For those unaware, Terry Adams’ first solo album Terrible is exactly the opposite — it’s actually a thing of musically profound beauty!

In 1995, at the request of New World Records, Terry wrote and recorded an all-original jazz album. The NRBQ founder/pianist invited friends Marshall Allen and other Sun Ra members, Roswell Rudd (Archie Shepp and Carla Bley), the rhythm section of Greg Cohen and Bobby Previte that he met working on Robert Altman’s Short Cuts movie, as well as the members of NRBQ.

On this terribly impressive Terrible reissue, the 12 originals, now augmented by four previously unissued bonus tracks, range from beautiful ballads to swinging romps, all expertly and brilliantly played. Adams and company freely explore his compositions’ whims, ideas and notions, and express them utilizing a unique and varied palette of instrumentation.

Thankfully, this solo outing wasn’t a one-time occurrence. Terrible set the table for other terribly wonderful solo projects to follow, but it took nearly 30 years for that album to return. Now sporting new cover art and carefully remastered audio with bonus tracks on CD, Digital and for the first time, a 2-LP set, Terrible has never looked or sounded better.

Disc 1:
1. Toodlehead
2. Venusian Sunset (Originally titled “Le Sony’r”)
3. Say When
4. Yes Yes Yes
5. Hilda
6. Brother (Originally titled “Dog”)
7. I Feel Lucky
8. Out The Windo
9. Little One
10. Distant Instant
11. Thinking Of You
12. These Blues

Bonus Tracks:
13. Wrong Gasket
14. Thedy*
15. Kalimba*
16. Say When (TK 2)*

* Previously unissued.

The NRBQ founder’s first solo album returns with four bonus tracks and allowing him to explore the various facets of his lengthy music career, he opens on the invigoratingly furtive fun of Toodlehead and the processional tango found lovingly within the renamed Venusian Sunset (originally titled “Le Sony’r”) and then we get brought forth the post-bop hipsway of Say When, the beautiful ballad Yes Yes Yes, the the calypso-rhythmed Hilda, before we are witness to the veritably twinkling of the renamed Brother (Originally titled “Dog”), the midnight blue-hued I Feel Lucky and the swing stomper Out The Windo (and for the late Gary Windo).

His usage of a variety of different instrumental ideas on each and very track continues onward with the oriental-imbibed Little One and the jaunty percussive sounds that form Distant Instant, and then they are in turn backed by the trombone-led delicacy of Thinking Of You, the minimalist funk vibe that forms the back beat of These Blues, the album now rounding out on four bonus tracks: the still-sparkling Wrong Gasket, and the remainder all being previously unissued cuts, such as the late night TV show-hued Thedy, the ornately sculpted Kalimba, closing on the jazzy ambiance of Say When (TK 2).

Official Purchase Link