Quotes from Justin Adams

I always wanted to know what the music behind some music was, or where it came from, and that gave me a point of reference for understanding the music I was listening to.

The closer you get to the source, the more you begin to understand its essential nature.

I do understand the perspective of die-hard fans who complain that we don't play the same as the record, but at the same time I think fans are getting an amazing deal.

I have much clearer memories of my time in Egypt: songs on the radio, the rhythms that accompanied belly dancers, the sound of the adhan - the Muslim call to prayer. I just soaked it all up.

In a lot of African instruments, you find a rattle, and sound engineers have a hard time making sense of it.

Going to Morocco was massive; that's where I really found music which had the African syncopation and swing mixed with Arabic strains, and together they had this transporting, bittersweet quality.

On a very technical level, I am a geek who is interested in the intricacy of rhythm playing, so I like comparing and working out its details.