George Rufus Adams (April 29, 1940 Covington, Georgia – November 14, 1992 New York City) was an American jazz musician who played tenor saxophone, flute and bass clarinet. He is best known for his work with Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, Roy Haynes and in the quartet he co-led with pianist Don Pullen, featuring bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Dannie Richmond. He was also known for his idiosyncratic singing.
George Adams' musical style was rooted in the blues and in primarily that of African-American popular music. As a saxophonist his greatest influences seem to have been Rahsaan Roland Kirk, with whom he played in Mingus's band on occasion, as well as the adventurous edginess of John Coltrane and Albert Ayler. He played with tremendous intensity and passion, as well as lyricism and subtlety. At times he bent over backwards when playing, almost ending up on his back. His singing varied from wild wailing blues to ballads.
Adams and Don Pullen shared a musical vision and their quartet straddled the range from R&B to the avant-garde. (The quartet was sometimes known as the "George Adams–Don Pullen Quartet", and sometimes as the "Don Pullen–George Adams Quartet".) After Adams' death, Pullen dedicated to his memory the 1993 CD Ode To Life, recorded by his African-Brazilian Connection, and in particular the ballad "Ah George, We Hardly Knew Ya".
George Adams may refer to:
George Adams (14 March 1839 – 23 September 1904) was an Australian publican and lottery promoter best known as the founder of Tattersall's.
Adams was born in Redhill in the parish of Sandon, Hertfordshire, England. He was the fourth son of William Adams, farm labourer, and his wife Martha, née Gilbey. The family emigrated to Australia and arrived on 28 May 1855.
Adams started as a gold miner in Kanoona, Queensland before working on sheep stations in New South Wales and setting up a stock dealer and butcher in Goulburn. In 1875, he swapped the trade of meat to the trade of liquor and purchased the licence to the Steam Packet Hotel in Kiama on the New South Wales south coast. He frequented the Tattersall's Club in Sydney and was a good mixer and 'a man with friends'. Three of his friends, Bill Archer, George Hill and George Loseby, purchased the O'Brien Hotel, the home of the Tattersall's club and told Adams to 'pay when you can'.
Within ten years, Adams was a wealthy man with the 'Tin Bar' replaced by the 'Marble Bar' at the O'Brien Hotel for £32,000 pounds. Tattersall's Club members subscribed to sweepstakes run on race meetings throughout Australia and eventually Adams began to include his Hotel regulars and in 1881 he ran the first public Tattersall's sweep on the Sydney Cup.
George Wallace Adams (born December 22, 1962 in Lexington, Kentucky) is a former professional American football running back.
Adams played college football at Kentucky and was a first round pick in the 1985 NFL Draft. Adams played in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.
Adams son, Jamal Adams, plays safety at Louisiana State University.