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Park “Pepper” Adams III was born on October 8, 1930 in Highland Park, Michigan. His family moved to Rochester, New York when he was young and it was here that he began his musical endeavors. At 16 he moved back to Detroit and met several musicians who would later be important to his career, including trumpeter Donald Byrd. Adams became interested in Wardell Gray’s approach to the saxophone and later named Gray and Harry Carney as his influences.

After his Army band stint and a brief tour in Korea, Pepper moved to New York and recorded the “Dakar” album with Coltrane, with Lee Morgan on “The Cooker”, and briefly worked with Benny Goodman ‘s band in 1958. During this time, Adams also began working with Charles Mingus, performing on one of Mingus’s finest albums from this period, “Blues & Roots” and sporadically recording with Mingus until his death in 1979.

Adams would become a significant member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band from 1965 to 1978, and continued to record Jones’s compositions on many of his own albums. Adams also co-led a quintet with Donald Byrd that produced the live date, “10 to 4 at the 5 Spot” featuring Elvin Jones.

Pepper Adams, the baritone saxophonist nicknamed “The Knife” for his hearty tone, driving rhythmic sense, and big and intense sound that fit well in the up-tempo of hard bop, is considered, along with Gerry Mulligan, as setting the foundation for contemporary playing on the baritone. He died of lung cancer in Brooklyn, New York on September 10, 1986.

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