Arthur Adams | Interview | Legendary Sideman For B.B. King | New Album, ‘Kick Up Some Dust’
The latest album, ‘Kick Up Some Dust’ finds Arthur Adams reflecting on his life, his loves and the fire that has pushed him to continue to make new music and perform for audiences even well into the 6th decade of his career!
Helping to bring the new album to life is a stellar cast of writers and backing musicians including Harry Garfield who has written songs for Michael McDonald and Airplay, keyboardist Hense Powell (Lamont Dozier, Bobby Womack), backing vocalists The Waters Sisters (Neil Diamond, Adele, Michael Jackson), bassist Freddie Washington (Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau), and drummers James Gadson (Bill Withers, Paul McCartney) and Greg Brown (Thelma Houston, Bobby Womack).
Adams shared his thoughts about the album saying “It was a lot of fun making this record with my friends that I’ve known for years. The idea I had in mind when I started was to just be myself. Sam Cooke, who I worked with back in 1961, used to say that he used observation to create songs, and so I used conversations with people as a source of inspiration for the song titles like ‘It Makes Me Mad,’ ‘I Love You More’ and ‘Fly With Me To Paradise.’ I was also thinking of artists such as Otis Redding, B.B. King, Albert King, and Little Willie John.”
Blues fans should also be on the lookout for Adams performing live with B.B. King’s daughter, the wonderful Shirley King, later this year where the two will pay tribute to the late blues icon as well as share intimate stories from their own personal interactions with B.B. King.
You had a lot of experience with being a sideman. How do you enjoy the role of being the bandleader? Do you think it’s necessary to start as a sideman to gain knowledge?
Arthur Adams: Being a sideman, I’ve gained experience working with different musicians, bandleaders and personalities. However, now that I’m a bandleader, I use the things that I learned from being a sideman. I have more responsibility, which includes booking, travel, budgets, song selection, dress rehearsal, personalities, and salaries.
‘Kick Up Some Dust’ is truly a stunning release. It’s like an autobiography, telling stories from your life and what a life you had so far. Would you like to tell us how you usually approach songwriting? Do you just sit down and begin working on it or what’s the process like for you?
I do not have a set approach in songwriting. When I observe or hear something people say, I write it down. For example, a friend of mine’s car would not start and he said to me, “You can’t win for losing.” I wrote it down, took my guitar and wrote the melody, and then the lyrics. Another example is that I asked a friend how he was getting along, and he said, “Not good, I’m divorcing my wife.” Then he said, “Twenty years down the drain,” and I said, “Twenty years gone.” That’s how I wrote ‘Twenty Years Gone’.
The guest musicians on the album are top notch, which is not surprising since you played with incredible artists your whole life. Would you like how did you first collaborate with guys such as Hense Powell (Lamont Dozier, Bobby Womack), The Waters Sisters (Neil Diamond, Adele, Michael Jackson), Freddie Washington (Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau), James Gadson (Bill Withers, Paul McCartney) Greg Brown (Thelma Houston, Bobby Womack)?
The guest musicians on the album are top notch indeed! I met Hense Powell 30 years ago; we’ve been working together ever since. I’ve known the late great Bobby Womack for 30 years. All of the musicians on the album are friends of mine.
What was it like to play with B.B. King? What was he like?
Working with B.B. King was a great experience. I met him in 1992. He came down to the Mint Club where I was playing in Los Angeles. He sat right in front of the band stand. My band opened his club two years later in 1994 in Hollywood. He wanted to see us. B.B. King was a wonderful man; being around him is like being with your brother. Musically his voice was so rich; I once told him how powerful his voice was – comparing him to the great Mahalia Jackson – he responded, “You got me in high cotton!” Whenever he was playing and I was in the audience, he would introduce me and invite me to come up and play and sing with him. He was a very gentle man. One night in Dallas, Texas, he was playing in a club to a packed house and two men started a fight. B.B. stopped the band and told the man, “We didn’t come out to fight, did we? Please lets not fight – let’s have a good time.” The men stopped and B.B. started playing again. One thing about B.B. King is that he put his heart in every note he played and sung.
Would you like to comment on your playing technique? Give us some insights on developing your playing technique.
I have two different techniques when I’m playing: real hard blues like Freddie King, I use all down strokes with my pick. When I’m playing a more mellow song, I use all up and down strokes. Practice is very important to me – if you practice you will create your own technique, and style.
There’s so little written about the Gospel Travelers, a band you formed with your cousins.
The Gospel Travelers stayed together for about two years. My cousins had other interests.
How would you describe the local student bar called The Club Baron where it all started for you?
The Club Baron was a bar I used to go hang out at and sit in with the bands. That’s where I got some gigs and met other musicians.
How did you first join Gene Allison’s band?
I met Larry Birdsong, Jimmy Beck, Ted Jarrett and Gene Allison. I rehearsed with Jimmy Beck’s band – we were backing up Larry Birdsong and Gene Allison.
You spent quite a few years in Dallas playing with some of the biggest names in blues including Lightnin’ Hopkins, Chuck Berry, Elmore James, and Lowell Fulson.
It was fun playing with all those guys.
You also played with Buddy Guy.
I was playing with the Jolly George Band in Dallas, Texas and we backed up Buddy Guy in Fort Worth, Texas at the Cow Palace.
What led you to LA and how did you get hired by Quincy Jones, recording singles for the Bihari Brothers, and for Hugh Masekela?
I was signed to Vee-Jay Records – they had moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, so I moved from Dallas to Los Angeles in April of 1964. I was on a local TV show and Quincy Jones saw me on that show. He called me afterwards.
What do you remember on recording ‘It’s Private Tonight,’ your debut solo album?
I was signed by Blue Thumb Records and it was a good album – my first album. I enjoyed recording it very much.
On ‘Home Brew’ you got funkier!
I loved doing the Fantasy album also.
It’s absolutely impossible to cover your discography. Would it be possible for you to choose a few collaborations that still warm your heart?
To still be able to make an album this time warms my heart.
Klemen Breznikar
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