/p/tuoEqwJnqT/?modal=true. 

1931

Fall: Grosse Pointe Village MI: As the effects of the Great Depression deepen, Adams’ father loses eight months of back salary and his employer goes bankrupt. Adams’ parents lose their house, then decide to separate temporarily so that Adams Sr. can search the U.S. for work while his wife and son relocate to his wife’s family farm near Columbia City, Indiana. See http://instagram.com/p/sAfZmyJngz/?modal=true and  http://instagram.com/p/sAemgwpnvO/?modal=true. 

1932

 ----   Columbia City IN: Adams lives at grandparents’ or uncle’s farm.

1933

 ----  Columbia City IN: Adams lives at grandparents’ or uncle’s farm and begins to play piano. See 1932.

1934

 ---- Columbia City IN: Adams lives at grandparents’ or uncle’s farm. See 1933. He continues playing the piano and attends a rural one-room schoolhouse. See http://instagram.com/p/r65xgSpnu2/?modal=true. 

Summer: Rome NY: Adams and his mother move to upstate New York to reunite the family after a three year breach. Joining them was Adams’ father and Mina Elizabeth Adams, Pepper’s half-sister from his father’s first marriage. Living nearby was Adams’ paternal grandmother, Frances Cleveland Adams (bJuly 13, 1863). Adams’ father has his first heart attack prior to Mina’s return from Miami, Florida.

cAug: Rome NY: The Adams move to 806 Jerris (or Jervis) Avenue. 

Sept-Dec: Rome NY: Adams’ half-sister, Mina Adams, attends 12th grade at Rome Free Academy, where she meets George G. Gifford, her future husband. See photo at http://instagram.com/p/sAi8I_JnnJ/?modal=true.  

1935

Jan: Rochester NY: The Adams’ move to 627 Park Avenue in time for Mina Adams to enroll at Monroe High School.

June 25: Rochester NY: Mina Adams graduates from Monroe High School.

Summer: Utica NY: The Adamses move two hours east of Rochester, near Rome.

Sept: Utica NY: Pepper Adams begins Kindergarten.

1936

 ----   Utica NY: Pepper Adams listens to Fats Waller’s daily 15-minute afternoon radio show.

Sept: Utica NY: Adams begins 1st Grade.

1937

Summer: Irondequoit NY: The Adams family move to 128 Belcoda Drive. 

Sept: Irondequoit NY: Adams begins 2nd grade. Sight-reading is a part of the curriculum.

Oct 14: Terre Haute IN: Mina Adams, Adams’ half-sister, marries George G. Gifford.

1938

 ----    Irondequoit NY: Adams listens to John Kirby Sextet’s Sunday radio broadcasts.

Sept: Irondequoit NY: Adams begins 3rd Grade.

1939

Summer: Irondequoit NY: Adams’ family moves to 190 Hoover Road.

Sept: Irondequoit NY: Adams begins 4th Grade. Adams sells candy and cigarettes door-to-door after school to help his family pay for bare essentials.

1940

 ----  Irondequoit NY: Adams hears late night Fletcher Henderson Big Band radio broadcasts, originating from Nashville, with trumpet soloist Willie Wells.

early Apr: Rochester NY: Adams and his mother go downtown to attend the Capitol Theater opening of My Little Chickadee starring W.C. Fields and Mae West. The movie opened on 4 April. This is one of the only times in Adams’ life that he attends a movie premiere. See http://instagram.com/p/voR7M_png6/?modal=true and  http://instagram.com/p/r695ndpnlA/?modal=true. 

May 19: Irondequoit NY: Adams’ father (bJanuary 19, 1896) dies from his second heart attack at age 44. He’s buried besides his father, Nathaniel Adams (bApril 15, 1858, d1929), at New Union Cemetery on Happy Valley Road in Verona, New York. See http://instagram.com/p/voBqwFpnkF/?modal=true.

Summer: Rome NY: Frances Cleveland Adams, Pepper Adams’ paternal grandmother (the wife of Nathaniel Adams) dies. She’s buried in Verona beside her husband and son. See http://instagram.com/p/sAXo7oJniW/?modal=true. 

Sept: Irondequoit NY: Adams begins 5th Grade.

1941

Sept: Greece NY: Adams begins 6th Grade at Central School #1 on Hoover Road. It was also known as Hoover Drive Middle School or the Willis N. Britton School. Adams’ mother teaches Second Grade there. Rochester schools loaned musical instruments to any students interested in playing them but instruction wasn’t provided. One could gain entrance into the school band, taught by Prescott Whitney, if they learned how to play on their own. Adams first borrows a trumpet, then a trombone, before settling on a clarinet, and joins the school band. See http://instagram.com/p/sA0pWvpnlB/?modal=true and  http://instagram.com/p/voMykSpnt5/?modal=true. 

1942

 ----  Rochester NY: Adams visits regularly with Everett Gates at Gates’ home, where they have dinner, listen to jazz recordings and discuss music theory. See http://instagram.com/p/t20Ku4pnv3/?modal=true. 

Summer: Seattle: Adams travels by car from Rochester, New York to Seattle with his half-sister Mina, her husband George Gifford and their first child Gary (b c1939). They stay in Seattle at the home of Harold and Marie Gifford (George’s older brother) with their son Skip. Adams spends some of his evenings alone, touring the city or seeking out the local music scene, often returning after midnight. After his mother threatens to have George and Mina arrested if Adams isn’t returned home, Adams is put on a Greyhound Bus back to Rochester.

Sept: Greece NY: Begins 7th Grade at Central School #1. See http://instagram.com/p/voMykSpnt5/?modal=true. 

1943

Jan 8: Brighton NY: St. Louis Cardinals’ World Series baseball star Pepper Martin creates a local media sensation by signing a contract to play and manage the Rochester Red Wings. The Red Wings was one of the Cardinals’ minor league affiliates and with whom Martin had played in 1930 just before joining the Major Leagues. Adams acquires his lifelong nickname "Pepper" soon after Adams’ schoolmates see Martin’s picture on the front page of the Rochester newspapers and recognize a facial similarity between the two of them. See http://instagram.com/p/ttEbrGpnkE/?all_comments_on_ad=undefined. 

Sept 22: Greece NY: Pepper begins 8th Grade at Central School #1 while living at 195 Rye Road with his remarried mom and step-father, Harold Hopkins. Hopkins worked for Langie Coal Company. See http://instagram.com/p/tysNGAJnqI/?modal=true and http://instagram.com/p/voMykSpnt5/?modal=true.

Oct 1: Greece NY: Adams’ brief short story is published in his hometown newspaper, The Greece Press. The article is very likely the first time "Pepper" was ever used for him or by him in print. See http://instagram.com/p/tsWDlcJnqE/?modal=true.

cFall: Rochester NY: Adams takes a bus after school to downtown Rochester to work three hours a day cutting boxes in the mail order room of a jazz specialty record store. Afterwards, he works as an usher in a theater until midnight. With his earnings Adams buys a tenor sax and begins emulating Coleman Hawkins and Don Byas.

1944

 -----  Rochester NY: Adams plays clarinet-piano duets with Meade Lux Lewis at the Golden Rooster. See http://instagram.com/p/r4a9zaJni6/?modal=true and http://instagram.com/p/rzg_QPJnsl/?modal=true. 

