This talk, the author’s first in Ireland, will touch upon Adams’s Irish roots, his work in the UK from 1969 to 1986, aspects of his personality that shaped his career, his dazzling instrumental virtuosity, and how his life intersected with some of the greatest writers and musicians of his time. Sections of the author’s Adams biography will be read to illustrate both the saxophonist's artistic achievements and breadth of influence. Recordings and videos of Adams in performance in the UK, some extremely rare, will be presented. 

Gary Carner is considered the foremost authority on saxophonist and composer Pepper Adams (1930–1986). From 1984 until Adams’s death, Carner collaborated with Adams on his memoirs. Carner’s research on Adams’s career, collated at pepperadams.com, spans five decades. Carner has written two books about Adams, and has also produced all forty-two of Adams’s compositions for Motema Music. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.