GEORGE ADAMS

George Adams: tenor saxophone, vocal; Heinz Sauer: tenor saxophone; Kenny Wheeler: trumpet, flugelhorn; Richie Beirach: piano; Dave Holland: double bass; Jack DeJohnette: drums

ECM 1141                   CD: 6025 6743127 5

George Adams made only one ECM recording, but it’s a beauty, placing his powerful tenor sax at the front of a talent-packed group, with Adams, Kenny Wheeler and Heinz Sauer all contributing compositions to the programme. “The spirit of Mingus hovers watchfully nearby; Adams is an original, though. His solos roil beneath the restraints of bebop structure, then sail wildly through the roof with a committed passion,” wrote Chicago Magazine. The tenor exchanges between Adams and Heinz Sauer are exciting, and George also delivers a very spirited vocal on “Got Something Good For You.” Recorded 1979.