IN WITH THE BLUES SOUL GUITARIST ARTHUR ADAMS CELEBRATES NEW YEAR'S WITH A CAN'T-MISS SHOW.Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer Arthur Adams is ready for New Year's Eve. During more than two decades as a fixture on the local scene, the funky funky - Said of something that functions, but in a slightly strange, klugey way. It does the job and would be difficult to change, so its obvious non-optimality is left alone. Often used to describe interfaces. soul 'n' blues guitarist-singer has played plenty of ``Auld Lang Synes Auld Lang Syne closing song of New Year’s Eve. [Music: Leach, 91] See : Farewell .'' At midnight tonight at Cozy's, the Sherman Oaks club that lives up to its name, Adams will lead the crowd in another round of the year-end perennial, but not before folks have soaked up a magnum or two of good-hearted Southern soul. Born Christmas Day in Medon, Tenn., and raised on gospel, Adams knows how to deliver the spirit by way of a cherry Gibson ES-335 guitar. ``I'm ready I'm Ready is the double platinum second release from R&B singer Tevin Campbell. I'm Ready yielded the biggest R&B hit of his career the #1 R&B smash "Can We Talk", and produce 3 more successful hits in "I'm Ready", "Always In My Heart" and "Don't Say Goodbye Girl". , willing and able. That's the thing about New Year's - people are in a good mood, they're grooving out the old year and grooving in the new. People are in a partying mood, they're hanging with their friends,and they like to go to places they're familiar with where they know the atmosphere is right.'' While the night offers plenty of diversions - from a huge outdoor event downtown to TV's traditional Times Square broadcasts - musicians and others in the know will be seeking out the sonic equivalent of a blazing fireplace. That's where blues comes in. And if you're a nonbeliever - prepare to be convinced. ``It's the lyrics and the sound,'' Adams explains. ``Blues players sweat, we get with the crowd, we respond to the audience. People can relate. It's about real life from the streets. We're not standing up there pressing buttons on a drum machine drum machine n. An electronic device containing a sequencer that can be programmed to arrange and alter digitally stored drum sounds. drum machine Noun . ``When you play blues, there's no escaping the human element. Those chords have a sound that makes you feel earthy earth·y adj. earth·i·er, earth·i·est 1. Of, consisting of, or resembling earth: an earthy smell. 2. Of or characteristic of this world; worldly. 3. . It's a language people can understand. And when you put a story behind it - my woman left me, I've got problems at home - it can really reach you. Whether it's a shuffle or a hip-hop groove, the blues is a basic element. It's the foundation.'' Adams acolytes include Cozy's owner Steve Rakoczy, who says the guitarist not only draws from the Sherman Oaks-Studio City-North Hollywood corridor, but also brings music lovers from throughout the area to his local dates. ``Arthur is Arthur I, 1187–1203?, duke of Brittany (1196–1203?), son of Geoffrey, fourth son of Henry II of England and Constance, heiress of Brittany. Arthur, a posthumous child, was proclaimed duke in 1196, and an invasion by his uncle King Richard I of England was a truly talented all-around musician who's doing something which shouldn't be rare today, but it is rare,'' Rakoczy said. ``He's a guy with one foot in the blues who also speaks the language of soul, gospel and jazz. He's paid dues, recorded a lot of albums and still plays from the heart. It's just good music,and even if you know nothing about blues or think you only like rock 'n' roll rock 'n' roll: see rock music. or hip-hop, you're gonna gon·na Informal Contraction of going to: We're gonna win today. find out about the real stuff.'' While Adams started out on the gospel train, he took a detour in the '60s and '70s, becoming a first-call studio hand at film, TV and jazz sessions, where he played on Crusaders, James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3 1933[1][2] – December 25 2006), commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" and " , James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in Belmont, Massachusetts. and Jimmy Smith albums, Quincy Jones dates and countless other recordings. Along the way, he waxed a string of solo efforts, including his latest, ``Soul of the Blues,'' and led the house band at longtime pal B.B. King's joint at Universal CityWalk Universal CityWalk is a part of Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan originating from Universal's first park, Universal Studios Hollywood. from its '94 opening through '02. ``B.B.'s a beautiful person. He works so much throughout the year, and the reason is he loves what he does and he supports the people who work for him. But most of all, he loves to play music.'' That last comment also sums up Adams' own motivation. And like King, the Gardena-based guitarist can be counted on for loyalty. It's one of the reasons the shaved-headed Adams has been such a welcome and beloved addition to the Cozy's calendar over the past three years. ``I wish there were more places like Cozy's. It's run by people who love the music. It's a blues club and they stick with that tradition. Y'know, you hear sometimes that the blues is suffering - but you'd never get that feeling there.'' Fred Shuster, (818) 713-3676 fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com ARTHUR ADAMS Where: Cozy's, 14058 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. When: 8 tonight. Tickets: $25 show only, $60 dinner and show. (818) 986-6000; cozysblues.com. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Arthur Adams, a legend on the L.A. blues scene, will ring in 2005 at Cozy's in Sherman Oaks. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion