A passionate tenor and flute player who was not shy to break up choral improvising with an unexpected scream or roar, George Adams was an original voice who (like his friend Don Pullen) crossed over several stylistic boundaries. He started on piano but by the time he was in high school he was playing tenor in funk bands. In 1961 he toured with Sam Cooke and in 1963 Adams moved to Ohio where he played with organ groups from the next few years. In 1968 he relocated to New York where he played with Roy Haynes, Gil Evans and Art Blakey among others.

However it was his association with Charles Mingus (1973-76) that gave him his initial fame. After playing a bit with McCoy Tynner, Adams co-led a stimulating quartet with Don Pullen that made many records. Late in life Adams (who enjoyed taking an occasional raspy blues vocal) teamed up with James "Blood" in the group Phalanx and occasionally played with Mingus Dynasty .