Terry Adams: Terrible
Liner Notes   Cat. No. 80473     Release Date: 1995-01-01

Terry Adams, piano, organ, harmonica, kalimba-clavier; Don Adams,  trombone; Marshall Allen, alto sax, flute; Tom Ardolino, drums; Greg Cohen, bass; Dave Gordon, trumpet; Jim Gordon, harmonica; Tyrone Hill, trombone; Jim Hoke, alto, soprano sax, flute; Bobby Previte, drums; Roswell Rudd, trombone; John Sebastian, guitar; Noel Scott, alto sax, flute; Joey Spampinato, bass; Johnny Spampinato, guitar; Pete Toigo, bass

This is the first Terry Adams album in the history of the universe.

It's not the first album Terry Adams has ever recorded, of course. He's made a whole lot of them over the years, mostly in his capacity as the keyboardist, chief songwriter and occasional lead vocalist of NRBQ, the remarkable rock-and-roll band he helped found in the late Sixties. And he has shown up from time to time on other people's albums as well. But until now he's never had a whole album to himself.

Those of us who have been following NRBQ for a while know that Terry writes the kind of melodies that stay with you. We know that at any given moment in a set he can dash off a wildly inventive piano solo and make it look easy. And we know that he has a fondness—and an aptitude—for instrumental music in general, and jazz in particular. A lot of us have been wondering for a long time what a Terry Adams album, especially a Terry Adams instrumental album, would sound like.

Given the opportunity to do a jazz album, Terry says he discovered that putting the material together was in some ways easier than writing songs for NRBQ, because he could concentrate on what's most important to him. "I think I've always been a composer first and a songwriter second. It was nice for me not to have to think about lyrics."

Terry had a free hand in choosing the personnel and the repertory. The only stipulation was that all the materials be original, and that Terry include an instrumental version of "Yes, Yes, Yes," one of the prettiest of his many love songs, originally recorded by NRBQ in 1977. Terry happily obliged with a rendition that turned out to be the only trio performance on the album.

To the degree that labels count for anything, this is a jazz album. But it's not like any jazz album you've heard before—because it's also the first Terry Adams album in the history of the universe.

Twelve short tunes comprise this excellent CD, and there's not a speck of filler. Obviously, Adams was overdue (and a follow-up is a must), but this extraordinarily musical disc will be hard to top. Highly recommended.                                                                                      —allmusic.com

Terry Adams

Terry Adams: Terrible

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Track Listing

dog
Terry Adams
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Le Sony'r
Terry Adams
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Out The Windo
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Yes, Yes, Yes
Terry Adams
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Say When
Terry Adams
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Toodlehead
Terry Adams
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Little One
Terry Adams
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I Feel Lucky
Terry Adams
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These Blues
Terry Adams
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Hilda
Terry Adams
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Distant Instant
Terry Adams
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Thinking of You
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