Adrian James

Adrian James Karas is a Cincinnati native who has been writing and recording music since the age of 7. The son of longtime local musicians Ted and Dixie Karas, Adrian and his brother Andrew grew up in a musical household, and since the early 1990’s he has been involved in several successful musical projects of various genres. Playing guitar, bass, and drums, he recorded three solo albums as a pre-teen. He went on to form the grunge rock trio Turquoise Mosquito in high school, releasing three studio albums between 1999-2002. During that time, he also played bass in the Walnut Hills High Jazz Ensemble, which gigged frequently around town. He helped form the funky jam band Death Jazz Allstars, which won the Bogart’s High School Band Challenge in 2003. In college, while studying business at the University of Cincinnati, he played drums in experimental metal band Existential Dilemma, releasing several studio albums from ‘02-‘05. He also produced Hip-hop albums and mixtapes for The Nati Kangs, Nati Squad, and several other artists from ‘04-’08. After taking a short music hiatus to get his MBA at Xavier University, he returned to the stage in 2010, forming the funk/soul party band Love Steak. In early 2012, he got back in the studio and recorded his first solo album in several years, titled “Another Prodigal Son.”