James B. Adams was rather obscure, and he wasn’t famous either.

He was an English composer, and he is so unknown that no one even knows when he was born.

For that matter, they don`t know when he died either.

The earliest known work by Adams was in 1770, and the last that appeared was in 1820.

From those works that are still around, it can be seen that Adams was a competent user of small-scale vocal and instrumental works.

His music shows an awareness of changing styles of the time: the early songs and canzonets accompanied either by harpsichord or orchestra with obbligato instrument are in the manner of Arne, giving way to a symphonic style like that of Johann Christian Bach or Hook in the three sonatas of op.4 - for piano or harpsichord with violin or flute accompaniment. His late sonatas for piano duet show some grasp of larger forms, and "The Nightingale", a canzonet in the vein of Haydn, has subtle use of the pedal in the piano writing.

Adams also wrote a book entitled "A Familiar Introduction to the First Principles of Music".