ARTHUR ADAMS "STOMP THE FLOOR" Source: Living Blues Magazine Date: 11/2009 Writer: Jim DeKoster

Arthur Adams grew up in a small town near Jackson, Tennessee, and started his musical career 50 years ago when, while attending Tennessee State University in Nashville, he caught on as guitarist in Johnny Beck’s band. While in Nashville, he cut the splendid minor-key slow blues The Same Thing for Valdot, but would soon relocate to Dallas after being stranded there when Beck and company were on the road behind Gene Allison. By the mid-’60s, Adams had made it west to L.A., where a spot in NFL lineman Rosey Grier’s house band gained him entry to the thriving Hollywood studio scene. The ’70s found him cutting TV and movie soundtracks, recording with the likes of the Crusaders, and releasing his own funkified LPs on Blue Thumb and Fantasy. When hard times hit the music business in the ’80s, Adams found his way back to the blues, writing for both Albert and B.B. King, getting his own touring group together, and eventually recording a comeback CD for Blind Pig in 1999. Another disc came out on PMRC in 2003, and now Adams is back with this new release on Delta Groove.

Like Adams’ two previous CDs, this one finds him backed by a band that includes A-list session men Hense Powell, Reggie McBride, and James Gaston. The dozen titles are all Adams originals and include three instrumental showcases for his considerable guitar talents, with easygoing Cali funk on Around The Sun and You Got That Right and a harder edge on the closing Blue Roots. Adams takes a bow to his friend B.B. on the slow blues Don’t Let The Door Hit You and sings of bad luck and hard times on You Can’t Win For Losing, I Know What You Mean, Callin’ Heaven and Nature Of The Beast. The outlook turns sunnier on So Sweet and Thrive On Your Vibe, but the two party songs, the title track and You Are Invited, take on an oddly melancholy mood from being cast in minor keys, with the latter somewhat reminiscent of Albert King’s I’ll Play The Blues For You.

Even though Adams is getting up in years, his voice remains light and supple, at times bringing to mind Chicago bluesman Jimmy Johnson, and his guitar work is as clean and inventive as ever. While Stomp The Floor may not really be floor stompin’ music, it has much to offer to those who like their blues with a touch of class and sophistication.