CDSJP 147

Release Date - August 1980

Featuring:

George Adams - tenor saxophone
Don Pullen - piano
Cameron Brown - bass
Dannie Richmond - drums

Track Listing

1) Earth Beams (George Adams) (7.54)
2) Magnetic Love Field (George Adams) (4.33)
3) Dionisus (Dannie Richmond) (7.35)
4) Saturday Night In The Cosmos (Don Pullen / Frank Dean) (6.35)
5) More Flowers(George Adams) (5.34)
6) Sophisticated Alice(Don Pullen) (7.22)

Total Time: 38:13

Recorded at: Fendal Sound Studio, Loenen aan de Vecht, Holland,br> Rec date: 3-5 August 1980

ARTIST PROFILE: GEORGE ADAMSÜ tenor saxophone

ThereÌs not a whole lot of movement on stage. The drummer works hard at the urging of the leader. The bassist does his similarly yeoman job. The pianist urges and tantalizes his leader with chords and runs. ItÌs the saxophonist who is the center of attention÷ and thereÌs not a whole lot of movement there either. Save the eyes. During moments they slip back into his head showing only whites. ÏDo you suppose heÌs looking into his brain?Ó one prominent New York radio personality asked. Then, ÏNo, More likely into his mind.Ó Was his own quick retort. George Adams, tenor saxophonist, spent some time with a reporter in Brooklyn recently and his eyes darted back into his mind at moments when he seemed most involved with the questions. Unlike a set of his music, which we caught at CondonÌs, a fairly new room in NYC, high-energy Adams was not in evidence during the interview. While the tunes presented during a typical Adams outing are often raw burners Ò even the ballads Ò the interviewer encountered a warm, introspective, and articulate person, with reverence towards his mentors and his country. Having risen to prominence with such notables as Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, Roy Haynes and McCoy Tyner, Adams teamed with former Mingus pianist Don Pullen to form one of the most exciting groups in jazz.

A Dutch promoter had booked Mingus with Pullen, drummer, Dannie Richmond and Adams on an extensive tour of Holland. ÏAfter MingusÌ death in 1979, he (the promoter) wanted to call the remainder of the group ÏThe Mingus Dynasty.Ó ÏWe didnÌt mind doing the tour, but we didnÌt want to be called by that name without Charles Mingus.Ó Cameron Brown became the groupÌs bassist as the tour began in November 1979. The George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet toured Europe for the first few years. Then a date at New YorkÌs Village Vanguard catapulted them to fame in the U.S.But it wasnÌt this group that brought Adams to the Apple. ÏI went on the road with organists, Hank Marr at first, later Bill Dogett (Honky Tonk). When I came to N.Y. (with Dogett) I had $100 in my pocket. The very next day I got a gig with the Flamingos (a charted R&B group) in Brooklyn. Six months later George Adams was back with organists, this time Lonnie Smith was the leader. Drummer, Roy Haynes, for whom Adams has great respect, led a group which featured George. But it was with Mingus where he became widely recognized. The world was rediscovering Charles Mingus during the early 70s and the great bassist/composer was experimenting with new voicing. He used drummer Roy Brooks playing saw with mallet; Charles Magee played two trumpets÷ at the same time. And George Adams was creating a new voice of his own based on MingusÌ ideas.

ÏThe first time I ever used my voice was with Mingus. It was at a place called ÎMaxÌs Kansas CityÌ (now defunct), and we were sharing a bill with Manhattan Transfer. Last set, Mingus plays a blues line and says, ÎCome on George, sing someÌÓ. If youÌve ever heard a Mingus request, itÌs more like a regal edict. George ad libbed a blues and the pair decided to write some lyrics. ÏI use the voice sound as an extension of the saxophone and vice versa.Ó In fact, his next record will be further extended with the addition of French horn and baritone saxophone. ÏIÌve got John Clark and either Charles Davis, or Hamiett Bliuett in mind. Mingus used saxophone front lines while I was with him (Ì74) with Hamiett and other.Ó His time with McCoy Tyner was particularly valuable, harmonically speaking. ÏMcCoy was carrying a septet with alto and tenor front line and added conga in the rhythm section. I combine his colors with the colors I heard and played with Mingus and Gil Evans and blend those into the sound I hear in my own headÓ. GeorgeÌs work with the Gil Evans Orchestra began about the same time as his work with Mingus. ÏI would work with Gil on my off time from Charles. Gil favored two tenor saxes, Bill Harper and myselfÓ. He worked off and on with the band until EvanÌs death. ÏI always like the big sound behind me. I played in the marching band at College and played all sorts of read instruments including bassoon. The main reason I favor smaller groups now is economics. So I held onto the (Evans) orchestra to keep me in touch, an outlet to participate in another musical context.Ó Not to mention the musical freedom that organization affords. At College, George Adams was fortunate being a student of Wayman Carver, a multi-reed specialist with Chick Webb, whose claim to musical fame was being the first solo voice on flute. ÏHe (Carver) was very adept at tone colors with woodwinds. It was Mr. Carver who asked me to play bassoon. Got me interested in all the other reeds. Gil once brought me a bass clarinet to try. But I donÌt play them much anymoreÓ. There was a short stint with vocalist Leon Thomas in 1971. ÏWorking with a male vocalist of his stature and his musical background, the African influence, gave me a chance for growth in another direction.Ó The America sessions brought back some memories for George Adams. Touring with Charles Mingus during the Iran hostage crisis saw some concerts canceled. ÏThere was some anti-American sentiment during that period. We were canceled in Aleppo and Damascus. But while we were there, we got to play for the International School for the Children of Diplomats. In Riad a concert originally scheduled for Westerners was canceled when Saudi locals began buying ticket. The cultural minister disappeared so we couldnÌt complete the details. An American businessman invited the band to his place to perform. He owned what I considered to be a small town. I guess the officials were afraid of a mixture of SaudiÌs and Westerners at that time. But we made the best of it. ÏI really feel there is no place like America so when I play those tunes I remember where I was Ò Bombay, Madras, New Delhi, Bahrain, Dubai, Cairo, Alexandria, Tunisia, Algeria, Oran, Morocco, Rabat. Casablanca Ò and where IÌm from, and I canÌt wait to get back.Ó