Release: Adam Schulz - Soulful Distancing

ADAM SCHULTZ - SOULFUL DISTANCING

LABEL: BLUE HEART RECORDS
RELEASE DATE: JULY 16, 2021

The practice of apprenticeship and mentoring has been a long tradition in the arts and is essential in breeding and nurturing future generations of artists, musicians and performers in
every field. When his son Adam showed drive and aptitude towards becoming a professional guitarist, Douglas Schultz took him for lessons with Clarence Spady. The veteran PA bluesman quickly assessed that young Schultz had real talent and eagerly took him under his wing, nurturing Schultz

through live performance and songwriting collaborations. He invited the aspiring guitarist to perform on Spady’s latest release, Surrender, and is the co-producer of
Shultz’s debut album on Blue Heart Records, Soulful Distancing. For the 11-song album, Spady
surrounded Schultz with some of the finest players on the East Coast including bassist Adam
Cohen (Ray Charles, Engelbert Humperdinck), drummer Sharon O’Connell and keyboardist RobertO’Connell along with sax great Tom Hamilton (Dizzy Gillespie, Natalie Cole, The Temptations).

Spady stepped in on vocals for six tracks and vocalist Michael Angelo and Ekat Pereyra did the
others that are a mix of soul blues classics and originals penned by the young Schultz.
They open the show with the Johnny “Guitar” Watson funk blast classic “A Real Mother For Ya,” a
song from 1977, whose lyrics stay true today. Young Schultz delivers tasty lead on the blues
rumba “Early In The Morning,” appropriately paying tribute to one of the greatest mentors ever
to pick up a guitar, Mr. B.B. King, whose version of the song is well known. The super smooth
R&B track, “Good Conversation,” penned by Schultz that first appeared on Spady’s Surrender,
makes an irresistible reprise here on his debut. The sophisticated soul burner “Harlem Tonight,”
with its fine horn arrangement and soaring melody could pass as a long-lost gem from the
George Benson catalog of the ‘70s. The sassy vocals are perfectly paired with snappy ice pick
style guitar work on the spirited rundown of the Little Walter single from 1956 “Who (Who Told
You).” Russian born chanteuse Ekat Pereyra lends her sweet contralto on the slinky Neo-Soul
track “Have Some Faith” that features another fine guitar breakdown.
The horn-driven track, “Cure For The Blues,” has a West Coast style, a la Tower of Power, with
some sweet Hammond B3 from O’Connell. Hamilton leads us into the slow blues “Toxic Medicine” with his soulful tenor sax, before Angelo gives testimony to the power of love and obsession.

Spady stretches out on a faithful reading of the 1968 R&B hit “Can I Change My Mind,” as Schultz soars through the signature guitar chords. The mentor then leads his pupil through ”Cut You Loose,” teaching him how to reimagine the 1963 Chief Records single as modern R&B. Shultz demonstrates his finger style guitar skills on Howlin’ Wolf’s “44 Blues,” taking cues from theClapton version of this dangerous blues waltz.
As the album notes say, “Not a boilerplate 12-bar piece to be found, yet blues remains at the
heart and soul of each selection,” of this fine debut, Soulful Distancing, from 18-year-old Adam
Schultz along with songwriting depth beyond his young age, and masterful production from
Spady.

WEBLINKS
OS: www.adamschultzmusic.com
IG: www.instagram.com/adamschultzmusic

More info: Betsie Brown, Blind Raccoon, betsie@blindraccoon.com