Greg Adams: Midnight Morning (2002)

Jim Santella

Senior Contributor since 1997

Jim Santella has been contributing CD reviews, concert reviews and DVD reviews to AAJ since 1997. His work has also appeared in Southland Blues, The L.A. Jazz Scene, and Cadence Magazine.

Recent articles (1,677 total)

Published: October 1, 2002

Trumpeter Greg Adams spent much of his career with Tower Of Power. He learned what makes popular music popular. His smooth jazz arrangements remain colored with synth wallpaper and crisp, programmed percussion. Adams' horn has the spotlight throughout, but he refrains from saying much. Light melodies that ebb and flow remain popular, but there's never much to sink your teeth into here. A muted trumpet or an open horn can sing like Madonna. It's pretty stuff. But it's a predictable formula. "Keep it cool, man,'" says the sampled voice on "'Sup With That." Adams' multi-tracked horns flow over and under the programmed drums. These are the sounds that lull you to sleep. "Andrea" speaks of genuine romance, "Midnight Morning" struts to a monotonous techno-dance beat, "Siena" moves gracefully through an exotic foreign landscape, and "Roadhouse" serves as a nod to Tower Of Power.

Track Listing: Crosstown; Breathe Again; Midnight Morning; Wrapped Around Your Finger; 'Sup With That; Andrea; Blondes & Bottles; Siena; Vendetta; Roadhouse.

Personnel: Greg Adams: trumpet, keyboards, flugelhorn; Ken Kessi: drum programming, guitars; James Wirrick: keyboards, bass, drum programming, guitar, mandolin; Greg Dalton: guitars; Kelly Moneymaker: whispered vocals (2); Nick Milo: keyboards, bass and drum programming (1); Gary Herbig: tenor saxophone and baritone saxophone (10); Marlon McClain: guitar, bass and drum programming (10).

Record Label: Blue Note Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream