EARLY YEARS: 1930-1958

1930
October 8: Highland Park MI: Park Frederick Adams III is born at 8am at Highland Park General Hospital to Park Adams II and Cleo Marie Coyle of 4695 Courville Road, Grosse Pointe Village, Michigan in suburban Detroit.

1931
Fall: Grosse Pointe Village MI: As the effects of the Great Depression deepen, Adams' father loses eight months of back salary and his employer goes bankrupt. Adams' parents decide to separate temporarily so that his father could search for itinerant work and so that mother and child would be safely ensconced at Adams' maternal family's farm near Columbia City, Indiana, where, at the very least, food each day was guaranteed.

1932
 -----     Columbia City IN: Lives at grandparents' or uncle's farm.

1933
 -----      Columbia City IN: Lives at grandparents' or uncle's farm and begins to play piano.

1934
 -----      Columbia City IN: Lives at family's farm. Continues with piano and attends a rural one-room schoolhouse.
Summer: Rome NY: Adams and his mother move to upstate New York to reunite the family. Joining them was his father and Adams' half-sister, Mina Elizabeth Adams (from his father's previous marriage). Living nearby was Adams' paternal grandmother, Frances Cleveland Adams (bJuly 13, 1863). Park II has his first heart attack just prior to Mina's return from Miami. Until the Christmas holidays, the family resides at 806 Jerris Avenue. Mina attends 12th grade at Rome Free Academy, where she meets her future husband, George G. Gifford.

1935
Jan: Rochester NY: The family relocates to 190 Hoover Road in time for Mina to enroll in school.
June 25: Rochester NY: Mina Adams graduates from Monroe High School.
Summer: Irondequoit NY: The family moves to 128 Belcoda Drive in suburban Rochester.
Sept: Irondequoit NY: Adams begins Kindergarten.

1936
 -----      Irondequoit NY: Adams listens to Fats Waller's daily, afternoon, fifteen-minute radio show.
Sept: Irondequoit NY: Adams begins 1st Grade.

1937
Sept: Irondequoit NY: Adams begins 2nd grade, in which sight-reading is a part of the curriculum.
October 14: Terre Haute IN: Mina Adams marries George G. Gifford.

1938
 -----      Irondequoit NY: Adams begins listening on Sundays to John Kirby Sextet radio broadcasts.
Sept: Irondequoit NY: Begins 3rd Grade.

1939
Sept: Irondequoit NY: Begins 4th Grade. After school, Adams sells candy and cigarettes door-to-door from a cardboard box to help his family pay for bare essentials.

1940
Late Mar: Rochester NY: Adams and his mother go downtown to attend the opening run of W.C. Fields and Mae West's film, My Little Chickadee. This is one of the only times in Adams' life that he attends the first run of a movie.
June 19: Irondequoit NY: Adams' father (bJanuary 19, 1896) dies from his second heart attack at age 44. He is buried besides his father, Nathaniel Adams (bApril 15, 1858, d1929), at New Union Cemetery, Happy Valley Road, in Verona, New York.
Summer: Rome NY: Frances Cleveland Adams, Adams' grandmother, and the wife of Nathaniel Adams, dies. She is buried in Verona beside her husband and son.
Sept: Irondequoit NY: Adams begins 5th Grade.
 -----      Irondequoit NY: Adams hears late night Fletcher Henderson big band radio broadcasts, originating from Nashville, with trumpet soloist Willie Wells.

1941
Sept: Rochester NY: Begins 6th Grade at Hoover Drive Middle School. The school system loaned musical instruments to any student who was interested. Instrumental instruction wasn't provided for individual students, but one could get into the school band, taught by Prescott Whitney, if they took the time to learn on their own how to play a borrowed instrument. Adams first takes home a trumpet, then a trombone, then settles on a clarinet, and joins the school band. Adams' mother teaches 2nd Grade at Hoover Drive Elementary.

1942
 -----      Rochester NY: Adams visits regularly with Everett Gates at Gates' home in Rochester, where they have dinner, listen to jazz recordings, and discuss music theory.
Summer: Seattle: Adams travels by car from Rochester to Seattle with Mina, George Gifford, and their first child, Gary (b c1939). They stay in Seattle at the home of Harold Gifford, George's older brother, along with George's wife, Marie, and their son Skip. Adams spends some of his evenings alone, touring the city or seeking out the local music scene, often returning after midnight. After his mother threatens to have George and Mina arrested if Adams is not returned home, Adams is put on a Greyhound Bus back to Rochester.
Sept: Brighton NY: Begins 7th Grade at Brighton #1 School.

1943
Jan 8: Brighton NY: St. Louis Cardinal's World Series baseball star Pepper Martin creates a local media sensation by signing a contract to manage and play for the Rochester Red Wings, one of the Cardinal's minor league affiliates, and with whom he had played in the late 1920s before joining the Major Leagues. Adams acquires his lifelong nickname, 'Pepper,' soon after Adams' schoolmates see Martin's picture on the front page of the Rochester newspapers and recognize a facial similarity between the two of them.  
-----      Rochester NY: Adams skips school for a week and attends Duke Ellington's entire run at a local theater. By the third day, Adams meets Rex Stewart, who brings Adams backstage and introduces him to Harry Carney and other members of the band. Soon thereafter, Adams takes lessons with Skippy Williams, the tenor saxophonist in Duke Ellington's band who first replaced Ben Webster.
Sept 22: Greece NY: Begins 8th Grade, possibly at the Barnard School, while living at 195 Rye Road with his remarried mom and step-father Harold Hopkins. Hopkins worked for Langie Coal Company.
cFall: Rochester NY: Adams takes a bus after school to downtown Rochester to work for three hours a day cutting boxes in the mail order room of a jazz specialty record store. Afterwards, he works as an usher in a theater until midnight before taking a bus home. With his earnings, Adams buys a tenor sax and begins emulating Coleman Hawkins and listening to Don Byas.

1944
Jan 7-9: Rochester NY: Hears the Cootie Williams Orchestra, with Bud Powell on piano, at The Temple.
 -----      Rochester NY: Plays clarinet-piano duets with Meade Lux Lewis at the Golden Rooster.
Summer: New York: Adams and his mother travel to New York and meet Bob Wilber at a Max Kaminsky gig at the Pied Piper.
Sept: Rochester NY: Begins 9th Grade at John Marshall High School while living at 160 Elmguard Street. Plays in the school band.

1945
Mid-year: Rochester NY: Meets Oscar Pettiford and Coleman Hawkins, later Denzil Best and Thelonious Monk, when Hawkins' quartet works a week gig.
Mid-year: Rochester NY: Hears Coleman Hawkins at a local club.
Sept: Rochester NY: Adams begins 10th Grade at John Marshall High School.

1946
Jan 1: Rochester NY: Begins a steady gig at the Elite Dance Hall with a 6-piece group (three horns, three rhythm) led by former Lunceford trumpeter Ben 'Smitty' Smith. Ralph Dickinson (ts), later John Huggler, in the ensemble, with Teddy Lancaster (dm).
Sept 4: Rochester NY: Withdraws from school before beginning 11th Grade at Monroe High School because he was working six nights a week at the Elite. Adams is living at 196 Chestnut Street, near the Eastman School of Music.
Fall: Rochester NY: Listens to his record collection with Bob Wilber, who was attending Eastman.

1947
June-Aug: New York: Lives with mom at the Edison Hotel for three months before moving to Detroit. They decide to relocate because elementary school teaching jobs paid far more in Detroit than Rochester.
Aug: Detroit: Within three days in town, Adams looks up Oscar Pettiford's friend, Willie Wells, who was rooming with Fats Navarro. On clarinet Adams plays trios from the Arban trumpet book with Wells and Navarro. Adams meets Tommy Flanagan at a jam session, and pianist Willie Anderson, a few days later.
Sept: Detroit: Oliver Shearer private recording at United Sound, with Willie Wells, Adams on clarinet, Tommy Flanagan, et al.
cSept: Detroit: Adams works on the assembly line at a Dodge automobile foundry, then at the Briggs auto body plant.
Mid-Nov: Detroit: Adams takes a six-week job as a Christmas extra in the record department of Grinnell's, Detroit's largest music store, on Woodward Avenue.
Dec: Detroit: Adams buys, with his Grinnell's employee discount, a used Bundy baritone saxophone that had come in on trade, and soon after adopts it as his main instrument.
late Dec: Detroit: Charlie Parker 5 plays El Sino.

1948
January: Detroit: As a baritone player, Adams starts getting hired consistently for gigs.
Winter: Detroit: Works at the Plymouth body plant for a few months.
cApr: Detroit: Adams trades in his Bundy for a new Selmer 'Balanced Action' B-flat baritone saxophone, the instrument he would play until 1978.
Summer: Detroit: Rehearses for a few months with Lucky Thompson's 9-10 piece band. Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, and Alvin Jackson are in the group. Because of under-aged members, they only work a few gigs, including one on Michigan Avenue.
late Summer: Detroit: Wardell Gray returns with a new Berg Larsen tenor mouthpiece. Adams for several months had been experimenting with different mouthpieces on his Selmer, but retrofitting Gray's tenor mouthpiece onto his new baritone was the perfect solution. Adams mail-orders the same mouthpiece for delivery in Windsor, Ontario, because, at that time, it was not available for purchase in the U.S.
Aug 28: Detroit: The Junior Beboppers (Claire Roquemore (tp); Bob Pierson, Charlie Gabriel (ts); Pepper Adams (bs); Clarence Beasley (p); Bob Smith (dm)) perform with the rhythm section of Lionel Hampton's big band (including Milt Buckner and Charles Mingus) at the Paradise Theater after Hampton's band finishes their set.
Sept: Detroit: Adams takes an entrance exam and begins studies as an English Literature major at Wayne University (later renamed Wayne State). He pays tuition by continuing to work local jazz gigs.
Sept-Oct: Detroit: The Junior Beboppers (see Aug. 28), sponsored by Lionel Hampton, work a few shows in town with the Hampton band over a six week period.

1949
Jan: Detroit: Adams continues studies at Wayne University.
 -----     Detroit: Sits in often with Charles Johnson's trio, with Willie Wells and an unknown pianist.
Oct: Detroit: Charlie Parker plays the Blue Bird with Phil Hill's trio plus Tate Houston.

1950
Jan: Detroit: Adams continues studies at Wayne University.
Winter-Spring: Detroit: Wardell Gray plays venues, such as Club Valley and the Bowl-O-Drome, through the Spring.
Feb: Detroit: Little John and his Merrymen play the Club Valley opposite Wardell Gray. The sextet includes Little John Wilson (tp); Cleveland Willie Smith (as); Frank Foster (ts); Pepper Adams (bs); Barry Harris (p); Ali Mohammed Jackson (b); and various drummers, such as Lawrence 'Jacktown' Jackson and Frant Gant. 
-----     Detroit: Adams rehearses with Charles Johnson's big band at Sunnie Wilson's Show Bar. Personnel: Cleveland Willie Smith, Frank Foster, Pepper Adams, Barry Harris, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers, Billy Frazier. They play only two or three gigs, probably because some of the bandmembers were underage.
Summer: Detroit: Charles Johnson date for Prize, with Yusef Lateef, Willie Anderson, et al.

1951
cMay: Detroit: Gig with Frank Rosolino and Kenny Burrell at the Bowl –O-Drome.
July 12: Detroit: Adams enlists in the U.S. Army. He was hoping to fail the induction physical and be found unfit for service.
cJuly 15: Waynesville MO: Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood.
cSept 1: Waynesville MO: Five months with the 6th Armored Division Band at Ft. Leonard Wood. Bill Evans and Tommy Flanagan were both at the post in other units.

