Justin Adams

Justin Adams

Performing at the Wychwood Festival in 2009
Background information
Birth name Justin Alexandra Adams[1]
Born 1961 (age 5354)
Westminster, London, England
Genres World music
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Guitar
Years active Mid-1980s–present
Labels Wayward, Real World, World Village
Associated acts The Impossible Dreamers
Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart
Robert Plant
Juldeh Camara
Rachid Taha[2]

Justin Adams (born 1961, Westminster, London, England)[3][4] is an English guitarist and composer who works in blues and African styles.

Biography

Born in London and the son of a diplomat, Adams spent some of his early childhood growing up in Egypt, before returning with his family to England.[5]

He began his career in music in the 1980s with the band The Impossible Dreamers. He then joined Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart.[6]

His first solo album was Desert Road in 2001, and he also wrote the score for Elaine Proctor's 2000 film Kin.

Adams co-wrote the 2005 Robert Plant album Mighty Rearranger, and is a renowned producer. He has worked with Saharan desert blues group Tinariwen, whose first and third albums he produced, Robert Plant's Strange Sensation band, and has collaborated with Brian Eno, Sinéad O'Connor, Lo'Jo and musicians from African, Arabic and Irish traditions.[5][6][7][8][9]

From 2007 he collaborated with Gambian griot Juldeh Camara (sometimes under the name 'JUJU'), resulting in the albums Soul Science, Tell No Lies (which won a Songlines 'Cross-Cultural Collaboration' award),[10] The Trance Sessions, and In Trance. He also recorded with Ben Mandelson and Lu Edmonds as Les Triaboliques, releasing the album rivermudtwilight in 2009.

He produced the Zoom album (2013) of Rachid Taha.

In 2014, he performed with Robert Plant at Glastonbury Festival.[11]

Personal life

Adams and his wife have two children; his son, Joe, appeared briefly on-stage with him at the Glastonbury Festival.[11]

Discography

References

  1. "Rachid Taha - Entretien 1ère partie - Acoustic / TV5MONDE". YouTube. 2013-05-18. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  2. "Album review - Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara". RFI Musique. 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  3. 5.0 5.1 Pegg, Warren (2008) "Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, June 19", The Argus, 19 June 2008, retrieved 2011-05-29
  4. 6.0 6.1 Gutierrez, Evan C. "Justin Adams Biography", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-05-29
  5. Global Rhythm, Volume 13, Issues 11-12, World Marketing, p. 33
  6. Wagner, Vit (2005) "Take a bow, Robert Plant", Toronto Star, 8 July 2005, p. D11
  7. Perry, Andrew (2008) "Tinariwen: homesick blues for the desert", Daily Telegraph, 28 August 2008, retrieved 2011-05-29
  8. "Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara", Songlines, retrieved 2011-05-29
  9. 11.0 11.1 "Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant invites teenager to dance in front of Glastonbury crowds". Bath Chronicle. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.

External links