One Foot in the Blues (1996)

About this title: Johnny Adams is renowned for his smoky but smooth voice, but One Foot in the Blues is as much a showcase for Lonnie Smith's Hammond B-3 organ, which sounds like a living, breathing creature. The spare, mostly live-in-the-studio production allows plenty of wide open sonic space for Smith's expressive organ (including his pulsating bass pedal), Ed Peterson's after-hours tenor sax, and Jimmy Ponder's gentle guitar fills. While Adams' most fervent champions thrill to his every note, others may find his singing mannered on the ballads that dominate this session, and his voice is certainly huskier ... read more

Tracks:

1. Won't Pass Me By [Giovino/Beaver]
2. One Foot in the Blues [Barnett/Whitsett/Pe]
3. Baby Don't You Cry [Johnson/Washington]
4. Ill Wind [Arlen/Koehler]
5. Road Block [Welch]
6. Angel Eyes [Brent/Dennis]
7. Half Awake (Baby, You're Still a Square) [Mayfield]
8. (I Wonder) Where Our Love Has Gone [Johnson]
9. Two Years Of Torture [Mayfield/Morris]
10. Cookin' In Style [Mayfield]
11. I Know What I've Got [Robin]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.