1952
Feb: Waynesville MO: Adams organizes a Special Services band at Ft. Leonard Wood for future performances in Korea.
Spring: Waynesville MO: Adams receives an emergency furlough from Ft. Leonard Wood as a ruse, engineered by Charlie Parker (posing as Adams' mother's doctor), so that Adams could visit Parker in Kansas City. When Adams learns that Parker is missing from his gig, Adams sees a movie, stays at the Y, then returns to the base the following day.
July: Ann Arbor MI: Hugh Jackson private recording with Bu Bu Turner, et al. Adams possibly on 'Terminal Leave.'
July-Aug: Pontiac MI: Jam session at Thad Jones' house while on leave.
cOct 10: San Francisco: Adams is shipped off to Korea, by way of Ft. Lott in Seattle and Camp Drake near Tokyo, with the 10th Special Services Company.
cOct 29: Asaka, Japan: Adams is stationed at Camp Drake, awaiting re-assignment in Korea.
cNov 15: Korea: Adams first performance in the Eighth Army's 10th Special Services band.

1953
May 17: Pusan, Korea: Adams boards the Marine Phoenix troopship for his return home.
cMay 23: Pacific Ocean: Adams performs, on alto, for returning troops, in a quintet with Doc Holladay.
cJune 2: Seattle: Arrives at Ft. Lott.
June 5: Detroit: Receives honorable release from active duty.
June 6: Ft. Custer MI: Files discharge papers and is transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve.
early July: Detroit: Adams, after practicing for about two weeks, starts playing at the Blue Bird.
Aug: Detroit: Charlie Parker, opposite Illinois Jacquet and Arnett Cobb, plays the Graystone Ballroom.

1954
late Jan: Detroit: Beans Richardson assumes leadership of the house band at the Blue Bird, formerly run by Billy Mitchell. Adams replaces Mitchell and joins Thad Jones in the front line.
Mar: Detroit: Sonny Stitt plays the Blue Bird with the house band: Thad Jones, Pepper Adams, Tommy Flanagan, Beans Richardson, and Elvin Jones.
Mar 6: Highland Park MI: Kenny Burrell establishes the New Music Society and begins concerts and Tuesday jam sessions at the World Stage.
Apr: Detroit: Thad Jones-Pepper Adams piano-less quartet, with Major Holley and Walter Smith (dm), record demos at United Sound.
cApr 7: Detroit: Charlie Parker plays the Crystal Show Bar, backed by Will Davis and Major Holley.
May: Detroit: Barry Harris replaces Tommy Flanagan in the Blue Bird rhythm section.
May 12: Detroit: Thad Jones joins Count Basie and Adams becomes music director at the Blue Bird.
cJune: Detroit: Elvin Jones, with the working Blue Bird band (Pepper Adams, Barry Harris, and James Richardson), makes demo recording at United Sound.
late July: Detroit: Wardell Gray plays with the Blue Bird house band: Adams, Barry Harris, Beans Richardson, and Elvin Jones.
Mid-Aug: Detroit: Miles Davis plays two weeks with the Blue Bird house band: Adams, Barry Harris, Beans Richardson, and Elvin Jones.
cSept: New York: Adams meets with Bob Weinstock at Prestige Records and Alfred Lion at Blue Note Records and tries to secure a record deal by playing the demo recording made in Detroit a few months earlier. During the visit, Adams sits in at Birdland with Miles Davis, playing Sonny Rollins' tenor saxophone.
Oct: Detroit: Charlie Parker plays two weeks at the Crystal Show Bar, backed by Gene Nero's group.
cDec 25: Detroit: Adams leaves the Blue Bird to join Kenny Burrell's group at Klein's Show Bar, typically with Tommy Flanagan and Elvin Jones in the group.

