Paul Adams has never been easy to pigeonhole. But, with over 42 million
streams on Pandora, there seems to be something that is getting through to the
people despite lack of label affiliation. His music is widely scoped and pushes
beyond the usual boundaries. Besides music and poetry, he is also a luthier and
has made instruments for a number of acclaimed musicians including Daryl Hall,
members of Stevie Wonder's band and others.
“There is
genre-bending, and then there is Imaginings. On the latter, the genre isn't
bent, it's intertwined and intermixed and spun out into a glorious multi-hued
comforting quilt of musical goodness. It may sound cliché but music is the
universal language and Paul Adams is one of its great speakers.” - Bill
Binkelman, Zone Music Reporter
In September
2015 Adams releases his tenth album IMAGININGS, a unique eclectic blend of New
Age and World music with ex Ray Charles arranger/ trumpet soloist David
Hoffman, bansuri player Pravin Godkhindi from India, and Australia’s Elizabeth
Geyer. The album was recorded when Elizabeth was here completing her 4th album
The Bridge which he was co- producing. "The goal was to focus on
feeling.". The result is completely beyond what I expected. With Paul's
collection of exotic instruments, some of which he made himself - there is a
sense of cool and movement, established and rooted in a slight sense of
mysticism and humor that reflects his varied musical interests.
Says Paul,
“Magic was the prime vibe here. Finding Pravin on You Tube, a fascination with
each other's music, and of course having David Hoffman involved. There were
just so many special moments. It felt so obvious that there was this 'meant to
be' vibe going on throughout. Direction was secondary and improvising what came
naturally was the order of the day. When Elizabeth sat at the piano and played
along with my collection of exotic instruments, it was a natural blending that
just worked. It was a flow. Connection. Well ... magic I guess.”
In meeting
Pravin, each expressed an interest in working with the other. It was somewhat
of a risk as they met under circumstances that of course seem significant in
this digital age. “I knew he had the chops, he was amazing. His playing was so
beautiful and fluid. I sent him tracks and he recorded between his touring with
his fusion band,” Paul explains. Upon receiving his contribution, it turned out
to be beyond perfect with what Elizabeth and Paul had already done. “David
Hoffman was invited over and given direction only of mood. This fusion of ideas
and instruments from a wide variety of cultures worked miraculously. Dave added
a slow essence of cool to the exotic direction of the album.” These elements of
jazz (interestingly, although primarily a pianist here, in Australia Elizabeth
was trained as a Jazz trumpet player), eastern and western Indian cultures, and
influences from Paul's background in Ethnomusicology lead to this incredible
blend.
Says Paul,
“It's a wonderful and difficult world and I would like to think that the
variety of musical cultures expressed here can metaphorically represent what is
needed in the world today - a coming together of ideas and beliefs that can
work together harmoniously. This was a prime life experience for me. The fact
that this happened, with this result, seems no accident. There is order to the
universe.”
TRACKS
INCLUDE:
1.Just Such
Beauty
2.Giggles
and Grooves
3.Imaginings
4.Panda
Bears at Breakfast
5.Pastoral
6.Like Blue
and Velvet
7.For Two
Lovers
8.The
Mysteries of Mood
9.Upon Early
Rising
10.Clouds
11.Dawn
12.Conch
Shell by the Sea
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