Jan 7-9: Rochester NY: Adams hears the Cootie Williams Orchestra (with Bud Powell on piano) at the RKO Temple Theater. See http://instagram.com/p/voQtudJnop/?modal=true. 

Mar 3-5: Rochester NY: Adams skips school to attend Duke Ellington’s entire run at the RKO Temple Theater. The Temple was a movie palace built in 1909 at 35 Clinton Avenue South in downtown Rochester. On the third and final evening of the engagement, Ellington trumpeter Rex Stewart was curious about the enthusiastic, short-haired thirteen-year-old kid he noticed sitting by himself each night in the balcony. Intrigued, Stewart made his way upstairs, introduced himself, then brought Adams backstage to meet Ellington’s illustrious musicians including Harry Carney. Soon thereafter Adams takes tenor sax lessons with Skippy Williams, the tenor saxophonist in Ellington’s band who first replaced Ben Webster. See http://instagram.com/p/voQWRFJnmB/?modal=true and  http://instagram.com/p/ulFqhrJnuk/?modal=true.

Summer: New York: Adams and his mother travel to New York to meet Bob Wilber at a Max Kaminsky gig at the Pied Piper.

Sept: Rochester NY: Adams begins 9th Grade at John Marshall High School while living at 160 Elmguard Street in suburban Greece NY. Greece had no high schools at the time. Students attended either John Marshall or Hilton High School. Adams plays in the John ​Marshall High School band. See http://instagram.com/p/tyuB3PJntF/?modal=true.

1945

mid year: Rochester NY: Adams meets Oscar Pettiford and Coleman Hawkins, and later Denzil Best and Thelonious Monk, when Hawkins’ quartet works a week gig.

Sept: Rochester NY: Adams begins 10th Grade at John Marshall High School. See http://instagram.com/p/tyuB3PJntF/?modal=true.

1946

Jan 1: Rochester NY: Off.

Jan 2-31: Rochester NY: Adams begins a steady, long-term gig at the Elite Dance Hall with a 6-piece group (three horns, three rhythm) led by former Lunceford trumpeter Ben "Smitty" Smith. Ralph Dickinson on tenor sax (later John Huggler) is in the ensemble with Teddy Lancaster on drums.

Feb 1-28: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 2-31 Jan.

Mar 1-31: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-28 Feb.

Apr 1-30: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-31 Mar.

May 1-31: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-30 Apr.

June 1-30: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-31 May.

July 1-31: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-30 June.

Aug 1-31: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-31 July.

Sept 1-30: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-31 Aug. Adams withdraws from school before beginning 11th Grade at Monroe High School because he was working six nights a week at the Elite. Adams is living at 196 Chestnut Street near the Eastman School of Music. Adams spends time listening to records with Bob Wilber, who was attending the Eastman School of Music. See http://instagram.com/p/r98zAKpnos/?modal=true and http://instagram.com/p/voD4XeJnhR/?modal=true. 

Oct 1-31: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-30 Sept.

Nov 1-27: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-31 Oct.

Nov 28: Rochester NY: Off.

Nov 29-30: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-27 Nov.

Dec 1-23: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 29-30 Nov.

Dec 24-25: Rochester NY: Off.

Dec 26-31: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-23 Dec.

1947

Jan 1: Rochester NY: Off.

Jan 2-31: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 26-31 Dec 1946.

Feb 1-28: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 2-31 Jan.

Mar 1-31: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-28 Feb.

Apr 1-30: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-31 Mar.

May 1-31: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-30 Apr.

June 1-30: Rochester NY: Gig at the Elite Dance Hall. See 1-31 May.

July: New York: Adams moves with his mother to New York City while their belongings are transported to Detroit. They live at the Edison Hotel for the month before moving to Detroit. She decided to relocate because elementary school teaching jobs paid far more in Detroit than in Rochester. Pepper meets Sidney Bechet, probably through Bob Wilber.

Aug: Detroit: Within three days after arriving in town Adams looks up Oscar Pettiford’s friend, Willie Wells, who was rooming with Fats Navarro. On clarinet Adams plays trios from the Arban trumpet book with Wells and Navarro. A few days later Adams meets Tommy Flanagan (at a jam session) and pianist Willie Anderson.

Sept 1-30: Detroit: Adams works on the assembly line at a Dodge automobile foundry, then at the Briggs Manufacturing plant assembling auto bodies. He records his first session with Oliver Shearer: a private recording at United Sound, with Willie Wells, Adams (on clarinet), Tommy Flanagan, et al. See https://www.flickr.com/photos/radiospike/2391588106/. 

Oct: Detroit: Possibly still working at Briggs Manufacturing. See Sept.

cNov 15-26: Detroit: Adams takes a six-week job as a Christmas extra in the Classical Music Record Department of Grinnell’s, Detroit’s largest music store (on Woodward Avenue). See http://instagram.com/p/undtLMJnv4/?modal=true. 

Nov 27: Detroit: Off.

Nov 28-30: Detroit: Adams works at Grinnell’s. See c15-26 Nov.

Dec 1-24: Detroit: Adams works at Grinnell’s. See 28-30 Nov. Adams buys with his Grinnell’s employee discount a used Bundy baritone saxophone that had come in on trade and soon after adopts it as his main instrument.

Dec 25: Detroit: Off.

late Dec: Detroit: Charlie Parker 5 plays El Sino. Adams may have attended this gig.

1948

Jan 1: Detroit: Off.

Jan 2-31: Detroit: As a baritone player Adams starts getting hired consistently for gigs. Adams works at the Plymouth Body Plant for a few months.

Feb 1-29: Detroit: Work at the Plymouth Body Plant. See Jan.

Mar 1-31: Detroit: Possible work at the Plymouth Body Plant. See Feb.

Summer: Detroit: Adams rehearses for a few months with Lucky Thompson’s 9-10 piece band. Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell and Alvin Jackson are in the group. Because of its under-aged members, they only work a few gigs, including one on Michigan Avenue.

late Summer: Detroit: Wardell Gray returns with a new Berg Larsen tenor mouthpiece. Adams for several months had been experimenting with different mouthpieces but Gray’s tenor mouthpiece was the perfect solution. Adams mail-orders a comparable mouthpiece to fit his baritone sax for delivery in Windsor, Ontario because, at that time, it was not available for purchase in the U.S.

Aug 28: Detroit: The Junior Beboppers (Claire Roquemore tp; Bob Pierson, Charlie Gabriel ts; Pepper Adams bs; Clarence Beasley p; Bob Smith dm) perform with the rhythm section of Lionel Hampton’s big band (including Fats Navarro, Milt Buckner and Charles Mingus) at the Paradise Theater after Hampton’s band finishes their set. Navarro was so impressed with Rocquemore that he joined the group to trade solos with him.

Sept 1-30: Detroit: Adams begins studies as an English Literature major at Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State) after passing an entrance exam. He takes Freshman English in his first term. Adams pays tuition by continuing to work local jazz gigs. The Junior Beboppers (see 28 Aug), sponsored by Lionel Hampton, work a few shows in town with the Hampton band over a six week period.

Oct 1-31: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University. The Junior Beboppers (see 28 Aug and 1-30 Sept), sponsored by Lionel Hampton, work a few shows in town with the Hampton band through mid-October. Later in the month Adams trades in his Bundy for a new Selmer "Balanced Action" B-flat baritone saxophone, the instrument he would play until 1978. He buys it at Ivan C. Kay’s. Adams brought Harry Carney to the store with him to check out the instrument. The Duke Ellington Orchestra was in town, playing the Paradise Theater, from 15-30 October. 

