Pepper Adams, Baritone Sax solo - “Billie’s Bounce“ (Charlie Parker) - live in Baltimore, Sep. 1969

Sound clip and info from On September 28, 1969 the Thad Jones-Pepper Adams Quintet was scheduled to appear at the Famous Ballroom in Baltimore, sponsored by the Left Bank Jazz Society, a venue musicians loved because of its all-black, very appreciative audience. Unfortunately, Thad Jones bowed out, getting, as a trumpet sub from the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Richard Willliams to appear in his place. Adams and the superb rhythm section of Duke Pearson, Richard Davis, and Mel Lewis, however, are on full display. Only five tunes survive from this private tape. By far the most memorable is Billie’s Bounce, in which Adams plays quite possibly the most harmonically daring solo of his career! Duke Pearson was always a remarkable accompanist, and, on this excerpt, he’s extremely interactive and fully understands where Adams is traveling. Mel Lewis, for his part, plays those trademark loping lines, and bass drum accents, swirling around the be