SEE BELOW
Much as I did last month, this post is a way of promulgating
missing Pepper Adams recordings. It’s my hope that by
making these better known, their chance of
discovery is increased. If you know anything about these recordings,
please reply to this blog. An addenda will be posted next
month. Have a great rest of the summer!
51000
Early 1951, unissued recording, Sam's Record Store, Detroit:
Billy Horner tp; Bob Pierson ts; Pepper Adams bs; unknown p;
unknown b unknown dm; unknown voc.
“We played background for something,” said Bob Pierson about t
his commercial gig. "It wasn't jazz. I think it was for a singer." Sam's Record
Store was located on Hastings Street.
PEPPER ADAMS
540000
c. 1954, Blue Bird Inn, Detroit: Pepper Adams bs; other musicians.
The jazz fan Terry Weiss made live recordings at the club and possibly
elsewhere. Her tapes have never been found.
PEPPER ADAMS
540000
c. 1954, TV broadcast, Detroit: Pepper Adams bs; Tommy
Flanagan p; Beans Richardson b; Elvin Jones dm.
According to the saxophonist Bennie Maupin, Adams possibly appeared on
the show “Ed McKenzie’s Dance Party.” McKenzie’s program was one of the first
TV shows in Detroit that featured live music and it preceded Soupy Sales’ show,
“Soupy’s On.” “Ed McKenzie,” said Maupin, “had been a radio personality. He
was a huge jazz fan. He’d play the jazz recordings on the radio, on WXYZ.
On a Saturday, I saw Dizzy, Max Roach/Clifford Brown, Earl Bostic; a whole host
of musicians who were playing in the local clubs. They would come on and play
a little bit. He’d do a little interview, and he would close out the show by doing
another tune at the end of the show.” McKenzie began on WXYZ radio in 1952.
His two-hour TV show was aired on Channel 7 in Detroit. The Rouge Lounge
was one club whose musicians were featured. Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Art
Tatum and Charlie Parker were others that appeared on the program. It’s not
known if any video still exists nor whether the group also included a guest soloist.
PEPPER ADAMS
540600
c. June, 1954, unissued demo recording, United Sound Studio, Detroit:
Pepper Adams bs; Barry Harris p; Beans Richardson b; Elvin Jones dm.
This was a demo that Pepper made to land a record deal. The only copy that
has surfaced was one that was sold on Ebay a few years ago.
SONNY STITT
550328
c. June, 1955, World Stage, Detroit: Sonny Stitt ts; Pepper Adams
bs; Kenny Burrell g; Tommy Flanagan p; Bill Burrell e-b; Hindal Butts dm.
This concert was produced by the New Music Society and the original copy was
sent to a record producer in California.
MAYNARD FERGUSON
561200, 570105, 570106, 570200, 570300
According to Ken Poston, Director of the Los Angeles Jazz Institute, Maynard
Ferguson’s big band was recorded by Wally Heider at Peacock Lane. The Ferguson
band was quite active in Los Angeles at the end of 1956 through the c21 March
1957. Because Adams played in Ferguson's band in Los Angeles during that period
(and then toured with the band across the U.S. back to New York), it's likely that
Pepper Adams played with the band at Peacock Lane, possibly on a night that Heider
was recording. So far, no tapes have surfaced.
PEPPER ADAMS
580300
c. June, 1954, private recording, Howard Kanovitz's loft, New York:
Pepper Adams bs; Don Friedman p; Henry Grimes b; Elvin Jones dm.
This could be still owned by Kanovitz's estate.
PEPPER ADAMS
580803
3 August 1958, Great South Bay Jazz Festival, Great River NY:
Pepper Adams bs; Kenny Burrell g; George Duvivier b; Elvin Jones dm.
a Charlie Parker tune United Artists unissued
b Benny Golson tune
c Sonny Rollins tune
According to a 6 September 1958 article in Cash Box
first of three releases for the new label. It remains unissued. Other tunes were likely
recorded. The Golson and Rollins tunes may be Stablemates and Oleo respectively.
According to Michael Cuscuna, “UA’s surviving tapes was very spotty. There was
absolutely no trace of a live Pepper Adams date nor any outtakes for the great live albums
that they did do (Randy Weston, Al & Zoot etc). The only thing I can be sure of is that there is
absolutely no trace in the tape vaults.”