Nov 1-30: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

Dec 1-10: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

Dec 24-25: Detroit: Off.

1949

Jan 1: Detroit: Off. 

cmid Jan: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

Feb 1-28: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University. Adams sits in often with Charles Johnson’s trio (with Willie Wells and an unknown pianist).

Mar 1-31: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University. Adams sits in often with Charles Johnson’s trio. See 1-28 Feb.

Apr 1-30: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University. Adams sits in often with Charles Johnson’s trio. See 1-31 Mar.

May 1-10: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University. Adams sits in often with Charles Johnson’s trio. See 1-30 Apr.

Sept: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

Oct 1-31: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University. Charlie Parker plays the Blue Bird with Phil Hill’s trio plus baritone saxophonist Tate Houston. Pepper might have attended this.

Nov: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

early Dec: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

Dec 24-25: Detroit: Off.

1950

Jan 1: Detroit: Off.

c mid Jan: Detroit: Adams continues studies at Wayne University.

Feb 1-28: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University. Gig with Little John and his Merrymen at the Club Valley opposite Wardell Gray. Little John’s septet includes Little John Wilson (tp); Cleveland Willie Smith (as); Frank Foster; Pepper Adams; Barry Harris; Ali Mohammed Jackson (b); and various drummers including Lawrence “Jacktown” Jackson and Frant Gant.

Mar 1-31: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University. Adams rehearses with Charles Johnson’s big band at Sunnie Wilson’s Show Bar. Personnel: Cleveland Willie Smith (as), Frank Foster, Pepper Adams, Barry Harris, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers and Billy Frazier (dm). They play only two or three gigs, probably because some of the musicians are underage.

Apr 1-31: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University. Wardell Gray plays various local venues, such as Club Valley and the Bowl-o-Drome. Pepper might have attended these.

May: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

Summer: Detroit: Charles Johnson date for Prize, with Yusef Lateef, Willie Anderson, et al.

Sept: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

Oct 1-31: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

Nov 1-31: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

Dec: Detroit: Adams continues his studies at Wayne University.

Dec 24-25: Detroit: Off.

1951

Jan 1: Detroit: Off.

cMay: Detroit: Gig with Frank Rosolino and Kenny Burrell at the Bowl-o-Drome.

July 12: Detroit: Adams enlists in the U.S. Army. He was hoping to fail the induction physical and be found unfit for service. Flat feet or poor eyesight may have been his “maladies.”

July 13-14: Detroit: Off.

cJuly 15: Travel to Waynesville MO.

cJuly 16-31: Waynesville MO: Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood.

Aug 1-31: Waynesville MO: Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood. See c15-31 July.

Sept 1-15: Waynesville MO: Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood. See 1-31 Aug.

cSept 16-30: Waynesville MO: Work on base (Ft. Leonard Wood) with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. The band stays busy with rehearsals, parades and the full Armored Division playing "Retreat" every day at sundown (flag lowering). Bill Evans and Tommy Flanagan are both at the post in other units.

Oct 1-31: Waynesville MO: Work on base with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept.

Nov 1-30: Waynesville MO: Work on base with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept and 1-31 Oct.

Dec 1-31: Waynesville MO: Work on base with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept and 1-30 Nov.

1952

Jan 1-31: Waynesville MO: Work on base with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept 1951 and 1-31 Dec 1951.

Feb 1-29: Waynesville MO: Work on base with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service  Section. See c16-30 Sept 1951 and 1-31 Jan 1952.

Mar 1-31: Waynesville MO: Work on base with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept 1951 and 16-29 Feb.

Apr 1-30: Waynesville MO: Work on base with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept 1951 and 1-31 Mar. Sometime in the Spring, Adams receives an emergency furlough at Ft. Leonard Wood as a ruse, engineered by Charlie Parker (posing as Adams’ mother's doctor), so that Adams could play a gig with Parker in Kansas City. When Adams learns that Parker didn’t show up at his gig, Adams sees a movie, stays overnight at the Y, then returns to the base the following day.

May 1-31: Waynesville MO: Work with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept 1951 and 1-30 Apr.

June 1-30: Waynesville MO: Work with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept 1951 and 1-31 May.

July 1-11: Waynesville MO: Work with in the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept 1951 and 1-30 June.

cJuly 12: Travel. Adams, after completing his first full year in the Army, drives home to Detroit on leave. 

cJuly 13-26: Detroit: Adams on leave from the U.S. Army. In Ann Arbor MI he does a Hugh Jackson private recording with Bu Bu Turner, et al. In Pontiac MI Adams goes to Thad Jones’ parents’ house for a jam session soon after meeting Thad for the first time. See http://instagram.com/p/r61ap3pnpZ/?modal=true.

cJuly 27: Travel. Adams returns to Ft. Leonard Wood.

July 28-31: Waynesville MO: Work with the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept 1951 and 1-11 July.

Aug 1-31: Waynesville MO: Adams works in the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept 1951 and 1-11 July.  

Sept 1-27: Waynesville MO: Adams works in the 6th Armored Division’s Special Service Section. See c16-30 Sept 1951 and 1-31 Aug.

cSept 26: Travel to Detroit. 

cSept 27-29: Detroit: Adams’ final leave from the U.S. Army before going to Korea. Adams visits with Thad Jones.

cSept 30: Travel to San Francisco.

cOct 1-2: San Francisco: Awaiting orders to ship off for Korea.

cOct 3-21: San Francisco: Adams is shipped off to Korea by way of Ft. Lott in Seattle with the 10th Special Services Company on the USS Walker. He’s likely part of a small combo unit that entertained aboard the ship twice a day. Those in the band were given better sleeping quarters and a small space to practice. See http://instagram.com/p/vrOk7CJnv3/?modal=true. 

cOct 22-31: Asaka, Japan: Adams is stationed at Camp Drake awaiting re-assignment in Korea. He plays pickup shows, including some at the Ernie Pyle Theater and the Rocker Four Club, both in Tokyo. See http://instagram.com/p/sAM2unJnvj/?modal=true. 

cNov 1-14: Asaka, Japan: Adams is stationed at Camp Drake awaiting re-assignment in Korea. He plays pickup shows, including some at the Ernie Pyle Theater and the Rocker Four Club, both in Tokyo. Possible gig at the Rocker Club with Al Gould. See http://instagram.com/p/sAM2unJnvj/?modal=true. 

Nov 15: Korea: Adams travels by boat to Korea.

Nov 16: Seoul: Adams reports to the 10th Special Services headquarters, then is taken by Jeep to join the 2nd Platoon for his first performance in the Eighth Army’s 10th Special Services band. See http://instagram.com/p/sAZ9EdpnmL/?modal=true. 

Nov-17-30: Korea: Unknown performances with the 10th Special Services.

Dec 1-2: Korea: Unknown performances with the 10th Special Services.

Dec 3-26: Korea: Performances for the 40th Infantry Division.

Dec 27-30: Korea: Performances for the 25th Infantry Division and the 40th Infantry Division.

Dec 31: Korea: Performances for the 25th Infantry Division.