1955
Winter: Highland Park MI: Oliver Shearer and Yusef Lateef establish alternating Sunday afternoon concerts at the World Stage, taking charge of the programming after Kenny Burrell leaves to join Jazz at the Philharmonic. Adams, Tommy Flanagan (occasionally Hugh Lawson), Ernie Farrrow, and Hindal Butts start their run at the World Stage's Tuesday jam session, which they do for the rest of the year.
 -----      Detroit: Adams works throughout the year at Al's Record Mart at 1536 Broadway.
Feb 4: Detroit: Charlie Parker opens a two week stint at the Madison Ballroom with Candy Johnson's quartet.
Feb 15: Detroit: Charlie Parker opens a one week engagement at the Rouge Lounge.
Mar 12: New York: Charlie Parker dies at age 34.
Mar 28: Detroit: Sonny Stitt date for Free Arts, recorded at the Detroit Institute of Arts and sponsored by the New Music Society.
Apr: Detroit: Upon Kenny Burrell's departure to join Oscar Peterson, Adams becomes musical director at Klein's. The steady group was Adams and Curtis Fuller, with Tommy Flanagan or Hugh Lawson, Ernie Farrow, and Hindal Butts. Adams is living in or near Arden Park, across Meyer Road.
Early Spring: Detroit: Wardell Gray gig, probably at Klein's.
May 25: Las Vegas: Wardell Gray dies at age 34.
cJune 1: Detroit: Adams, invited by Gray's family, is a pallbearer at Wardell Gray's funeral.
cSept: Toronto: Gig with Charles Mingus, Teddy Charles, and Elvin Jones. Adams drives from Detroit with Carol Thompson.
Nov 11: Cambridge MA: Dave Coleman date for Transition, with violinist Dick Wetmore, et al.

1956
Jan: New York: Early in the month Adams takes an apartment at 410 West End Avenue and starts work at Glen Falls Insurance Company while awaiting the transfer of his union card.
Winter: New York: Sits in with Oscar Pettiford and Kenny Clarke at Café Bohemia.
cFeb: New York: Plays at Ken Karpe's Friday night, invitation-only jam sessions with Oscar Pettiford on East 23rd St.

Apr 20: Cambridge MA: Curtis Fuller date for Transition, with John Coltrane, Roland Alexander, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones.
Apr 20: Cambridge MA: Gig in Cambridge after the recording session, with Fuller, Coltrane, Chambers, Jones.
Apr 30: Hackensack NJ: Kenny Clarke date for Savoy, with Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, and Paul Chambers.

May 9: Hackensack NJ: Kenny Clarke date for Savoy, with Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, and Paul Chambers.
May 25: Boston: Upon Oscar Pettiford's recommendation, Adams joins the Stan Kenton Orchestra, leaving by bus from New York for a gig at the State Ballroom. With some minor exceptions, Kenton's personnel--with Lee Katzman, Richie Kamuca, Mel Lewis, et al.--is constant through November.
May 26: Taunton MA: Kenton at Roseland Ballroom.
May 27: South River NJ: Kenton at Liberty Ballroom.
May 28: Off.
May 29: Kent OH: Kenton at Kent University.
May 30: Youngstown OH: Kenton at Idora Park.
May 31: Pittsburgh: Kenton at Westview Park.

June 1: Buckeye Lake OH: Kenton at Crystal Beach Ballroom.
June 2: Monticello IN: Kenton at Indiana Beach Ballroom.
June 3: Milwaukee: Kenton at Million Dollar Ballroom.
June 4: Off.
June 5: Des Moines IA: Kenton at Val Air Ballroom.
June 6: Off.
June 7-9: St. Louis: Kenton at Riviera Ballroom.
June 10: Collinsville IL: Kenton at Collinsville Park Pavilion.
June 11: Belleville IL: Kenton at Belleville Township High School.
June 12: Off.
June 13-24: Chicago: Kenton at the Blue Note.
June 24: North Shore, Suburban Chicago: Afternoon barbeque and jam session with Chet Baker and Bobby Timmons.
June 25: Cedar Lake IN: Kenton at Midway Ballroom.
June 26: Madison WI: Kenton at Edgewater Hotel.
June 27: Lake Geneva WI: Kenton at Riviera Ballroom.
June 28: Janesville IA: Kenton at Riviera Ballroom.
June 29: Marinette WI: Kenton at the Silver Dome.
June 30: Coloma MI: Kenton at the Crystal Palace.

