Adam Nussbaum

Early life

Nussbaum grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut, and started to play drums at age 12 after studying piano for five years. He also played bass and saxophone as a teenager. He moved to New York City in 1975 to attend The Davis Center for Performing Arts at City College.

Career

During college in New York City, Nussbaum began working with Albert Dailey, Monty Waters, Joe Lee Wilson, Sheila Jordan and he played with Sonny Rollins in 1977 in Milwaukee. In 1978 he joined Dave Liebman's quintet and did his first European tour with John Scofield.

During the early 1980s he continued working with John Scofield in a celebrated trio with Steve Swallow. In 1983 he became a member of the Gil Evans Orchestra and also played with Stan Getz. He later joined the Eliane Elias/Randy Brecker Quartet, Gary Burton, and Toots Thielemans. In 1987 he began touring with the Michael Brecker Quintet. In 1988 they recorded the Grammy-winning "Don't Try This At Home". During 1992 Nussbaum was part of the Carla Bley Big Band and that same year John Abercrombie hired him to complete his organ trio.

Nussbaum has kept active in a wide variety of groups, among them a recently formed quartet "B A N N" with Seamus Blake, Jay Anderson and Oz Noy, a co-op quartet "NUTTREE" (the literal translation of his name, German "Nuss" = "Nut" and "Baum" = "Tree") with Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi and Gary Versace, the James Moody Quartet, "We Three" with Dave Liebman and Steve Swallow, the Eliane Elias Trio, "Playing in Traffic" with Steve Swallow and Ohad Talmor, while maintaining an active freelance schedule with prominent artists of every generation such as Steve Swallow, Mike Stern, Dekel Bor, Ravi Coltrane and Bill Charlap among others.

Nussbaum has taught as an adjunct professor at New York University, the New School and the State University of New York at Purchase. He holds clinics and master classes around the world.

Discography

With John Abercrombie

With Paul Bley

With Michael Brecker

With George Cables

With Ted Curson

With Gil Evans

With Hal Galper

With Lee Konitz

With David Liebman

With Tisziji Munoz

With John Scofield

With Ed Summerlin

With Steve Swallow

With Tom Varner

With Miroslav Vitous

Gallery

Photos: Hreinn Gudlaugsson