Bruce Adams

UK trumpet and flügelhorn player, encompassing jazz styles ranging from Louis Armstrong to the modern-day. Born July 3, 1951 in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England. By the time he was twelve, Adams was working three to four nights a week in the Glasgow area playing in small dance band residencies and performing in a cabaret act with his father. When he was fourteen he was sponsored on Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks by British trumpet legend Nat Gonella. In 1966, at age 15, Adams left school in Glasgow and went on the road with his father starting with a summer season in Brighton and other theatres up and down the country. Plus hundreds of gigs in northern working men's clubs as well as Expo 67 in Montreal. Combined Services Entertainment shows in Aden, Malta Libya, and Cyprus, working with Hughie Green and Tony Hancock. There followed a spell in Cabaret for Cunard and P&O then back on the club circuit. The Act continued until 1973 when Bob's health made him give up the business and the act disbanded. From 1973 on, Adams got involved in the local jazz scene in Glasgow first by forming a jazz quintet with alto saxophonist Bill Fanning, one of the stalwarts of Scottish jazz. Adams and Fanning eventually went to form a big band together. At the same time, Adams was also playing in the Mecca Ballrooms, first with Benny Daniels in the Plaza then Bill Patrick in Tiffany’s (the old Locarno). Adams also joined the big band formed by Glasgow drum legend George McGowan. The Band entered the 1982 Holsten Big band Competition, where Adams won the best trumpet prize and the 'outstanding soloist prize'. The Judges were Buddy Tate, Doc Cheetham, and Max Jones. Two years later, the band entered the BBC Big Band competition, and Adams won the Trumpet Soloist prize. Adams at this time was also playing with the Scottish Radio Orchestra and Scottish Dance Band legend Tommy Sampson. In the mid-eighties, Adams was working with singer Fionna Duncan who suggested to Mike Hart, Festival Director of the Edinburgh Jazz Festival that he should use me for the Festival. This resulted in Adams becoming a regular at the festival for several years. During this period, Adams worked with Harry Sweets Edison, Warren Vache, and Spanky Davis. Buddy Tate, Al Cohn, Benny Waters, Danny Moss, Bruce Turner, John Barnes Bob Wilbur. Dan Barrett, Roy Williams, George Chisholm, Bill Allred. Dave McKenna, Ray Bryant, Dick Hyman, Art Hodes, Johnny Parker, and Stan Greig. Milt Hinton, Ronnie Rae, Len Skeat, and Dave Green. Jake Hanna and Gus Johnson. Through the festival, Adams Joined Mike Hart’s Scottish Society Syncopators. The band toured extensively in Germany, America, and Canada. This resulted in playing at the Sacramento Jazz Festival, Victoria Jazz festival British Columbia, Cork Jazz Festival, Femo Jazz Festival in Denmark, Eindhoven Jazz festival in Holland, and various festivals in Germany. In 1986, the newly formed Glasgow Jazz Festival booked Adams' new quartet and asked him to be part of the Benny Carter Big Band featuring some legendary names from different eras of the British Jazz and big band scene. People like Bobby Orr, Tommy McQuater, John McLevy, Brian Rankine, Gordon Campbell, Duncan Lamont, Jimmy Hastings, Andy McIntosh. In 1990 Adams was booked for an extensive tour in Germany with Bill Alldred’s tribute to Matty Matlock’s Paducah Patrol Band featuring: Bill and John Allred on trombone, Adams, and Tom Saunders on trumpet / cornet. Kenny Davern on clarinet, Terry Myers on tenor sax, Danny Moss on baritone sax, Eddie Higgins on piano, Marty Grosz on guitar, Major Holley on bass and Warren Sauer on drums. This band came together again for festivals in Berne Switzerland and Decatur Illinois. Adams has worked extensively in Europe with Pascal Michaux, Charly Antolini, and Pete York, playing clubs and festivals in Norway, Finland, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, and Slovenia. About this time Adams recorded his first album for Jim Simpsons Big Bear Music entitled "One Foot in the Gutter". This was followed by the first of several collaborations with Alan Barnes called "Sidestepping". Adams and Alan’s next album, "Let’s Face the Music and Dance", followed about a year later. Both of these albums won CD of the year in the British Jazz Awards. Adams about this time became part of the reformed Kenny Baker Dozen. For several years Adams played the Cat Anderson chair in Pete Long’s Echoes of Ellington culminating in a tour with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, playing the Cat Anderson solo on "The Madness in Great Ones". Apart from being a featured guest soloist with the BBC Big Band, Adams also worked with the band on a freelance basis, playing for Lennie Niehaus, Gerald Wilson, and Patti Austin. Adams also played in the Cuban Fire Concert with Horatio el Negra Hernandez and Giovanni Hidalgo. Adams has featured as a guest soloist with the following big bands: Fat Chops Big Band, Nottingham Jazz Orchestra, The Scottish National Orchestra Big Band, Bobby Deans Big band Glasgow, Cote Ouest Big Band Nantes, The Hitchen Big Band Nimes. The Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra, The Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra, The Smokin Big Band Newcastle, and the BBC Big Band. Adams' partnership with Alan Barnes continues with their quintet and many of Barnes' suites for Septet and Octet.