Global Bass Online March 2002
Global Bass Online March 2002
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by Marty Straub
For this, his third CD as a leader, Adam Nitti brings back many of the same fantastic players with whom he chose to portray his music in the past. Some of the better-known musicians are Shane Theriot and Dave Weckl. But the first tune, "Millenium" features a remarkable drum track by Tom Knight. It's a very unusual piece, and I quote, "The ideal is unnatural naturalness, or natural unnaturalness." Like the only thing different is the sameness, and what stays the same is the difference. The second tune is called "Nine Eleven." I asked Adam if there was a connection to the World Trade Center tragedy, even though the CD came out in November 2001. "'Nine Eleven' is actually about a car... it is a song inspired by the Porsche 911, one of which I own right now. That song was written in an effort to capture the excitement and energy that comes from 'becoming one with a car' (in other words, it's a driving song...). Strangely enough, my record was completed on September 11th... the catalog number was selected based on that date." "Nine Eleven" brings in the sax of Sam Skelton, the drums of Dave Weckl and Shane Theriot's guitar. After setting the theme of the opus with the first track, Adam lets us know we are off on an excursion of melody and rhythm that only players of this caliber can deliver. According to the Jerome Kern handbook of songwriting the third song should be called "Searching," but Adam knows the true importance of the search is what is found. So he calls the song "Truth." Adam sets the rhythm with a slap thing on his Curbow 5-string, and adds an eerie keyboard that Desean sings against. When it's time to stretch out, the bass takes it's place as a leader, and the guitar of Steve Cuningham reveals more evidence of the truth in musical inspiration. "Evidence" appears in the fourth slot, the cleanup hitter. It's a telling piece with some fine work by Shane Theriot on guitar again. The title track displays the competent aide of Dwayne Holloway on drums and Phil Davis on keyboards. Listen to a piece of Adam's solo, and hear what makes Evidence so revealing. There are 11 cuts on the CD, and all of them are written by Adam Nitti. You know how some tunesmiths write 11 tunes that pretty much sound the same? Well, Adam is different. His talent isn't limited to his breathtaking ability to play the bass; he is a consummate composer as well. "Oasis" is a refreshing combination of woodwind and strings. Adam plays his Mike Lull 5-string in a mesmerizing chromatic lilt that melodically comes off as one of my personal favorites on the album. Then he flies into a divine rage in "The Divine Wind," in which Sam Skelton switches to flute. Immediately after that is a tuned called "Puddin'". Again the only thing that's the same is the vast differences among the tunes. "On Wings Like Eagles" brings back the drumming of Tom Knight. Listen to a quick piece of Ike Stubblefield's Hammond B-3 and Shane Theriot's guitar. This guy writes magic and gets the right magicians to perform it. "Swamp Diddy" opens with a great slap start by our hero the bassist. But this isn't one of those bass player discs where the headcat says, "Here's what I do, and you cats see if there is something you can scratch out around it ~only don't get too loud." On "Swamp Diddy," as on every tune this headcat produces, there is such expanse in which the talents of others can broadcast that one forgets it's a bass player's CD. "Broken, pt.1" reminds you. It's just Adam Nitti and his Curbow 5-string bass. But then "Broken, pt.2" encourages you to forget once again as it brings back the rest of the band. A perfect ending to an overall brilliant album by a master player who shares the experience of a life-quest for truth. He finds it where he always knew it would be ~inside his soul. This disc called Evidence opens with a piece called "Millenium." We can assume that the missing "n" symbolizes Adam Nitti's appearance as the bassist of the new millennium, for we know that this disc is a new release of the evidence that he deserves such a moniker.
Certainly everyone knows where Adam Nitti's site is on the
Internet, so here's a quick link to
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