THELONIOUS MONK
590227
27 February 1959, rehearsal, Hall Overton's loft, New York: Donald Byrd tp;
Eddie Bert tb; Robert Northern frh; Jay McAllister tu; Phil Woods as; Charlie
Rouse ts; Pepper Adams bs; Thelonious Monk p; Sam Jones b; Arthur Taylor dm.
Audio tapes made at Overton and David X. Young's loft by photographer W. Eugene
Smith are housed at Duke University. Reels 100-112 are rehearsal tapes of Monk and pianist
Hall Overton working out arrangements or their big band rehearsing for the upcoming Town Hall
concert. The tape done on 27 February 1959 is denoted as “Mostly run-throughs with Monk at
the piano.” Other tapes may exist from January and February rehearsals.
BENNY GOODMAN
590417
17 April 1959, privately recorded rehearsal, New York: John Frosk, Taft Jordan tp;
unknown remainder of tp section; Rex Peer tb; unknown remainder of tb section;
Benny Goodman cl; Herb Geller, Vinnie Dean as; Bob Wilber, Babe Clarke,
Buddy Tate ts; Pepper Adams bs, bcl; Hank Jones p; Turk Van Lake g; Scott LaFaro
b; Roy Burns dm; Donna Musgrove voc.
Although Buddy Tate wasn’t a member of the upcoming touring group, he may have been
at the rehearsal. It's possible that Musgrove was subbing for Dakota Staton, who would be touring
with the band as a featured vocalist.
About the three weeks of Goodman rehearsals, of which this was a part, Bob Wilber wrote
in his autobiography Music Was Not Enough, “Benny was relaxed, obviously enjoying the idea of
putting a big band together again and intrigued with the new arrangements he had commissioned
from Bill Holman, Shorty Rogers and Gil Evans. Bill had done a chart on After You've Gone that
sounded more like Kenton than Goodman. Nevertheless, Benny enjoyed the new sounds and
worked hard to get the charts right. . . . [The band] was an interesting mixture of old and modern styles,
racially balanced and with no really big names. I think that Benny had had such an unfortunate
experience with the all-star band he had put together in the early 1950s for the disastrous tour opposite
ouis Armstrong, that he was happy to have eager, young unknowns who were excited and thrilled to
be playing with him.”
PEPPER ADAMS
591200
c. December 1959, New York: Pepper Adams bs; Tommy Flanagan p; George
Duvivier b; Dannie Richmond dm.
Stinson unissued
DONALD BYRD-PEPPER ADAMS
610300
c March 1961, TV broadcast, Indianapolis: Donald Byrd tp; Pepper Adams bs;
Herbie Hancock p; Laymon Jackson b; Joe Dukes dm.
I'm an Old Cowhand
QUINCY JONES
610422
22 April 1961, radio broadcast, Birdland, New York: Clark Terry, Johnny Coles tp;
Curtis Fuller, Frank Rehak, Mickey Gravine tb; Juiius Watkins frh; Phil Woods
as; Eric Dixon ts; Pepper Adams bs; Patti Bown p; Les Spann g, fl; other musicians.
G'won Train
Caravan
Stockholm Sweetnin'
The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
Airmail Special
An acetate of this broadcast was owned by Boris Rose.
QUINCY JONES
610429
29 April 1961, radio broadcast, Birdland, New York: Clark Terry, Johnny Coles tp;
Curtis Fuller, Frank Rehak, Mickey Gravine tb; Juiius Watkins frh; Phil Woods
as; Eric Dixon ts; Pepper Adams bs; Patti Bown p; Les Spann g, fl; other musicians.
An acetate of this broadcast was owned by Boris Rose.
METROPOLITAN JAZZ OCTET
610700
c. July 1961, Universal Recording Studios, Chicago:Tom Hilliard tp; Pepper
Adams as; Ron Kolber bs; other musicians.
PEPPER ADAMS
611100
mid or late November 1961, audience recording, The Topaz, Louisville:
John Alberding as; Raymond Johnson p; Gene Klingman b; Boots
Brown dm; GUEST SOLOIST: Pepper Adams bs.
