Cleopatra Records artist: Arthur Adams – Look At What The Blues Has Done For Me! – New Release Review

I just has the opportunity to review the most recent release, Look At What The Blues Has Done For Me!, from Arthur Adams and it’s a soul saturated 2 disc release. Opening with You Pullin’ My Leg, a cool blues shuffle Adams on lead vocal and guitar, James Gadson on on drums, Hense Powell on keys and Brian Simpson on bass. With a real nice lope, No Refunds is great track with a 50’s feel. Fluid guitar lead and a solid bottom makes this on of the best new tunes on the release. One of my favorites, Low Down And Dirty has a BB King feel, showing some of Adams’ best vocals and tight guitar riffs with added punch on sax by Bill Bergman and Lee Thornberg on trumpet. Very nice. Deep blues flows on Leftover  From Yesterday, with soulful vocals, crisp lead guitar lines and warm blues rhythm. Nice. Closing disc one, is R&B track, Gorgeous, with it’s smooth feel and solid vocals. Every disc needs to have a radio track and this is it.

Disc 2 is an introduction to Adams’ work featuring selections from 4 studio releases from the 70’s as well as  a bonus single from the 80’s. I Gotta Help My People is a real cool track that has sounds like Curtis Mayfield and Neil Young. With a powerhouse feel, instrumental Keep On Dancing, has a taste of Ike and Tina with a hard driving groove, a cool trumpet solo and horn punctuation. Beale Street has a super party feel with great bass lines and super vocal blending over a tight drum rhythm and cool horn work. A particular standout track on disc 2 has a great War sound with a funky bottom and female vocals charged by driving drums, trumpet and bluesy guitar work. Wrapping the release is You Got The Floor, a swirling dance track with thumping bass, dance drums and warmly blended vocals. This is a cool, bluesy soul release with a broad selection of cool tracks.