Moon River – 1991
George Adams
A fairly mellow version of the Henry Mancini standard
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George Adams (1940-92) was a very individual tenor-saxophonist who worked with Charles Mingus, McCoy Tyner, and Gil Evans in addition to being the co-leader of a longtime group with pianist Don Pullen.
While he was sometimes associated with the avant-garde because of his tonal explorations, Adams also enjoyed playing standards and occasionally singing.
For this version of Henry Mancini’s “Moon River,” Adams (who takes two vocal choruses) is heard on both tenor and flute, making concise statements while keeping the melody in mind.
Adams is joined by pianist Ray Gallon, bassist Santi Debriano, and drummer Lewis Nash, all of whom get to make significant contributions to the music.
-Scott Yanow
Ella Fitzgerald