April 18, 2019

Letter of Recommendation for Adam B.
​Impact beyond measure on the Supernova International Ska Festival

As I was preparing to launch the 2017 Supernova International Ska Festival in Virginia in May
2017, I received a Facebook message from Adam B. Little did I know that this simple
message would take my festival from
great to unforgettable.

Adam is an legend in the ska world and
has played with bands such as The
Specials in the UK and The Toasters in
the United States. Adam reached out on
Facebook to ask if it would be possible to
play trumpet for a 60th anniversary show
for Derrick Morgan, one of the founders
of ska in the late 1950s. It’s impossible to
overstate how excited Mr. Morgan was to have Adam as part of his show.

The 2017 festival included 35 ska bands from all over the world, but it was Adam who single
handedly stole the show. He played with a dozen bands throughout the weekend as artists
sought him out to join them onstage. This impromptu collaboration caught on as other musicians
followed Adam’s lead and it became the Supernova signature style.

After this festival, Adam became re energized and launched a new band called Adam B. and the Vershons. We jumped at the chance to send him our first offer for the 2018
festival which built on the success from 2017. I cannot recommend Adam enough. Not only is
he one of the best trumpet players in the world, but he is also one of the kindest musicians that
we have ever come across.
Tim Receveur
Executive Director
Supernova International Ska Festival