Back porch simple, song after song, it’s hard to believe that just one person is making all the sounds coming out of that National Steel Body Guitar. Adamz’ dazzling finger-style playing and scorching harmonica don’t detract from the depth of his singing or the down home sagacity in his lyrics. He takes us on a trip from rambunctious road house to romantic reverie.

Many of these 17 songs were written in the wake of the 2008 economic meltdown, so themes of hard times hearkening back to the 1930’s depression weave through the album. More often than not, they’re met with a fierce spirit of humor, love, and rhythm!

Adamz has three solo albums; “National Steel” taps right into the tap root of American music with 17 original songs performed on a National Steel Body guitar, except for one harmonica barn-burner. The CD is solo except for two duets with Peter Rowan. “Bernardo’s Serenade” is a collection of very original songs including “The Authentic Skulls of Pancho Villa”. “Guitar Solos” is a unique and beautiful instrumental album of original works for solo acoustic guitar. His music has also been performed by The Joffrey Ballet and The Kronos Quartet and used in major motion picture and television soundtracks.

He currently lives in the outback of Marin County, north of San Francisco of which he has said, “Ain’t nothing between Tomales Bay and the North Pole but an oyster bed.” He grew up in El Paso, Texas (“where apathy is the biggest problem, but nobody cares”) and has been unable to shake the musical influence of his formative years in that unique cultural environment.

Doug Adamz has recorded five albums of original, instrumental music and three albums of his songs. His compositions have been used by The Joffrey and other ballet companies (Santa Fe/Aspen, Oklahoma City, San Francisco), featured in a film by Robert Altman (The Company), heard in a PBS documentary soundtrack (Jim Thorpe, World's Greatest Athlete) and in two Spanish television series (La Frontera Herida, Sahel). The Kronos Quartet commissioned Doug to write several short pieces and Stevie Coyle (The Waybacks) and Dr. Elmo (Grandma--Reindeer) have recorded and released some of Doug’s songs on their albums. He’s performed with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Joan Baez, and many finger-style illuminaries like Stevie Coyle and Doug Young, played (informally) with Maria Muldaur, and Jim Messina, recorded with Peter Rowan and Huey Lewis and opened for many stars including Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jesse Colin Young, Leo Kotke, David Lindley, Dottie West, The Chambers Brothers, Steppenwolf, Johnny Rivers and Johnny Lee. His 1973 degree in music is from the University of Texas at El Paso, with a major in guitar.