Adams was guest soloist with “The Trademarks,” the Topaz’s house quartet. The
engagement lasted from 14-26 November. Sometime during the week of 28 April 1986,
WFPL-FM (89.3) in Louisville broadcasted a performance recorded at the club. It’s not
known if audio still exists.
JOE GALLIVAN
620000
c. 1962, unissued demo recording, New York: Don Ellis, Johnny Coles, Donald
Byrd tp; Julius Watkins frh; Eddie Bert, Jimmy Knepper tb; Eric Dolphy as;
Pepper Adams bs; unknown b; Joe Gallivan dm; other musicians.
Joe Gallivan told interviewer Dave Segal on 26 May 2016 (see thestranger.com), “I had this
big band in New York in the early '60s. I went to New York in '58; I was hovering between New
York and Miami into the early '60s. . . . I had this music for 10 brass, bass, drums, and saxophone
. . . . I called Eric Dolphy and he told me, “No problem. I'll be there. Tell me the time.” I said, “3
o'clock on Monday,” and he was there. Even though I was young and could write a book of things
I didn't know then, people were into music. . . . It was another CBS experience. I made an acetate
and gave it to Teo Macero. I put a little piece of tape on it, so if he listened to it, he would have
to break the tape. So I give it to him and after a few months I call him. “Did you listen to it?”
“Yeah. It's not the kind of thing we're interested in.” “Can I pick up the acetate?” They were valuable
in those days. It was expensive to get an acetate made. So I went to pick up the acetate at CBS. He
had not even listened to it! In the band I had Byrd, John Coles, Don Ellis, Eddie Bert, Jimmy
Knepper, Julius Watkins, Eric Dolphy, Pepper Adams. The band was great. The music business missed
an opportunity. We auditioned for this guy, a producer of sorts. . . . We changed the band a little bit and
for the audition we had Herbie Hancock on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, Donald Byrd and Pepper
Adams. If you had a record of this band now, you'd probably sell a million copies. But he gave us the
short shrift. The band fell apart when we were supposed to sign with Warwick and two weeks before
the date, Warwick went out of business, so we never did the date. It was kind of tragic. I had all the
music recopied. I spent my last $700 having all the music recopied. So I didn't have any money and
we had no date. So I ended up having to take a job playing with somebody else. That band fell through.
I worked my way back to Miami.”
CHARLES MINGUS
620826
Possible live recording at the Five Spot by United Artists.
MARCUS BELGRAVE
630620
This date is likely destroyed, due to the catastrophic Universal Music Group fire of June 1,
Bennie Maupin, in a 2014 email to me and a subsequent interview, said: “For the record, please
note that Pepper is absolutely one of my many early Detroit influences. As a matter of fact, he was
prominently featured on the very first professional recording of my career. It took place in Detroit
at a place known for presenting decades of great music: The Graystone Ballroom. The featured artist
was master/mentor trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. Others featured were pianist Kirk Lightsey,
bassist Cecil McBee, trombonist George Bohanon, and a great drummer who left us much to soon,
George Goldsmith. It was just a wonderful moment because we were right there recording everything
on the ballroom floor. The Graystone Ballroom was quite beautiful. I heard a lot of live music there,
with Count Basie’s Orchestra, Dinah Washington, various bands that came through. . . It was great
moment for me to be in that circle of musicians.”
MARCUS BELGRAVE
630626
This date is likely destroyed, due to the catastrophic Universal Music Group fire of June 1,
2008, where the master was stored. See 630620.
DIZZY REECE
630700a
c. Summer 1963, CBC TV broadcast, Toronto: Dizzy Reece tp; John Gilmore ts;
Pepper Adams bs; John Hicks p; Ali Muhammad Jackson b; Charli Persip dm.
This program was taped during the time when the band also backed Jimmy Witherspoon.
See 630700b.
JIMMY WITHERSPOON
630700b
c. Summer 1963, CBC TV broadcast, Toronto: Dizzy Reece tp; John Gilmore ts;
Pepper Adams bs; John Hicks p; Ali Muhammad Jackson b; Charli Persip dm;
Jimmy Witherspoon voc.
a Evenin’
b Ain't Nobody's Business
This program was entitled Sixty Minutes with Spoon, produced by Daryl Duke. Thirty minutes
of it was broadcast on 11 February 1964 on the program Quest.