1953

Jan 1-23: Korea: Performances for the 25th Infantry Division. See 31 Dec.

Jan 23: Korea: Performances for the 25th Infantry Division and I CORPS ARTY.

Jan 24-31: Korea: Performances for the I CORPS ARTY.

Feb 1: Korea: Performances for the I CORPS ARTY. See 23-31 Jan.

Feb 1-6: Korea: Performances for the 1169th Engineering Construction Group.

Feb 7: Korea: Performances for the 1169th Engineering Construction Group and the 1st Commonwealth Division.

Feb 8-16: Korea: Performances for the 1st Commonwealth Division.

Feb 17: Korea: Performances for the 1st Commonwealth Division and the IX Corps ARTY.

Feb 18: Kumwah Valley, Korea: Performances for the IX Corps ARTY. On the 18th one of the trucks had to be replaced.

Feb 19-26: Kumwah Valley, Korea: Performances for the IX Corps ARTY.

Feb 27: Korea: Performances for the IX Corps ARTY and the 5th F.A.G.

Feb 28: Korea: Performances for the 5th F.A.G.

Mar 1-3: Korea: Performances for the 5th F.A.G. See 27-28 Feb. See http://instagram.com/p/sAd60lpnt6/?modal=true.

Mar 4-8: Chunchon, Korea: Performances for the 351st TRK TRANS LP.

Mar 9: Chunchon, Korea: Performances for the 351st TRK TRANS LP. Later, in Sokcho-Ri, Korea, performances for the 8206th ASU or ATU.

Mar 10-13: Sokcho-Ri, Korea: Performances for the 8206th ASU or ATU.

Mar 14: Sokcho-Ri, Korea: Performances for the 8206th ASU or ATU and performances for the X CORPS HQ.

Mar 15: Korea: Performances for the X CORPS HQ. See http://instagram.com/p/r9-zjGJnr_/?modal=true.

Mar 16: Korea: Performances for the X CORPS HQ and the 45th Division Forward LP.

Mar 17: Sokcho Ri, Korea: Performances for the 45th Division Forward LP.

Mar 18-19: Korea: Performances for the 45th Division Forward LP.

Mar 20: Korea: Performances for the 45th Division Forward LP and the 160th Infantry REG 40th Division.

Mar 21-22: Korea: Performances for the 160th Infantry REG 40th Division.

Mar 23: Korea: Performances for the 160th Infantry REG 40th Division and an unknown gig in Seoul.

Mar 24-31: Seoul: Unknown performances, including the Seoul City Command Theater and possibly a command performance for the President of Korea. See http://instagram.com/p/sAdKJ5pnsf/?modal=true. 

Apr 1-4: Korea: Unknown performances with the 10th Services Company. See http://instagram.com/p/vrR-uYpnqU/?modal=true. 

Apr 5: near Kunsan, Korea: Tommy Flanagan trio plus Jerry Lehmeier (alto sax), recorded on Easter, possibly at Base K-8 by Pepper Adams, who was in the audience.

Apr 6-11: Korea: Unknown performances with the 10th Services Company.

Apr 12: near Kunsan, Korea: Tommy Flanagan trio plus Jerry Lehmeier (alto sax), recorded at Base K-8, possibly by Pepper Adams, who was in the audience.

Apr 13-30: Tague, Kimpo Airfield and Taejon: Various performances for the Marines, Navy, Air Force, Army and Seabees.

May 1-16: Tague, Kimpo Airfield and Taejon: Various 10th Special Services performances for the Marines, Navy, Air Force, Army and Seabees.

May 17-31: Pacific Ocean: Embarking from Pusan, Korea, Adams is aboard the Marine Phoenix troopship on his return home. On cMay 23 he performs on alto sax for returning troops in a quintet with Doc Holladay. See http://instagram.com/p/sAlhLvpnrg/?modal=true. 

June 1: Pacific Ocean: Adams is aboard the Marine Phoenix on his return from Korea. See 17-31 May.

cJune 2: Seattle: Adams arrives at Ft. Lott.

June 2-4: Travel home to Detroit.

June 5: Ft. Custer MI: Adams, with the rank of Corporal, files his paperwork, receives his U.S. Army Reserve ID Card and is relieved from active duty, possibly one year early for an enlistee. He’s officially transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve the following day. Adams “serves” in this capacity for six years but there’s no evidence that he’s ever called again to duty. See ID card at http://instagram.com/p/r7tA7cpnlZ/?modal=true and  http://instagram.com/p/r7uDnIJnm8/?modal=true.  

Aug: Detroit: Charlie Parker, opposite Illinois Jacquet and Arnett Cobb, plays the Graystone Ballroom. Pepper might have attended this gig.

Fall: Detroit: Possible gigs with Errol Buddle.

Nov 26: Detroit: Off.

Dec 24-25: Detroit: Off.

1954

Jan 1: Detroit: Off.

cJan 27-31: Detroit: Bassist “Beans” Richardson assumes leadership of the house band at the Blue Bird Inn, formerly led by tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell. Adams replaces Mitchell and joins Thad Jones in the front line. The rhythm section includes Tommy Flanagan and Elvin Jones. See http://instagram.com/p/t1D-2opnow/?modal=true.

Feb 1: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See c27-31 Jan.

Feb 2: Detroit: Off?

Feb 3-8: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 1 Feb.

Feb 9: Detroit: Off?

Feb 10-15: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 3-8 Feb.

Feb 16: Detroit: Off?

Feb 17-22: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 10-15 Feb.

Feb 23: Detroit: Off?

Feb 24-28: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 17-22 Feb.

Mar: Detroit: Sonny Stitt is guest soloist for at least one week at the Blue Bird. See http://instagram.com/p/t1D-2opnow/?modal=true.

Mar 1: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 24-28 Feb.

Mar 2: Detroit: Off?

Mar 3-8: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 1 Mar. On 6 March, Kenny Burrell formally established the New Music Society with a mandate to promote concerts in town and ongoing Tuesday night jam sessions at the World Stage Theater. Sunday jam sessions were also started at first, but suspended after 3-4 weeks.

Mar 9: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage. 

Mar 10-13: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 3-8 Mar.

Mar 14: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. Later in Detroit, gig at the Blue Bird. See 10-13 Mar.

Mar 15: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 14 Mar.

Mar 16: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Mar 17-20: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 15 Mar.

Mar 21: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. Later in Detroit, gig at the Blue Bird. See 17-20 Mar.

Mar 22: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 21 Mar.

Mar 23: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Mar 24-27: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 22 Mar.

Mar 28: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. Later in Detroit, gig at the Blue Bird. See 24-27 Mar.

Mar 29: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 28 Mar.

Mar 30: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Mar 31: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 29 Mar.

Apr: Thad Jones-Pepper Adams piano-less quartet, with Major Holley and Walter Smith (dm), record demos at United Sound. See https://www.flickr.com/photos/radiospike/2391588106/. 

Apr 1-3: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 31 Mar.

Apr 4: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. Later in Detroit, gig at the Blue Bird. See 1-3 Apr.

Apr 5: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 4 Apr.

Apr 6: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Apr 7-12: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 5 Apr. On c7 April Charlie Parker plays the Crystal Show Bar with Will Davis and Major Holley. Pepper might have attended this gig.

Apr 13: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Apr 14-19: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 7-12 Apr.

