Star Bulletin

Album Review
For much of the 20th century, the blues belonged exclusively to African-American artists; men such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Son House, Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, Howlin’ Wolf and B.B. King, and women like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith.

Somewhere along the line, perhaps as an inevitable part of the cultural revolution that began with the original rock ‘n’ roll music of the ’50s, performers of other races began establishing themselves as credible blues artists. Opinions will always differ on how old you have to be to “feel” the blues and the dues an artist must pay before they can be taken seriously as blues artists, but based on the contents of their debut album, Friends of Adam — Clayton Campania (guitar/vocals), Ernie Ecreala (bass) and Justin Inocelda (drums) — seem qualified on both counts.
The trio’s blues-rock originals are a perfect fit for fans whose preferences lean toward the high intensity of Stevie Ray Vaughan and the blues-flavored work of Jimi Hendrix and Cream. Campania is a competent vocalist and impressive on guitar; most important, he sounds like he is singing from his heart rather than trying to be a “blues singer.” That’s an important distinction.

Several powerful instrumentals display the trio’s ability to play hard high-octane rock as well as basic electric blues.

FOA needs no studio guests to deliver a well-rounded performance, but fans of traditional-style blues will enjoy the results when keyboardist Nelson Cho joins them on “Won’t Cry for You.”

John Berger
Star Bulletin
February 12, 2010