Paul Adams likes to quote Garrison Keillor, former host of NPR’s “Prairie Home Companion,” when it comes to the music he plays.
“Garrison Keillor asked what you call New Age music that’s played backwards. The answer is New Age music,” he laughed.
Whether the label is New Age, ambient or just a way to relax, Adams says it’s the music he chooses to make. “My music path is so broad, it’s difficult to cover. I’ve also known that a widely-blunted flatbottom boat is going to be slower than a sleek speedboat with a pointed bow but that’s my path,” he said.
Adams, whose latest CD, “Sanctuary,” involves another collaboration with Australian musician Elizabeth Geyer building soundscapes with titles like “A Forest’s Embrace” and “Graceful Waters,” has been well received by New Age critics.
“With ‘Sanctuary,’ Adams and Geyer once again prove that they are among this genre’s finest artists,” noted B.T. Farmer with the New Age Music Guide in Belgium.
Another critic, R.J. Lannan of Artisan Music Reviews, stated, “Using flute, piano and voice, the duo have created nine rich, earthy tracks of ambient and world music that seem to have a life of their own.”
While always interested in music, Adams said he first got into instrument building. That proved to be a successful undertaking as Adams built instruments for performers such as Daryl Hall and members of Stevie Wonder’s band. By the 1980s, however, Adams said he decided he wanted to perform music himself.
Adams now has 13 instrument CDs to his credit as well as over 120 million Pandora streams. He recently undertook another album, “This Curious Wonder,” where he delves into songwriting under the moniker of “pd adams.”
To learn more (and sample the Adams sound), visit pauladams.org.