LIONEL HAMPTON
640707
c. 7 July 1964, WNEW TV broadcast, possibly Plugged Nickel, Chicago: Martin
Banks, Jimmy Owens, Al Bryant tp; Garnett Brown, Sam Hurt tb; Ed Pazant,
Bobby Plater as; Andy McGhee, Fred Jackson ts; Pepper Adams bs; Billy Mackel
g; Lionel Hampton vib, voc; Lawrence Burgan b; Floyd Williams dm.
a Evenin’
b Ain't Nobody's Business
LIONEL HAMPTON
640723
23 July 1964, audience recording, Antibes Jazz Festival, Juan-les-Pins, France:
Martin Banks, Benny Bailey tp; Garnett Brown, Sam Hurt tb; Ed Pazant,
Bobby Plater as, fl; Ed Pazant ts, cl; Pepper Adams, Cecil Payne bs; Billy
Mackel g; Lionel Hampton vib, voc; Lawrence Burgan b; Floyd Williams dm.
a Sophisticalted Lady
LIONEL HAMPTON
640725
25 July 1964, audience recording, Knokke, Belgium: Same as 23 July, 1964.
a Sophisticated Lady
JIMMY HEATH
650314
14 March 1965, private recording, Madison Club, Baltimore: Jimmy Heath
as, ts; Pepper Adams bs; Gus Simms p; Wilbur Little b; Bertell Knox dm.
Produced by the Left Bank Jazz Society.
THAD JONES/MEL LEWIS
651126
a Ah — That’s Freedom
b Big Dipper
Thad Jones on cornet and flh. Adams on bs only. The band would continue to
rehearse at midnight nearly every Monday night until their 7 February 1966 premiere
Monday night performance at the Village Vanguard. One rehearsal took place at Upsurge
Studio (on 19th Street) but most took place at A&R Studios on 48th Street. Two others
took place at A&R Studios on Seventh Avenue and at Soundmixer’s Studio on Broadway.
While Adams attended the first rehearsal, it's not known how many others he attended.
Roland Hanna, not Hank Jones, made the very first rehearsal. Phil Woods and Gene Quill
also attended the rehearsals. According to Jimmy Owens, the first two arrangements the
band rehearsed were A — That’s Freedom and Big Dipper. Bob Brookmeyer brought his
chart on St. Louis Blues to the second or third rehearsal. According to Mel Lewis in Dave
Lisik and Eric Allen’s 50 Years at the Village Vanguard, Alan Grant on his WABC radio
program played Thad/Mel practice tapes done at A&R Studios to promote the band for
their upcoming opening engagement at the Village Vanguard. Whether any collectors recorded
these performance off the air or whether the tapes still exist in the Mel Lewis Archives, in Alan
Grant’s collection or elsewhere is unknown.
BLUE MITCHELL
651212
12 December 1965, private recording, Madison Club, Baltimore: Blue Mitchell
tp; Pepper Adams bs; Duke Pearson p; Ron Carter b; John Dentz dm.
Produced by the Left Bank Jazz Society.
THAD JONES/MEL LEWIS
660124
24 January 1966, private recording of rehearsal, Stea-Phillips Studio, New York:
had Jones cornet, flh; Bob Brookmeyer vtb; Jerry Dodgion as, ss, fl; Jerome
Richardson as, ss, cl, fl; Joe Farrell ts, ss, fl; Pepper Adams bs, cl; Mel Lewis dm; other musicians.
It’s unclear if the audio still exists.
PEPPER ADAMS
660403
3 April 1966, private recording, Crystal Ballroom, Baltimore: Morris Goldberg as, cl;
Carlos Ward ts; Pepper Adams bs; Dollar Brand p; Donald Moore b; Mel Lewis dm.
Produced by the Left Bank Jazz Society.
PEPPER ADAMS
661211
11 December 1966, private recording, Famous Ballroom, Baltimore: Frank
Foster ts; Pepper Adams bs; Bobby Timmons p; Cecil McBee b; Freddie Waits dm.
Produced by the Left Bank Jazz Society.
DIANE DESTRY
670000
c1967, private recording, New York: Overdubs: Natalie Pavone tp; Frank Vicari ts;
Pepper Adams bs.
a Sho Nuff I Need You unissued
b What’s There About the Man
c If I Get Another Chance
d Baby I’m Home
e The Big City
f I Could Never Be Your Woman
g Look Who’s Been Untrue
h How Can I Make It Through the Night
i Love Is a Jigsaw Puzzle
j Can I Please Come In
k Tonight’s Gonna Be Another Lonely Night
Destry was a vocalist.