July 1 Chicago: Kenton at Trianon Ballroom.
July 2: Off.
July 3: Kansas City: Kenton at Pla Mor Ballroom.
July 4: Omaha: Kenton at Peony Park.
July 5: Clear Lake IA: Kenton at Surf Ballroom.
July 6-7: St. Paul: Kenton at Prom Ballroom.
July 8: Austin MN: Kenton at Terp Ballroom.
July 9: Off.
July 10: La Crosse WI: Kenton at Avalon Ballroom.
July 11: Elgin IL: Kenton at Blue Moon Ballroom.
July 12: Russells Point OH: Kenton at Sandy Beach Park at Indian Lake.
July 13: Leesburg IN: Kenton at Tippecanoe Gardens.
July 14: Lansing MI: Kenton at the Dells at Lake Lansing.
July 15: Celina OH: Kenton at Edgewater Park.
July 16: Off.
July 17: Indianapolis: Kenton at Westlake Terrace.
July 18: Chippewa Lake OH: Kenton at Chippewa Lake.
July 19: Brooklyn MI: Kenton at Wamplers Lake.
July 20: Fruitport MI: Kenton at Fruitport Pavilion.
July 21: Flint MI: Kenton at IMA Auditorium.
July 22: Vermilion OH: Kenton at Crystal Beach Ballroom.
July 23: Detroit: Kenton at Motor City Arena.
July 24: Windsor, Ontario: Kenton at Crystal Beach.
July 25: Burlington, Ontario: Kenton at Brant Inn.
July 26: Cheswick PA: Kenton at Ches Arena.
July 27-Aug 2: Atlantic City NJ: Kenton at the Steel Pier.

Aug 1-2: Atlantic City NJ: Kenton at the Steel Pier. See July 27-Aug 2.
Aug 3: Off.
Aug 4: Hershey PA: Kenton at Hershey Park.
Aug 5: Canton OH: Kenton at Moonlight Gardens at Meyers Lake.
Aug 6-7: Off.
Aug 8-14: Chicago: Kenton at Blue Note.
Aug 15: Spirit City IA: Kenton at the Roof Garden.
Aug 16-17: Huron SD: Kenton at the Huron Theatre.
Aug 18-20: Off?
Aug 21-26: Denver: Kenton at El Patio Ballroom in Lakeside Park. Adams visits with Doc Holladay.
Aug 27-31: Off?

Sept 1-2: Balboa Beach CA: Kenton at Rendezvous Ballroom.
Sept 7: Los Angeles: Kenton concert, produced by Gene Norman.
Sept 8-23: Hollywood CA: Kenton at Zardi's.

Oct: Detroit: During a gap in Kenton's itinerary, Adams travels from California to Detroit to pick up his car and drive it back to the West Coast.
Oct 30: Pasadena CA: Kenton at Civic Auditorium.

Nov 1: Sausalito CA: Adams begins his stay, for most of the month, at a hotel run by a retired French sea captain, with a view of inner San Francisco Bay.
Nov 2-18: San Francisco: Kenton at Macumba Club. Ralph J. Gleason writes the first piece on Adams to appear in a major publication.
Nov 14: San Francisco: Mel Lewis afternoon rehearsal at the Macumba Club for his date on Nov. 19-20.
Nov 19: Berkeley: Kenton at University of California.
Nov 19: Oakland: Mel Lewis date for San Francisco, with Richie Kamuca, John Marabuto, et al.
Nov 20: San Francisco: Kenton at University of San Francisco.
Nov 20: Oakland: Mel Lewis date for San Francisco, with Richie Kamuca, John Marabuto, et al.
Nov 21: San Francisco: Kenton at San Francisco State College.
Nov 22: Palo Alto: Kenton at Stanford University.
Nov 23: Oakland: Kenton at Sweet's Ballroom.
Nov 24: San Francisco: Adams, Lee Katzman, and Mel Lewis quit Kenton and move to Los Angeles to form a group.
Nov 25: Los Angeles: Adams composes Mary's Blues.
late Nov: Los Angeles: Adams, Lee Katzman, and Mel Lewis rehearse.

Dec: Pasadena: Gig at Zucca's Cottage with Lee Katzman, Ernest Crawford (p), Red Kelly (b), and Mel Lewis.
cDec. 4: San Fernando CA: Adams moves to 14354 Germain Street to stay for a time with Lee Katzman and his family.
Dec 10: Los Angeles: Lennie Niehaus date for Contemporary, with Frank Rosolino, Bill Perkins, Red, Mitchell, Mel Lewis, et al.
Dec 12: Hollywood CA: Stan Kenton date for Capitol.

