Greg
Adams - Cool to the Touch
Reviewed August 10th, 2006
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Over
the course of a nearly four-decade career, Greg Adams' contributions
have been integral to the ever-changing pop music landscape. His
many successes as an arranger, composer, and performer stand out
as signposts in a journey that began in Oakland CA back in the
early 70s and which have taken Greg around the world several times
over. All the while, his legendary status grew to the point where
Adams' name has assumed iconic dimensions.
Straight out of high school and in lieu of attending Boston's
prestigious Berklee College of Music, Adams joined Tower of Power
as a founding member. During his tenure, Adams was a guiding force
for the band which sold millions of albums and whose signature
horn arrangements set the standard in the realm of R&B. One might
be hard pressed to find any child of this era who hadn't at one
time or another bopped to the sounds of America's premier funk
ensemble.
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Grammy
and Emmy nominated, Adams has recorded and/or performed with many
of the biggest names in the business; among them Santana, Luther
Vandross, and The Eurythmics, as well as B.B. King, Rod Stewart,
& Elton John. Nevertheless, after 25 years with the band and countless
sessions, Greg felt the need for a new creative outlet which he
found in his 1995 solo debut. Fuelled by a steamy cover of Smooth
Operator, Hidden Agenda went to straight to #1 for five full weeks.
Subsequent releases have also faired well and so it's all this that
Adams now brings to the studio.
With Cool to the Touch, Greg's fourth and latest release, the veteran
horn player once again captures the sort of magic that has epitomized
his career, yet the overall vibe is very much a reflection of the
present. Several selections flat out rank among Greg's finest efforts
ever. For example, take Felix the Cat, the album opener and the
latest single to radio. Powered by an unparalleled sax section that
includes Richard Elliot, Boney James, Eric Marienthal, and Mindi
Abair, it's melodic, funky, and smooth, and a hit just waiting to
happen!
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On Cool To The Touch, Adams has successfully navigated
the tricky waters between accessibility and hipness. Life in the Key of
Blue featuring Tom Scott explores some intense avenues while One Night
in Rio is generously seasoned with the samba styling of Brazil. The Latin-flavored
sophistication of Bongo Baby too is a delight! And not to be overlooked
are the efforts of James Wirrick, with whom Greg first teamed on Hidden
Agenda. Messrs Adams and Wirrick share a unique creative compatibility
and this latest project bears the fruit of their most recent collaborations.
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In
a nutshell, Cool To The Touch may well represent Adams' finest overall
effort to date, no mean feat given this man's string of past accomplishments.
The album is a gem wherein integrity and imagination are uniquely
combined. Yet the project is packed with warmth, energy, and vibrance.
The result, a musical vehicle that transcends. Needless to say,
Cool To The Touch positively reaffirms Greg Adams' voice as vital
to the contemporary scene.
CD: Cool to the Touch (2006)
Label: Ripa Records
Site: Greg
Adams Music ; Ripa
Artist Page: Greg Adams 
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