Jazz Articles about Adam Nussbaum

(Another) Nuttree Quartet (Abercrombie / Anderson / Liebman / Nussbaum): Something Sentimental

by John Kelman
December 21, 2009

It's always a pleasure to hear a group of musicians who, over the years, have developed not just a strong musical bond, but a personal one as well. If it's a truth that most musicians' style is a direct extension of their personality--of who they are--then it's equally logical to extrapolate that the musical interaction between them somehow mirrors the way their friendships have evolved.

First coming together for a party to honor the recently departed ...

The Nuttree Quartet (John Abercrombie / Jerry Bergonzi / Adam Nussbaum / Gary Versace): Standards

by John Kelman
August 26, 2008

With the plethora of discs released every year that over-mine the standards repertoire, it's easy to forget that there was a time when an album called Standards would not be considered almost a dirty word. Saxophonist David Liebman's recently unearthed Pendulum Live at the Village Vanguard (Mosaic, 2008) is one such example. Drummer Adam Nussbaum, figurative leader of The Nuttree Quartet and occasional Liebman collaborator, may not demonstrate quite the same visceral energy on Standards, but there's still plenty of ...

Uffe Steen: Play

by Jack Bowers
November 1, 2001

Guitarist Uffe Steen is one unmelancholy Dane. If that sounds like a left--handed compliment, well, he does play left--handed. And does he ever Play! Bluesy cascades of sound, single--note or chordal, fly off his fretboard like squadrons of worker bees beaming in on one's verdant flower garden. This concert performance in Aarhus catches Steen's trio (bassist Lennart Ginman, American drummer Adam Nussbaum) on a very good night (not that they have any bad ones, but there's always that chance).

John Abercrombie: Open Land

by Glenn Astarita
December 1, 1999

One of the true treasures of Modern Jazz, guitarist John Abercrombie’s impressive and somewhat legendary recorded legacy continues with Open Land. Here, Abercrombie expands his longtime “organ trio” group consisting of organist Dan Wall and drummer Adam Nussbaum while garnering the rather estimable support of special guests, saxophonist Joe Lovano, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and violinist Mark Feldman.

On Open Land the great guitarist offers the listener a panoramic view via wide-open and expansive compositions that leave plenty of room for ...

John Abercrombie: Open Land

by David Adler
December 1, 1999

John Abercrombie’s guitar tone has changed a lot over the years. I am particularly fond of his late 70s quartet with Richard Beirach, George Mraz, and Peter Donald. Back then his sound was extremely dark—nearly underwater in fact, with no treble to speak of. Lately it’s developed a lot more flesh and attack. On this new record, Open Land, he gravitates toward a nasal tone more along the lines of John Scofield. “Spring Song," a haunting waltz, and “Gimme Five," ...

John Abercrombie: Open Land

by C. Andrew Hovan
November 1, 1999

Truth be told, John Abercrombie has always been one of the more neglected players of his generation. He's never done the more commercial types of things that have brought fellow guitarists like Pat Metheny a broader audience base, and yet the irony is that his adventurous style and sound was the forerunner of such current underground favorites as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Bill Frisell, and Ben Monder. Several years ago, however, he chose to work in the context of an organ trio. ...

Frank Tiberi: Tiberian Mode

by Jack Bowers
August 1, 1999

Better late than never. Although Frank Tiberi’s stature among his fellow musicians approaches legendary, it took a Woody Herman alumnus (John Nugent) with his own record company to appreciate the benefits of bringing the present leader of the Herman Herd into a studio to document his prodigious talents. And while doing so, to invite two of Tiberi’s ardent admirers and former “students,” saxophonists Joe Lovano and George Garzone, to take part in the session. Lovano and Garzone are graduates of ...