1957
Jan: Los Angeles and Hollywood: Various jam sessions, including those at Carl Perkins' house with Leroy Vinnegar.
Jan: Los Angeles: Gigs with Maynard Ferguson's Big Band.
Mid-Jan: Los Angeles: Possible gig on Sunset Strip with Dave Pell's Octet prior to Jan 17 date.
Jan 17: Los Angeles: Dave Pell date for RCA, with Jack Sheldon, Mel Lewis, et al.
Jan 17: Hollywood CA: Stan Kenton Orchestra date for Capitol.
Jan 23: Los Angeles: Dave Pell date for RCA, with Jack Sheldon, Mel Lewis, et al.
Jan 30: Los Angeles: Shorty Rogers big band date for RCA, with Harry Edison, Frank Rosolino, Herb Geller, Red Mitchell, Stan Levey, et al.
cJan: Hollywood CA: Adams sits in on Pete Jolly gig at Sherry's, with Ralph Pena and Larry Bunker.

Feb: Los Angeles: Gigs with Maynard Ferguson's Big Band: Ferguson, Joe Burnett, Ed Leddy, Tom Slaney tp; Bob Burgess, Frank Strong tb; Joe Maini, Jimmy Ford as, ts; Willie Maiden ts; Adams bs; John Bannister p; Moe Edwards b; Larry Bunker dm.
Feb 1: Los Angeles: Shorty Rogers big band date for RCA, with Harry Edison, Frank Rosolino, Herb Geller, Red Mitchell, Stan Levey, et al.
Feb 4: Los Angeles: Shorty Rogers big band date for RCA, with Harry Edison, Frank Rosolino, Herb Geller, Red Mitchell, Stan Levey, et al.
Feb 22: Hollywood CA: Stan Kenton date for Capitol, with Richie Kamuca, Red Mitchell, Mel Lewis, et al.

Mar: Los Angeles: Gigs with Maynard Ferguson's Big Band, possibly at Peacock Lane
cMar: Los Angeles: Herbie Harper date at Jazz City for Bethlehem, with Claude Williamson, Curtis Counce, Mel Lewis, et al.
Mar 1: Los Angeles: Quincy Jones date for ABC, with Carl Perkins, Leroy Vinnegar, Shelly Manne, et al.
Mar 4: Hollywood CA: Stan Kenton date for Capitol, with Red Mitchell and Mel Lewis.
Mar 11: Los Angeles: Bob Keene date for Andex, with Red Norvo, et al.
Mar 12: Los Angeles: Lennie Niehaus date for Contemporary, with Frank Rosolino, Richie Kamuca, Stan Levey, et al.
Mar 19: Pasadena: Mel Lewis-Pepper Adams Quintet gig at Zucca's, with Lee Katzman, et al.
Mar 20: Los Angeles: Dave Pell date for RCA, with Jack Sheldon, Mel Lewis, et al.
Mar 21: Los Angeles: Bob Keene date for Andex, with Red Norvo, Red Mitchell, Shelly Manne, et al.
cMar 22: Los Angeles: Adams leaves by car for New York with three members of Ferguson's band.
cMar 28: Omaha: Maynard Ferguson Big Band gig.
cMar 30: St. Louis: Maynard Ferguson Big Band gig at auditorium adjoining another auditorium at which Elvis Presley was performing.

cApr 1: Minneapolis: Maynard Ferguson Big Band gig.
cApr 4-18: New York: Maynard Ferguson Big Band opens two weeks at Birdland.
Apr 6: New York: Maynard Ferguson Big Band, broadcasted from Birdland by the Mutual Radio Network.
Apr 13: New York: Maynard Ferguson Big Band, broadcasted from Birdland by the Mutual Radio Network.
cApr 15: New York: Joins Chet Baker's group.
Apr 20: Hackensack NJ: Date for Prestige with John Coltrane, Cecil Payne, Doug Watkins, et al.

May 15: Chicago: Adams works a lengthy run at the Preview Lounge with Chet Baker.