THAD JONES/MEL LEWIS
680720
20 July 1968, audience recording or radio broadcast, Pit Inn, Tokyo: Thad Jones flh;
Bob Brookmeyer vtb; Jimmy Knepper, Garnett Brown tb; Cliff Heather btb; Jerry
Dodgion as, fl; Jerome Richardson as, cl, fl; Seldon Powell ts; Eddie Daniels ts; Pepper
Adams bs, cl; Roland Hanna p; Kunimitsu Inaba b; Mel Lewis dm.
a Lover Man
b Bachafillen
c unknown title
d Don’t Git Sassy
e Back Bone
f Don't Ever Leave Me
g St. Louis Blues
-c is a solo piano feature.
Adams plays clarinet on -g only. See 680422.
According to bassist Richard Davis, in a 2014 email to the author, Davis left the gig early and
Inaba took his place. Because the Pit Inn was a small room for a big band, it’s conceivable that Thad
Jones scaled the band down to twelve pieces and Davis left the club along with the entire trumpet section
before the final set.
This is the only known recorded gig from the band's first “tour” of Japan. Elvin Jones’ future wife,
Keiko, had agreed to put together eleven days worth of gigs. There was a great deal of excitement
because this was the band's first overseas trip. An itinerary of events was given in advance to members
of the band. On the morning of 11 July the band, along with seven of the musicians’ wives, waited at
JFK Airport to board a plane but the promised tickets never arrived at the gate. Thad Jones and Mel Lewis
were left with no alternative but to charge the tickets on their American Express cards, without which
the orchestra might’ve dissolved. To make matters worse, despite the itinerary, only one gig was arranged
for the band in advance. The orchestra was in limbo each day until gigs could be acquired. The photographer
K. Abe lent his life savings to pay for airplane tickets to get the group back to New York. After Mel Lewis
returned, he paid Abe back by leveraging his residence with a second mortgage.
According to Jerry Dodgion, Jerome Richardson made the trip and the trumpet section on the tour
was Snooky Young, Jimmy Nottingham, Danny Moore and Richard Williams. Richard Davis remembered
the following musicians: Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Richard Williams, Garnett Brown, Bob Brookmeyer,
Cliff Heather, Eddie Daniels, Pepper Adams and Roland Hanna.
PEPPER ADAMS
691226
26 December 1969, Danish Radio broadcast, Montmartre Jazzhus, Copenhagen:
Pepper Adams bs; Ole Matthiessen p; Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson b; Ole Streenberg
dm.
a What Is This Thing Called Love
b Day Dream
c Blues in E-flat
d Mean What You Say
e El Cineo
f Four
g Theme
h Autumn Leaves
i Bye, Bye Blackbird
j Theme
It’s not known if a tape of this performance still exists.
PEPPER ADAMS
700128
20 January 1970, Swedish Radio broadcast, Kultur Huset, Stockholm: Pepper Adams
bs; unknown p; possibly Red Mitchell b; Egil Johansen dm.
Performance for the program “Happy Jazz.” Possible sidemen include pianists Bengt Hallberg,
Lars Sjosten or Jan Johansson, and bassists Georg Riedel or Sture Nordin, if not Red Mitchell.
BILL BERRY-WILLIS CONOVER JAZZ BAND
700329
The group’s first gig was on Easter Sunday at the Roosevelt Hotel, led by Berry with Conover
as the emcee. The band under Berry’s leadership lasted for six months, when he left for California
with the Merv Griffin Show.
THAD JONES/MEL LEWIS
700802
2 August 1970, audience recording, Cordello Avenue School, Central Islip, NY:
Thad Jones flh; Snooky Young, Danny Moore tp; Eddie Bert, Benny Powell,
Jimmy Knepper tb; Jerome Richardson as, ss, fl; Jerry Dodgion as, cl, fl; Billy
Harper ts, fl; Eddie Daniels ts, cl, fl; Pepper Adams bs, cl; Roland Hanna p; Bob
Dougherty b; Mel Lewis dm.
a Low Down
b It Only Happens Every Time
c Back Bone
d Willow Tree
e Fingers
f Us
g A Child Is Born
h Central Park North
i Tow Away Zone
j Tow Away Zone
The concert was sponsored by the International Art of Jazz. A recording of it was donated
to the Library of Congress. It is housed in the Ann Sneed Collection.
