Adam Nussbaum is a part of a vanishing breed of young jazz drummers: those of the bootstrap method. A voiding, for the most part, the more lucrative routes of fusion and studio craft, Nussbaum has avidly pursued a jazz direction. Had he, in fact, tapped into the commercial stream—the choice of his generation of bashers—Nussbaum might be a widely circulated name by now. As it stands, success is coming to Nussbaum in bold strokes and on his own terms. Having played a potent role in groups led by guitarist John Scofield, Dave Liebman, and others, and actively working with the Gil Evans Orchestra, Nussbaum has, in a sense, arrived as a new drummer on the scene. Arrived, however, is probably too absolute a term for the self-effacing drummer; he might call it having joined the scene. Tenacity, discipline, and a sensitivity to different musical surroundings seem to have paid off […]

June 1986 Issue