June 17-23: Milwaukee: Chet Baker gig at Brass Rail, with Elmo Hope, Doug Watkins, and Philly Joe Jones.
June 25-30: Minneapolis: Chet Baker gig with Phil Urso, Elmo Hope, Doug Watkins, and Philly Joe Jones.

July: Los Angeles: Johnny Mandel big band date for Pacific Jazz, featuring Chet Baker and Bud Shank, with Charlie Mariano, Richie Kamuca, Claude Williamson, and Mel Lewis.
cJuly 6-15: Hollywood: Gig with Chet Baker at Peacock Lane with Doug Watkins. Don Friedman works the second week with Larance Marable.
July 12: Los Angeles: First date as leader, for Mode, with Stu Williamson, Carl Perkins, Leroy Vinnegar, and Mel Lewis.
July 15: Los Angeles: Shorty Rogers big band date for RCA, with Frank Rosolino, Richie Kamuca, Stan Levey, et al.
July 16-21: San Francisco: Chet Baker gig at The Blackhawk, with Philly Joe Jones, et al.
July 22-Aug 4: San Francisco: Chet Baker gig at Blackhawk with Bob de Graaf (ts), Don Friedman, Doug Watkins, and Philly Joe Jones.

Aug 1-4: San Francisco: Chet Baker gig at Blackhawk. See July 22-Aug 4.
Aug 11: Los Angeles: Shorty Rogers big band date for RCA, with Frank Rosolino, Richie Kamuca, Stan Levey, et al.
Aug 13: Los Angeles: Second date as leader, for World Pacific, with Lee Katzman, Jimmy Rowles, Doug Watkins, and Mel Lewis.
Aug 14: Los Angeles: Follow-up session to August 13, with Lee Katzman, Jimmy Rowles, Doug Watkins, and Mel Lewis.
Aug 22: Down Beat's Jazz Critic's Poll awards Adams their New Star Award.

cSept 1: Detroit: Soupy Sales TV Show appearance with Curtis Fuller, Tommy Flanagan, probably Ernie Farrow, and Frank Gant.
cSept 2-5: Detroit: Gigs with Alvin Jackson.
cSept 10: Ann Arbor MI: Gig with Alvin Jackson.
cSept 10: Ann Arbor MI: Hugh Jackson (dm) private date, with Frank Keys (tp), Bernard McKinney, Barry Harris, and Beans Richardson.
Sept 15: New York: Shafi Hadi date for Debut, with Wynton Kelly, Henry Grimes, et al.
Sept 17: New York: A.K. Salim date for Savoy, with Kenny Dorham, Johnny Griffin, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Max Roach, et al.
Sept 29: Hackensack NJ: Lee Morgan date for Blue Note, with Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones.

Oct: Atlantic City NJ: Adams Quartet with Kenny Burrell, opposite Lee Morgan Quartet, for one week. This was the same week that the 'Rat Pack' performed at Club 500, with Carmen McCrae and the Ike Isaacs Trio.
Oct 20: Hackensack NJ: Hank Mobley date for Blue Note, with Art Farmer, Sonny Clarke, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones.

Nov: New York: Gigs with Maynard Ferguson Big Band.
Nov 12: Hackensack NJ: Sonny Red date for Savoy, with Wynton Kelly, Doug Watkins, and Elvin Jones.
Nov 19: Hackensack NJ: Third Adams date as leader, for Savoy, with Bernard McKinney, Hank Jones, George Duvivier, and Elvin Jones.

cDec: New York: Adams works during the holidays at Macy's department store and at the main branch of the New York Post Office.
Dec 6: Hackensack NJ: Doug Watkins date for Prestige, with Bill Evans, Doug Watkins, Louis Hayes, et al.
cDec 28: New York: Adams takes an apartment with Elvin Jones at 314 East 6 Street, #10.
Dec 30: New York: Toots Thielemans date for Riverside, with Kenny Drew, Wilbur Ware, et al.

1958
Jan 3: Hackensack NJ: Gene Ammons date for Savoy, with John Coltrane on alto, et al.

Feb 8: New York: Cozy Cole big band date, eventually released on Love, with Joe Wilder, Barney Bigard, Milt Hinton, et al.