Possible additional personnel might be Al Porcino, Marvin Stamm tp; Cliff Heather btb.
Adams plays clarinet on -h only. See 680422.
THE NEW YORK BAND
710710
The New York Band was led by Al Cohn. The big band component of this Louis Armstrong
Tribute may have included Eddie Bert tb; Charlie Fowlkes bs; Ben Aronov p. Pepper Adams likely
performed with Dizzy Gillespie. Bassist Bob Haggart may have performed with Jimmy McPartland
or a specific small group. According to Thomas Hustad, saxophonist Bobby Brown also performed
at the concert.
Tunes were Blues for Pops (with Dizzy Gillespie), Solitude (with Charlie Fowlkes), several other
unknown tunes, and a blues finale with all participants.
THAD JONES/MEL LEWIS
730928
28 or 29 September 1973, audience recording, Great American Music Hall,
San Francisco: Thad Jones flh; Jon Faddis, Jim Bossy, Steve Furtado, Cecil
ridgewater tp; Billy Campbell, Quentin Jackson, Jimmy Knepper tb; Cliff Heather
btb; Jerry Dodgion, Ed Xiques ss, as, fl; Billy Harper, Ron Bridgewater ts,
cl; Pepper Adams bs; Roland Hanna p; George Mraz b; Mel Lewis dm.
It’s unclear if the audio still exists.
THAD JONES/MEL LEWIS
740313
13 Mar 1974, Toshi Center Hall, Tokyo: Same as 12 March 1974, add possibly
Dee Dee Bridgewater voc.*
a Once Around Nippon-Columbia (J) LP: YX-7557
b Kids Are Pretty People Nippon-Columbia unissued
c Say It Softly
d 61st and Richard
e A Child Is Born
f Back Bone Nippon-Columbia (J) LP: YX-7557
g Bachafillen Nippon-Columbia unissued
h I Love You*
i The Farewell
j Fingers
k The Intimacy of the Blues
-a is likely a spliced version of this take and -d is from 12 March 1974.
-h might be a feature for Dee Dee Bridgewater. The band also performed it as an instrumental.
See 680422.
PEPPER ADAMS-KAI WINDING
780804
Hnita Jazz Club gigs took place at the Torengebouw.
Bunink is the correct surname, not Bunick.
See note on 760714 regarding the Hnita Jazz Club.
PER HUSBY
790321
21 March 1979, audience recording, Club 7, Oslo: Same as 18 March 1979:
PEPPER ADAMS
791029
According to a 31 October 1979 article in the Hartford Courant, the University
of Hartford’s radio station broadcast all three sets, nearly four hours of music. The station’s disk
jockey, Mike Crispino, served as host, and local radio personality Mort Fega interviewed the
musicians between sets. Tunes performed were Three Little Words and What Is This Thing Called
Love (trio only).
PEPPER ADAMS
800429
c29 April 1980, Le Jazz Bar C&J, Montreal: Pepper Adams bs; Ivan Symonds g;
Nick Aldrich b; Charlie Duncan dm.
Audience recording made by Cisco Normand.
DIZZY GILLESPIE DREAM BAND
810216b
Two shows were done of the same material: an afternoon program and an evening program.
Adams took a solo on “Con Alma” in both shows.
ANGEL RANGELOV
821114
Dave Johnson is the correct name, not Jensen. In an email to the author on 30
May 2016, Johnson said, “I remember Bill Pierce was in the sax section and Klaus
Suonsaari was the drummer. If I remember, there was a rehearsal in the afternoon and
the gig at night. Several of us had dinner with Pepper in between. . . . Angel was studying at
Berklee at the time.”
PEPPER ADAMS
851015
c. 15 October 1985, RAI TV broadcast, Salon delle Feste, San Remo Jazz
Festival, San Remo, Italy: Pepper Adams, Ricardo Zegna p; Dodo Goya b;
Ronnie Burrage dm.
Audio only. It’s not known if the video still exists.
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