*** Johnny Adams

ONE FOOT IN THE BLUES

(Rounder)

You could hand Johnny Adams an advance draft of Bill Clinton's second inaugural address and he would sing the hell out of it. Fortunately, he has better taste than that. On One Foot in the Blues, the masterful New Orleans crooner known as the "Tan Canary" smolders through a tasteful songbook alongside some solid jazz stablemates, including alto-saxophonist and former Jazz Messenger Donald Harrison, veteran guitarist Jimmy Ponder, and organist Dr. Lonnie Smith.

Smith's wheezy Hammond B-3 is the primary accompaniment for Adams's robust, relaxed, mature vocals. Adams's effortless power wells up at a moment's notice on the delicious title tune and two numbers penned by blues poet laureate Percy Mayfield, whose work was the subject of an entire Adams set a few years back. Here Adams's other foot is tapping out ballad tempos on such jazz standards as "Ill Wind" and "Angel Eyes." In the past he has displayed a more natural flair for R&B and pop material -- but there isn't a tune out there that Johnny Adams can't spin into gold.

-- Bill Kisliuk