Apr 20: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Apr 21-26: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 14-19 Apr.

Apr 27: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Apr 28-30: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 21-26 Apr.

May: Barry Harris replaces Tommy Flanagan in the Blue Bird rhythm section. 

May 1-3: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 28-30 Apr.

May 4: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

May 5-10: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 1-3 May.

May 11: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

May 12-17: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 5-10 May. On the 12th Thad Jones joins Count Basie and Adams may have Adams become the music director at the Blue Bird. See http://instagram.com/p/t1D-2opnow/?modal=true.

May 18: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

May 19-24: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 12-17 May.

May 25: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

May 26-31: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 19-24 May.

cJune: Detroit: Elvin Jones, with the working Blue Bird band (Pepper Adams, Barry Harris and James “Beans” Richardson), makes demo recording at United Sound. See https://www.flickr.com/photos/radiospike/2391588106/.

June 1: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

June 2-7: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 26-31 May.

June 8: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

June 9-14: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 2-7 June.

June 15: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

June 16-21: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 9-14 June.

June 22: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

June 23-28: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 16-21 June.

June 29: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

June 30: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 23-28 June.

July 1-5: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 30 June. 

July 6: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

July 7-12: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 1-5 June.

July 13: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

July 14-19: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 7-12 June.

July 20: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

July 21-26: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 14-19 June. In late July, Wardell Gray is guest soloist for at least a week. See http://instagram.com/p/t1D-2opnow/?modal=true.

July 27: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

July 28-31: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 21-26 June.

Aug 1-2: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 28-31 July. 

Aug 3: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Aug 4-9: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 1-2 Aug. 

Aug 10: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Aug 11-16: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 4-9 Aug. In mid August, Miles Davis is guest soloist for two weeks. See http://instagram.com/p/t1D-2opnow/?modal=true.

Aug 17: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Aug 18-23: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. In mid August, Miles Davis is guest soloist for two weeks. See 11-16 Aug. See http://instagram.com/p/t1D-2opnow/?modal=true.

Aug 24: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Aug 25-30: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 18-23 Aug. 

Aug 31: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

cSept: New York: Taking approximately a week off, Adams drives to New York to meet with Bob Weinstock at Prestige Records and Alfred Lion at Blue Note Records. He attempts to secure a record deal by playing the demo recording made in Detroit a few months earlier. (See cJune.) During the visit Adams sits in at Birdland with Miles Davis, playing Sonny Rollins’ tenor saxophone. 

Sept: Detroit: Charlie Parker plays two weeks at the Crystal Show Bar backed by Gene Nero’s group. Pepper might have attended this gig.

Sept 1-6 Detroit: Possible gig at the Blue Bird. See 25-30 Aug. 

Sept 7: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Sept 8-13 Detroit: Possible gig at the Blue Bird. See 1-6 Sept. 

Sept 14: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Sept 15-20 Detroit: Possible gig at the Blue Bird. See 8-13 Sept. 

Sept 21: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Sept 22-27 Detroit: Possible gig at the Blue Bird. See 15-20 Sept. 

Sept 28-30: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Oct 1-4: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 22-27 Sept. 

Oct 5: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Oct 6-11: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 1-4 Oct. 

Oct 12: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Oct 13-18: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 6-11 Oct.

Oct 19: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Oct 20-25: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 13-18 Oct.

Oct 26: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Oct 27-31: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 20-25 Oct.

Nov 1: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 27-31 Oct.

Nov 2: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Nov 3-8: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 1 Nov. 

Nov 9: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Nov 10-15: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 3-8 Nov.

Nov 16: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Nov 17-22: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 10-15 Nov.

Nov 23: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Nov 24: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 17-22 Nov.

Nov 25: Detroit: Off.

Nov 26-30: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 24 Nov.

Dec 1-6: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 26-30 Nov.

Dec 7: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Dec 8-13: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 1-6 Dec. 

Dec 14: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Dec 15-20: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 8-13Dec.

Dec 21: Highland Park MI: Off or possible jam session at the World Stage.

Dec 22-23: Detroit: Gig at the Blue Bird. See 15-20 Dec.

Dec 24-25: Detroit: Off.

cDec 26-27: Detroit: Adams leaves the Blue Bird to join Kenny Burrell’s group at Klein’s Show Bar, typically with Tommy Flanagan and Elvin Jones. Bassist might have been Ernie Farrow.

Dec 28: Detroit: Off?

Dec 29-31: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s. See c26-27 Dec.

1955

Jan 1: Detroit: Off.

Jan 2-3: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s. See 29-31 Dec 1954. Also, Adams begins a day job at Al’s Record Mart (1536 Broadway).

Jan 4: Detroit: Off?

Jan 5-10: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 2-3 Jan.

Jan 11: Detroit: Off?

Jan 12-17: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 5-10 Jan.

Jan 18: Detroit: Off?

Jan 19-24: Detroit: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 12-17 Jan.

Jan 25: Detroit: Off?

Jan 26-31: Detroit: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 19-24 Jan.

Feb 1: Detroit: Off?

Feb 2-7: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 26-31 Jan. On the 4th, Charlie Parker opens a two week stint at the Madison Ballroom with Candy Johnson’s quartet. Pepper might have attended this gig.

Feb 8: Detroit: Off?

Feb 9-14: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 2-7 Feb. On the 14th, Charlie Parker opens a one week engagement at the Rouge Lounge. Pepper might have attended this. 

cFeb 15: Highland Park MI: Adams, Tommy Flanagan (occasionally Hugh Lawson), Ernie Farrow and Hindal Butts start their nearly year-long run at the World Stage’s Tuesday jam session. At that time, Oliver Shearer and Yusef Lateef take charge of the World Stage  programming after Kenny Burrell leaves to join Jazz at the Philharmonic. In addition to Tuesday jam sessions from 9pm-12, they re-establish Sunday afternoon concerts, though now on alternating Sundays.

Feb 16-21: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 9-14 Feb.

Feb 22: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See c15 Feb.

Feb 23-28: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 16-21 Feb.

Mar 1: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 22 Feb.

Mar 2-7: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 23-28 Feb.

Mar 8: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 1 Mar.

Mar 9-14: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 2-7 Mar. On the 12th Charlie Parker dies in New York at age 34.

Mar 15: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 8 Mar.

Mar 16-21: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 9-14 Mar.

Mar 22: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 15 Mar.

Mar 23-27: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 16-21 Mar.

Mar 28: Detroit: New Music Society date for Free Arts, recorded at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Earlier, Adams possibly works at Al’s Record Mart and, later, possibly drops in at Klein’s.

Mar 29: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 22 Mar.

Mar 30-31: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 23-27 Mar.

Apr: Detroit: Wardell Gray plays Klein’s as guest soloist.

Apr 1-4: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 30-31 Mar. Adams lives in or near Arden Park, across Meyer Road.

Apr 5: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 29 Mar.

Apr 6-11: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 1-4 Apr. 

Apr 12: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 5 Apr.

Apr 13-18: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 6-11 Apr. 

Apr 19: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 12 Apr.

Apr 20-25: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 13-18 Apr. 

Apr 26: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 19 Apr.

