2010

Review from a Polish magazine "Jazz Forum" February 2010.  Click on it to get full size

2009

 ... Good Morning by Adam Palma

At Bass Day 2009 in Manchester I met Polish guitar wizard Adam Palma. He has worked with many of the top pop and jazz artists in Poland and with international names including Chris de Burgh and the Average White Band's Hamish Stuart.

This is a startling album of solo acoustic guitar played fingerstyle with no overdubs or studio tricks - I say startling because at times you would think there were two or even three guitars. Many of the songs are originals, such as the bluesy opener 'Rocky Mountains' which displays dexterity I've only heard on records by the world's finest players. I also love the chord changes in his gorgeous 'When Tommy meets Chet' and here Palma's sense of humour is in evidence.

That same sense of humour surfaces on his rendition of the 'Inspector Gadget' theme. And it's impossible not to smile during his staccato version of 'Love and Marriage'. I'd love to hear this as part of a movie soundtrack - it really does bring something new, warm and endearing to an old song.

He offers a respectful take on Joe Zawinul's 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy' and how one man and one guitar bring the drama of this song to an audience I'm struggling to understand - but he does it. His arrangement has the melody line and bassline crossing in a way I've not heard before. And his use of harmonics leaves me speechless. The Average White Band connection is here: 'Pick up the Pieces' chugs like it should with one guitar providing rhythm, bass and melody. There's nothing missing here...

Fans of fingerstyle guitar and imaginative arrangements should check out this CD and the site: http://www.adampalma.net/index.php

© Chris Mann

Adam Palma - Acoustic Magazine UK November 2009.  Click on it to get full size.

Interview from a Polish guitar magazine "Gitarzysta" October 2009.  Click on it to get full size.

Interview from a Polish guitar magazine "Top Guitar" July 2009.  Click on it to get full size.

2007

The 19th International Guitar Festival of Great Britain.
Adam Palma: Birkenhead Town Hall 13th November 2007 a Tuesday night at the town hall and its acoustic, acoustic all the way. The evening opened with Adam Palma taking to the high stage area and producing a beautiful controlled and easy flowing performance. Effortlessly he went through a set which demonstrated his particular style of guitar playing - almost vamping – highlighted by a great version of the Average White Band’s classic Pick up the Pieces and also a moving tribute to the late Joe Zawinul.

Review by Maddie  

The 19th International Guitar Festival of Great Britain.
Opening the night was Polish session guitarist Adam Palma, who has been based in Manchester for two years and has worked with the likes of Chris de Burgh and Hamish Stuart. A quite lovely half-hour set saw him take us from Chris Rea to Frank Sinatra, with other numbers by Weather Report and Stevie Wonder – all delivered by his most rhythmic picking style. He opened up with an instrumental version of Chris Rea’s “Driving Home For Christmas”, as he said “a most optimistic song”, before a lovely, jazzy “Pick Up The Pieces” – with, I kid ye not, a snatch of “Back In Black”! He is obviously a big jazz fan and a brace of Frank Sinatra-associated tunes back to back were highlights of the set – “Love And Marriage” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – both played expertly by this talented new name to me. Stevie Wonder’s tribute to Duke Ellington, “Sir Duke” rounded off his set.

Review by Graham Rhodes