Tony Adamo on BlackPlanet.com

Eleanor Rigby by Tony Adamo


"Tony Adamo's remake of The Beatles classic song "Eleanor Rigby" is upbeat and funky. The song definitely has Tony Adamo's signature style on it, incorporating influences of blues, jazz and rock, also adding spoken word and a nice guitar solo. There's no replacing The Beatles, but Adamo has definitely brought "Eleanor Rigby" back to life for a new generation with great musicians behind him and a voice that's tried and true."

Singer Tony Adamo's Cold Duck(Groove on Line) reviewed

A funky-smooth rendition of an old jazz piece (Cold Duck Time) enriched by Adamo’s consistently rich vocal texturings. This time ’round, Adamo sports more of a Lou Rawls thing in his version of the jazz standard first set down by Les McCann and Eddie Harris in 1968. Tenor-saxman Melicia Magdaluyo and organist Neil Larsen give the Duck some additional punch. Thought it’s less of a punch and more of a smoothly and steadily delivered kind of melismatic complementarity.
http://www.strokeland.com/StrokelandJazz/TonyAdamo/WhatIsHip/WhatIsHip.htm

Devon Jackson
Magazine Editor - Freelance Music Journalist Village Voice Rolling Stone Entertainment Weekly

Strokeland Jazz is proud to welcome TONY ADAMO's new CD, "WHAT IS HIP?"

Strokeland Jazz is proud to welcome TONY ADAMO's new CD, "WHAT IS HIP?". On this follow-up to his 2007 release, "STRAIGHT UP DEAL" , Adamo shows a maturity and depth that puts him firmly at the top in his trademark cool-jazz style.

Recorded and mixed at some of the finest studios in the world, including Capitol Records in Hollywood, the audio quality is absolutely stunning. The songs benefit from the expert ears of Grammy-winning engineer and producer, AL SCHMITT, along with other world-class engineers and producers, including ERIK ZOBLER, ED CHERNEY, and JERRY STUCKER. Not content to merely cover classic songs by TOWER OF POWER, the BEATLES, and other great artists, producer JERRY STUCKER guides the project with class and creativity to turn these songs into something completely new, yet comfortably familiar.

The recording of the song “What is Hip” on Adamo's new CD came from a suggestion made by the legendary horn player and Tower of Power co-founder, STEPHEN 'DOC' KUPKA. During a recording session with Adamo and his producer/guitarist, JERRY STUCKER, Doc suggested several TOP songs that Adamo might want to cover.

Adamo chose “What is Hip” and “This Time it’s Real.” Kupka, along with jazz great EDDIE HENDERSON hold up the horn section on “Hip.” In the re-grooved “This Time It’s Real,” MIC GILLETTE, funk icon in his own right, wrote the horn arrangement and plays trumpet and trombone along with TOP member TOM E. POLITZER on tenor sax. Politzer plays tenor sax with Doc Kupka on bari sax.
http://www.strokeland.com/StrokelandJazz/TonyAdamo/WhatIsHip/WhatIsHip.htm

Thesmoothjazzride digs Tony Adamo

Tony Adamo – What Is Hip?
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tonyadamo3

March 2, 2011

Veteran crooner Tony Adamo, with his own jazzy/bluesy style of successfully taking a tune to whatever level he chooses, does a wonderful job of doing just that here with his latest, What Is Hip? Why that title? One guess. You got it! He’s recruited a couple of members of the notorious Tower of Power to help out on a few tracks on this project. Can’t do a thing but help, right?

The rhythm is snappy, bluesy, jazzy, bright, and full of character that Adamo always brings to every studio visit. One listen to the lead track, “Cold Duck Time (Groove On Line),” Rhythm of Your Love,” Grover’s “Make Me a Memory,” TOP’s poppin’ classic “What is Hip?,” and the oh-so-smooth-and-melodic “Ecstasy,” and you’ve got the picture.


These tracks are quite simply superb selections by one who knows how to pick ‘em and how to write ‘em. One who knows how to feel ‘em and be able to tell if they’re “ripe” enough for his listening public. He generally doesn’t miss. The good ones seldom do.

In addition to writing really appealing originals, what Adamo does to the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” is remarkable. He makes a statement. There are other covers here that he does quite well (Richard Torrance’s “Rio De Janiero Blue” and The Temptations’ “The Way You Do The Things You Do” are two), but this one deserves a standing ovation.

Back to those catchy originals, “Nine Miles of Blue,” quite possibly my favorite here with its blues flavor, takes on the soul in places where real bluesmen live. The Hammond, the horns, Adamo’s vocals, and the melody all hook and just stay with you. I’m sure that was his intent, and it worked. He follows that with an upbeat yet still rather bluesy track, “Mystery,” which takes off in a funky kinda way with plenty of attitude.

Adamo closes with the Tower of Power team behind him as they belt out the TOP original “This Time’s It’s Real,” which will make a believer out of any doubter. Adamo is back with a swagger and a product in hand that should easily sell itself. – Ronald Jackson

Tony Adamo on horndrivenradio's Super playlist

Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tony Adamo's What Is Hip? CD
Tony Adamo's new CD "What Is Hip?" is about to be released. You can find a review of the CD at Muzik Reviews. "What Is Hip?" will soon be available at Strokeland Records, then at other outlets. Until the is released you can here three of the songs here at Horn Driven Radio. The songs in our current rotation are:

What Is Hip?
The Way You Do The Things You Do
This Time It's Real


For More on Tony check him at out at his page on Strokeland Records.