Apr 27-31: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 20-25 Apr. 

cMay: Detroit: Pepper Adams date at the World Stage, recorded by Transition, with Yusef Lateef, Tommy Flanagan or Barry Harris, possibly Elvin Jones, et al. Pepper Adams date in Dave Usher’s basement, possibly for Dee Gee, with Curtis Fuller, Tommy Flanagan or Barry Harris, Ernie Farrow and Hindal Butts. 

May 1-2: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 27-31 April. 

May 3: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 26 Apr.

May 4-9: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 1-2 May. 

May 10: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 3 May.

May 11-16: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 4-9 May. 

May 17: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 10 May.

May 18-23: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 11-16 May. 

May 24: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 197 May. 

May 25-30: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 18-23 May. On the 25th Wardell Gray dies at age 34 in Las Vegas.

May 31: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 24 May.

June 1-6: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 25-30 May. On c1 June, Adams, invited by Wardell Gray’s family, serves as a pallbearer at Wardell Gray’s funeral.

June 7: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 31 May.

June 8-13: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 1-6 June. 

June 14: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 7 June.

June 15-20: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 8-13 June. 

June 21: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 14 June.

June 22-27: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 15-20 June. 

June 28: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 21 June.

June 29-30: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 22-27 June. 

July: Detroit: Upon Kenny Burrell’s departure to join Oscar Peterson, Adams becomes musical director at Klein’s. The steady group is Adams and Curtis Fuller, with Tommy Flanagan or Hugh Lawson, Ernie Farrow and Hindal Butts. 

July 1-4: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 29-30 June. 

July 5: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 28 June.

July 6-11: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 1-4 July. 

July 12: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 5 July.

July 13-18: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 6-11 July. 

July 19: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 12 July.

July 20-25: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 13-18 July. 

July 26: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 19 July.

July 27-31: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 20-25 July.

Aug 1: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 26 July.

Aug 2-8: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 27-31 July. 

Aug 9: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 1 Aug.

Aug 10-15: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 2-8 Aug. 

Aug 16: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 9 Aug.

Aug 17-22: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 10-15 Aug. 

Aug 23: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 16 Aug.

Aug 24-29: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 17-22 Aug. 

Aug 30: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 23 Aug.

Aug 31: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 24-29 Aug.

Sept 1-5: Detroit: Possible gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 31 Aug. 

Sept 6: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. See 30 Aug.

Sept 7-12: Detroit: Possible gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 1-5 Sept. 

Sept 13: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. See 7 Sept.

cSept 14-17: Toronto: Adams gig with Charles Mingus, Teddy Charles, Doug Watkins and Elvin Jones. Adams drives from Detroit with Carol Thompson.

Sept 18: Travel?

Sept 19: Detroit: Possible gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 7-12 Sept.

Sept 20: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. See 13 Sept.

Sept 21-26: Detroit: Possible gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 19 Sept.

Sept 27: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. See 20 Sept.

Sept 28-30: Detroit: Possible gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 21-26 Sept.

Oct 1-3: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 28-30 Sept. 

Oct 4: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 27 Sept.

Oct 5-10: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 1-3 Oct. 

Oct 11: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 4 Oct.

Oct 12-17: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 5-10 Oct. 

Oct 18: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 11 Oct.

Oct 19-24: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 12-17 Oct. 

Oct 25: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 16 Oct.

Oct 26-31: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 19-24 Oct. On the 31st Pepper and Janet Muir go on their first date.

Nov 1: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. See 25 Oct.

Nov 2-7: Detroit: Possible gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 26-31 Oct.

Nov 8: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. See 1 Nov.

Nov 9: Detroit: Possible gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 2-7 Nov.

Nov 10: Travel?

Nov 11: Cambridge MA: Dave Coleman date for Transition, with violinist Dick Wetmore, et al.

Nov 12: Travel?

Nov 13-14: Detroit: Possible gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 9 Nov.

Nov 15: Highland Park MI: Possible jam session at the World Stage. See 8 Nov.

Nov 16-21: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 13-14 Nov.

Nov 22: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 15 Nov.

Nov 23: Detroit: Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 16-21 Nov.

Nov 24: Detroit: Off.

Nov 25-30: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 23 Nov.

Dec 1-5: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 25-30 Nov. 

Dec 6: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 22 Nov.

Dec 7-12: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 1-5 Dec. 

Dec 13: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 6 Dec.

Dec 14-19: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 7-12 Dec. 

Dec 20: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 13 Dec.

Dec 21-23: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 14-19 Dec. 

Dec 24-25: Detroit: Off.

Dec 26: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 21-23 Dec.

Dec 27: Highland Park MI: Jam session at the World Stage. See 20 Dec.

Dec 28-31: Detroit: Gig at Klein’s and day job at Al’s Record Mart. See 26 Dec. Gig at a private party on 31 Dec.

1956

Jan 1: Detroit: Gig at a private party. See 31 Dec 1955.

cJan 2-7: Detroit: Adams prepares to move to New York.

cJan 8: Travel. Adams drives to New York with Janet Muir.

cJan 8-31: Adams and Janet Muir take an apartment at 410 West End Avenue. Adams works at Glen Falls Insurance Company on Wall Street while awaiting the transfer of his union card. Adams sits in with Oscar Pettiford and Kenny Clarke at Café Bohemia.

cFeb-Mar: New York: Adams attends Ken Karpe’s Friday night invitation-only jam sessions with Oscar Pettiford on East 23rd St.

Feb-Mar: Adams and Janet Muir live together at 410 West End Avenue.

Apr: Adams and Janet Muir live together at 410 West End Avenue.

Apr 20: Cambridge MA: Curtis Fuller date for Transition, with John Coltrane, Roland Alexander, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. See http://instagram.com/p/r7zLUcpngW/?modal=true. Then, Cambridge MA gig after the recording session, with Fuller, Coltrane, Chambers and Jones.

Apr 21: Travel?

Apr 30: Hackensack NJ: Kenny Clarke date for Savoy, with Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell and Paul Chambers. See http://instagram.com/p/sFPlpTJnso/?modal=true. 

May 9: Hackensack NJ: Kenny Clarke date for Savoy, with Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell and Paul Chambers. See http://instagram.com/p/sFPlpTJnso/?modal=true. 

May 25: Boston: Upon Oscar Pettiford’s recommendation, Adams joins the Stan Kenton Orchestra, leaving by bus from New York for a gig at the State Ballroom. With some minor exceptions, Kenton’s personnel (with Lee Katzman, Richie Kamuca, Mel Lewis, et al.) is constant through November.

May 26: Taunton MA: Kenton at Roseland Ballroom.

May 27: South River NJ: Kenton at Liberty Ballroom.

May 28: Off.

May 29: Kent OH: Kenton at Kent University.

May 30: Youngstown OH: Kenton at Idora Park.

May 31: Pittsburgh: Kenton at Westview Park.

June 1: Buckeye Lake OH: Kenton at Crystal Beach Ballroom.

June 2: Monticello IN: Kenton at Indiana Beach Ballroom.

June 3: Milwaukee: Kenton at Million Dollar Ballroom.

June 4: Off.

June 5: Des Moines IA: Kenton at Val Air Ballroom.

June 6: Off.

June 7-9: St. Louis: Kenton at Riviera Ballroom.

June 10: Collinsville IL: Kenton at Collinsville Park Pavilion.

June 11: Belleville IL: Kenton at Belleville Township High School.

June 12: Off.

June 13-23: Chicago: Kenton at the Blue Note.

