On December 20th, I found myself looking at a "No Dancing Please" sign in the Elbow Room, on Bleecker Street. At the late start of Jason Adamo’s 8:00 set, that seemed to be an unnecessary admonition: the small room held only a handful of people, whose enthusiasm almost made up for their numbers. But as the set progressed, the crowd grew - along with the threat to the no-dancing rule (which is a result of New York’s infamous cabaret laws). Jason played for only forty-five minutes, but in that time got through a Ben Harper cover, a Martin Sexton cover, and around eight of his own songs. His style was varied, but he was undoubtedly at his best when leaning towards the blues. A lovely low range and strong falsetto fit nicely with able guitar playing and sense of sadness beyond his years that seemed to inhabit his voice.

Jason’s biggest problem right now seems to be a lack of exposure, which accounts for the small size of the audience. (Those who were there - many of whom had simply arrived early for the next band’s set - enthusiastically applauded each song, interjecting exclamations of delight.) As the crowds grow, he’ll learn - from the reactions - to capitalize more on his own strengths as a performer and musician, and shy away from his few weaker spots.

Even this early in his career, Jason’s strengths outweigh his weaknesses, and make his music worth a listen. Catch him now, while tickets are cheap, and perhaps you’ll be getting in on the ground floor with the next self-made singing superstar.