Johnny Adams
The Great Johnny Adams Blues Album
(Rounder)
Sessions from a dozen albums the New Orleans belter made in the ’80s and ’90s were cherry-picked to emphasize his bluesy side. Adams died in 1998, known more as an interpreter than a writer. His strengths are emotion and phrasing, and the pedigree of his backup. “Imitation of Love,” by Doc Pomus, justifies this release all by itself. Its rhythm careens through the seven pieces into the listener’s spine, prompting big-stepping collisions on the floor. Dr. Lonnie Smith’s B3 organ pumps “Roadblock” and Duke Robillard’s guitar grinds grit into a few others. Adams didn’t set out to knock anybody’s socks off. He was born to do this. This classy collection deeply deserves its reprieve from the vault.
—Doug Taylor
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.