June 24: North Shore, Suburban Chicago: Afternoon barbecue and jam session with Chet Baker and Bobby Timmons. Then, Kenton gig at the Blue Note. See 13-23 June.

June 25: Cedar Lake IN: Kenton at Midway Ballroom.

June 26: Madison WI: Kenton at Edgewater Hotel.

June 27: Lake Geneva WI: Kenton at Riviera Ballroom.

June 28: Janesville IA: Kenton at Riviera Ballroom.

June 29: Marinette WI: Kenton at the Silver Dome.

June 30: Coloma MI: Kenton at the Crystal Palace.

July 1: Chicago: Kenton at Trianon Ballroom.

July 2: Off.

July 3: Kansas City: Kenton at Pla Mor Ballroom.

July 4: Omaha: Kenton at Peony Park.

July 5: Clear Lake IA: Kenton at Surf Ballroom.

July 6-7: St. Paul: Kenton at Prom Ballroom.

July 8: Austin MN: Kenton at Terp Ballroom.

July 9: Off.

July 10: La Crosse WI: Kenton at Avalon Ballroom.

July 11: Elgin IL: Kenton at Blue Moon Ballroom.

July 12: Russells Point OH: Kenton at Sandy Beach Park at Indian Lake.

July 13: Leesburg IN: Kenton at Tippecanoe Gardens.

July 14: Lansing MI: Kenton at the Dells at Lake Lansing.

July 15: Celina OH: Kenton at Edgewater Park.

July 16: Off.

July 17: Indianapolis: Kenton at Westlake Terrace.

July 18: Chippewa Lake OH: Kenton at Chippewa Lake.

July 19: Brooklyn MI: Kenton at Wamplers Lake.

July 20: Fruitport MI: Kenton at Fruitport Pavilion.

July 21: Flint MI: Kenton at IMA Auditorium.

July 22: Vermilion OH: Kenton at Crystal Beach Ballroom.

July 23: Detroit: Kenton at Motor City Arena.

July 24: Windsor, Ontario: Kenton at Crystal Beach.

July 25: Burlington, Ontario: Kenton at Brant Inn.

July 26: Cheswick PA: Kenton at Ches Arena.

July 27-31: Atlantic City NJ: Kenton at the Steel Pier.

Aug 1-2: Atlantic City NJ: Kenton at the Steel Pier. See 27-31 July.

Aug 3: Off.

Aug 4: Hershey PA: Kenton at Hershey Park.

Aug 5: Canton OH: Kenton at Moonlight Gardens at Meyers Lake.

Aug 6-7: Off.

Aug 8-14: Chicago: Kenton at Blue Note.

Aug 15: Spirit City IA: Kenton at the Roof Garden.

Aug 16-17: Huron SD: Kenton at the Huron Theatre.

Aug 18-20: Off/Travel?

Aug 21-26: Denver: Kenton at El Patio Ballroom in Lakeside Park. Adams visits with Doc Holladay.

Aug 27-31: Off/Travel?

Sept 1-2: Balboa Beach CA: Kenton at Rendezvous Ballroom.

Sept 7: Los Angeles: Kenton concert, produced by Gene Norman.

Sept 8-23: Hollywood CA: Kenton at Zardi’s.

Oct: Detroit: During a gap in Kenton’s itinerary, Adams travels from California to Detroit to pick up his car and drive it back to the West Coast.

Oct 30: Pasadena CA: Kenton at Civic Auditorium.

Nov 1: Sausalito CA: Adams begins his stay, for most of the month, at a hotel run by a retired French sea captain with a view of inner San Francisco Bay.

Nov 2-18: San Francisco: Kenton at Macumba Club. Ralph J. Gleason writes in the San Francisco Chronicle the first notice about Adams to appear in a major publication. Mel Lewis afternoon rehearsal on the 14th at the Macumba Club for his recording date on 19-20 Nov.

Nov 19: Berkeley: Kenton at University of California. Then, Mel Lewis date in Oakland for San Francisco, with Richie Kamuca, John Marabuto, et al.

Nov 20: San Francisco: Kenton at University of San Francisco. Then, Mel Lewis date in Oakland for San Francisco, with Richie Kamuca, John Marabuto, et al.

Nov 21: San Francisco: Kenton at San Francisco State College.

Nov 22: Palo Alto: Kenton at Stanford University.

Nov 23: Oakland: Kenton at Sweet’s Ballroom.

Nov 24: San Francisco: Adams, Lee Katzman and Mel Lewis quit Kenton and move to Los Angeles to form a quintet.

Nov 25: Los Angeles: Adams composes Mary’s Blues. See http://instagram.com/p/r2vHCWJnhk/?modal=true, http://instagram.com/p/r2vzl-pni4/?modal=true and http://instagram.com/p/r2tANnJntX/?modal=true. 

Nov 26-30: Los Angeles: Adams, Lee Katzman and Mel Lewis rehearse.

Dec: Pasadena: Gig at Zucca’s Cottage with Lee Katzman, Ernest Crawford (p), Red Kelly (b) and Mel Lewis. Los Angeles: Possible gigs with Maynard Ferguson’s Big Band. Mel Lewis, Richie Kamuca and other members of Kenton’s band are in the 13-piece group. Los Angeles: Unknown studio dates with Conrad Gozzo.

cDec. 4: San Fernando CA: Adams moves to 14354 Germain Street to stay for a time with Lee Katzman and his family.

Dec 10: Los Angeles: Lennie Niehaus date for Contemporary, with Frank Rosolino, Bill Perkins, Red Mitchell, Mel Lewis, et al.

Dec 12: Hollywood CA: Stan Kenton date for Capitol.

Dec 24-25: Los Angeles: Off.

1957

cJan: Hollywood CA: Adams sits in on Pete Jolly gig at Sherry’s, with Ralph Pena and Larry Bunker.

Jan: Los Angeles and Hollywood: Various jam sessions, including those at Carl Perkins’ house, with Leroy Vinnegar. Los Angeles: Unknown studio dates with Conrad Gozzo.

Jan 1: Los Angeles: Off.

Jan 5-6: Los Angeles: Possible gig with Maynard Ferguson’s Big Band.

cJan 15: Los Angeles: Possible gig on Sunset Strip with Dave Pell’s Octet prior to 17 Jan date.

Jan 17: Los Angeles and Hollywood: Dave Pell date for RCA (with Jack Sheldon, Mel Lewis, et al.) and Kenton Orchestra date for Capitol.

Jan 23: Los Angeles: Dave Pell date for RCA, with Jack Sheldon, Mel Lewis, et al.

Jan 30: Los Angeles: Shorty Rogers big band date for RCA, with Harry Edison, Frank Rosolino, Herb Geller, Red Mitchell, Stan Levey, et al.

Feb: Los Angeles: Unknown studio dates with Conrad Gozzo.

Feb 1: Los Angeles: Shorty Rogers big band date for RCA. See 30 Jan.

Feb 4: Los Angeles: Shorty Rogers big band date for RCA. See 1 Feb.

cmid Feb: Los Angeles: Gigs with Maynard Ferguson’s Big Band: Ferguson, Joe Burnett, Ed Leddy, Tom Slaney tp; Bob Burgess, Frank Strong tb; Joe Maini, Jimmy Ford as, ts; Willie Maiden ts; Adams bs; John Bannister p; Moe Edwards b; Larry Bunker dm.

