Music Style Blues

Musical Influences Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters`

Group Members Adam Holt, Paul Williams, Steve Mello, Josh McNaughton

Albums Who I Am

Press Reviews Times Picayune, New Orleans, LA Thursday April 4, 2002 ADAM HOLT & THE BLUES CONGREGATION’S NEW ALBUM A TRUE BLUES REPRESENTATION By Beth Sager – Entertainment Editor Adam Holt and the other members of The Blues Congregation have their age going for him. While many bluesmen are winding down, Adam is just getting started. The 23-year-old bandleader can do something that, many others can’t; he can influence other young men and women to discover the listening pleasure of a unique sound and maybe even play it. In addition to Holt on vocals, Henry Jolley, drums; Paul Williams, bass; Bo Roberts, keys; and John Brock, harmonica, are Blues Congregation and players on Holt’s album, Who I Am, just released eight weeks ago. Holt also does guitar and harmonica, in addition to writing and producing the CD. The Mobile-based band has played many north shore venues, including the Firehouse in Covington and Ruby’s in Mandeville. Holt feels that the tracks of Who I Am "define the sound of Mobile, pay respect to the traditional Blues artists, and blend Texas and Delta blues." That’s quite a tall order, but I could tell a lot of work, talent and love went into the album and accomplished what Holt intended. His combination of influences, the early roots blues of Robert Johnson and the later rocking guitars of Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, can be found in several tracks, including "Killer on the Loose," "Drunk on Love" and "Hole in my Pocket." Look for a hidden track on the album. The boogie-woogie keys throughout the album can’t be beat. It’s already become a staple for riding in the car. As every musician knows, a live performance can’t succeed without an occasional cover. Through experience, the band knows that "Mojo Workin’" and "Magic Carpet Ride" are real crowd pleasers. I saw Adam Holt & The Blues Congregation jamming recently with Larry Grisham and Britt Meachum of the Beat Daddys and Jay B. Elston of the Jay B. Elston Blues Band at Ruby’s Roadhouse. It was a smoking show with the talents of many coming together, some for the first time. Together they formed a body of musical genius not to be ignored. Individually, each player got his turn to shine on harmonica, vocals or guitar, while members of an electrified audience either stared in silent wonder or grooved in appreciation to the rhythm with clapping and dancing. MNBlues.com review - by John Taylor Review date: April 2002 With a fast and furious blast of fretwork, Adam Holt wastes no time in declaring himself by opening with the title track from his debut, "Who I Am." Yup, he's young (mid-twenties), and yes, he's got chops to burn. And while leading a tough quartet - Henry Jolley on drums, bassist Paul Williams, with Bo Roberts handling keys and John Brock on harp - through an all-original set, Adam shows considerable promise. The second cut, "Killer On The Loose," serves to reinforce that impression, but one can already see that Mr. Holt has some songwriting chops as well; this one's buoyed by some great organ, and features a few tricky changes that raise the bar a bit. By the third track we know Adam's capable of much more than simply recycling 12-bar riffs. Driven by acoustic guitar, "The End" is a rootsy road song with Adam's gruff vocals achieving an appropriate world-weariness. "Drunk On Love" is a bit of a rave up that unfortunately doesn't quite work as well as it should. I suspect it has to do with the production, as each of the constituent parts is okay - it's more about the glue that doesn't quite hold it together. "Holding On To Your Love" is a soul ballad, admittedly far removed from blues but one of the disc's high points nonetheless, evidence again that Adam has a sure compositional hand. "Honey-Do's" is a breezy shuffle, with another excellent vocal turn and some interesting harp accents from Mr. Brock; "Going Back To Mobile" is (not surprisingly) a southern funk workout, with Mr. Jolley's drums providing a slippery and irresistibly propulsive foundation. Adam breaks out the acoustic guitar again for a solo "Queenie Makes Me Feel (Like A King)," taking the opportunity as well to show that he himself is no slouch on the Lickin' Stick. Entirely different from Mr. Brock's high, lightning-fast style, his is a thick-toned and raw sound, entirely appropriate for the tune. "How Do I Love Thee," borrowing the famous opening line from Elizabeth Barret Browning, puts a decidedly bluesy spin on the question, in the form of a grinding shuffle with more of Bo Robert's exemplary organ work. "Knockin' At Your Door" is a mid-tempo tune that's not quite blue, not quite rock, but works anyway; the listed tracks wrap up with "Hole In My Pocket," a nice slow tune that'll ring a bell with anyone who's ever had to explain where all the money went (new guitar?) to a significant other. Nice, restrained picking is contrasted by some extraordinary harmonica work from Mr. Brock. Adam wrote almost everything here, also handling production and design. This is a satisfying release by a younger player who looks to have a great future ahead of him. . . . keep an eye out for it!

Additional Info 410 Records

Location Daphne, AL - USA

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