Feb 22: Hollywood CA: Stan Kenton date for Capitol, with Richie Kamuca, Red Mitchell, Mel Lewis, et al.

Mar: Los Angeles: Gigs with Maynard Ferguson’s Big Band, possibly at Peacock Lane. See cmid Feb personnel. Unknown studio dates with Conrad Gozzo.

Mar 1: Los Angeles: Quincy Jones date for ABC, with Carl Perkins, Leroy Vinnegar, Shelly Manne, et al.

Mar 4: Hollywood CA: Stan Kenton date for Capitol, with Red Mitchell and Mel Lewis.

Mar 11: Los Angeles: Bob Keene date for Andex, with Red Norvo, et al.

Mar 12: Los Angeles: Lennie Niehaus date for Contemporary, with Frank Rosolino, Richie Kamuca, Stan Levey, et al.

Mar 19: Pasadena: Mel Lewis-Pepper Adams Quintet gig at Zucca’s, with Lee Katzman, et al.

Mar 20: Los Angeles: Dave Pell date for RCA, with Jack Sheldon, Mel Lewis, et al. See 23 Jan.

Mar 21: Los Angeles: Bob Keene date for Andex, with Red Norvo, Red Mitchell, Shelly Manne, et al. Later in Los Angeles, Herbie Harper date at Jazz City for Bethlehem, with Claude Williamson, Curtis Counce, Mel Lewis, et al.

cMar 22: Los Angeles: Adams leaves by car for New York with three members of Ferguson’s band. All three were junkies and it was a very difficult trip for Adams. One was likely Joe Maini. Another might have been Larry Bunker.

cMar 28: Omaha: Maynard Ferguson Big Band gig.

cMar 30: St. Louis: Maynard Ferguson Big Band gig at auditorium adjoining another auditorium at which Elvis Presley was performing.

cApr 1: Minneapolis: Maynard Ferguson Big Band gig.

cApr 4-14: New York: Maynard Ferguson Big Band at Birdland. Live broadcasts by the Mutual Radio Network on 6 and 13 April.

cApr 15: New York: Adams joins Chet Baker’s group.

Apr 20: Hackensack NJ: Date for Prestige with John Coltrane, Cecil Payne, Doug Watkins, et al.

cMay 14: Travel?

cMay 15-31: Chicago: Chet Baker gig at the Preview Lounge.

June 1-15: Chicago: Chet Baker gig at Preview Lounge. See c15-31 May.

June 16: Chicago: Off?

June 17-23: Milwaukee: Chet Baker gig at the Brass Rail, with Elmo Hope, Doug Watkins and Philly Joe Jones.

June 24: Milwaukee: Off?

June 25-30: Minneapolis: Chet Baker gig with Phil Urso, Elmo Hope, Doug Watkins and Philly Joe Jones.

July 1: Travel?

July 2-11: Hollywood CA: Gig with Chet Baker at Peacock Lane with Doug Watkins. Don Friedman works the second week with Larance Marable.

July 12: Los Angeles: First date as leader, for Mode, with Stu Williamson, Carl Perkins, Leroy Vinnegar and Mel Lewis. Later, gig with Chet Baker gig in Hollywood at Peacock Lane. See 2-11 July.

July 13-14: Hollywood CA: Gig with Chet Baker at Peacock Lane. See 12 July.

July 15: Los Angeles: Shorty Rogers big band date for RCA, with Frank Rosolino, Richie Kamuca, Stan Levey, et al.

July 16-21: San Francisco: Chet Baker gig at The Blackhawk, with Philly Joe Jones, et al.

July 22-31: San Francisco: Chet Baker gig at Blackhawk with Bob de Graaf (ts), Don Friedman, Doug Watkins and Philly Joe Jones.

Aug 1-4: San Francisco: Chet Baker gig at Blackhawk. See 22-31 July. 

Aug 11: Los Angeles: Shorty Rogers big band date for RCA, with Frank Rosolino, Richie Kamuca, Stan Levey, et al.

Aug 13: Hollywood CA: Bud Shank date for Pacific Jazz, featuring Chet Baker, with Charlie Mariano, Richie Kamuca, Claude Williamson and Mel Lewis. See http://instagram.com/p/rhyBTZJngv/?modal=true. 

Aug 14: Hollywood CA: Bud Shank date for Pacific Jazz, featuring Chet Baker, with Charlie Mariano, Richie Kamuca, Claude Williamson and Mel Lewis. See http://instagram.com/p/rhyBTZJngv/?modal=true. 

Aug 22: Down Beat’s Jazz Critic’s Poll awards Adams their New Star Award.

Aug 23: Hollywood CA: Second date as leader, for World Pacific, with Lee Katzman, Jimmy Rowles, Doug Watkins and Mel Lewis. See http://instagram.com/p/sFM0gEpnoJ/?modal=true.

cAug 24: Travel to Detroit?

cSept 1: Detroit: Soupy Sales TV Show appearance with Curtis Fuller, Tommy Flanagan, probably Ernie Farrow and Frank Gant.

cSept 2-5: Detroit: Gigs with Alvin Jackson.

cSept 9: Ann Arbor MI: Gig with Alvin Jackson.

cSept 10: Ann Arbor MI: Hugh Jackson (dm) private date, with Frank Keys (tp), Bernard McKinney, Barry Harris and Beans Richardson.

Sept 11: Travel?

Sept 15: New York: Shafi Hadi date for Debut, with Wynton Kelly, Henry Grimes, et al.

Sept 17: New York: A.K. Salim date for Savoy, with Kenny Dorham, Johnny Griffin, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Max Roach, et al.

Sept 29: Hackensack NJ: Lee Morgan date for Blue Note, with Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. See http://instagram.com/p/sFOWqopnqe/?modal=true 

Oct: Atlantic City NJ: Week-long quartet gig (with Kenny Burrell) opposite Lee Morgan Quartet. This was the same week that the "Rat Pack" performed at Club 500 with Carmen McCrae and the Ike Isaacs Trio.

Oct 20: Hackensack NJ: Hank Mobley date for Blue Note, with Art Farmer, Sonny Clark, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones.

Nov: New York: Gigs with the Maynard Ferguson Big Band.

Nov 12: Hackensack NJ: Sonny Red date for Savoy, with Wynton Kelly, Doug Watkins and Elvin Jones.

Nov 19: Hackensack NJ: Third Adams date as leader, for Savoy, with Bernard McKinney, Hank Jones, George Duvivier and Elvin Jones.

cDec: New York: Adams works during the holidays at Macy’s department store and at the main branch of the New York Post Office.

Dec 6: Hackensack NJ: Doug Watkins date for Prestige, with Bill Evans, Doug Watkins, Louis Hayes, et al.

Dec 24-25: New York: Off.

cDec 28: New York: Adams takes an apartment with Elvin Jones at 314 East 6 Street, #10.

Dec 30: New York: Toots Thielemans date for Riverside, with Kenny Drew, Wilbur Ware and Arthur Taylor.

1958

Jan 1: New York: Off.

Jan 3: Hackensack NJ: Gene Ammons date for Savoy, with John Coltrane on alto, et al.

                              (c. Rudy Tucich. Tucich is in the rear with eyeglasses. Barry Harris

                                     is to Tucich's right. Charles  McPherson is at the far right.)