A must-hear blues and folk loving 23 February release for The Lead Belly Project, new on Sunnyside from revered Impossible Gentlemen drummer Adam Nussbaum, is in the offing.

Adam, highly respected for his work dating back to the late-1970s career of John Scofield and who has also enjoyed a long performing and recording association with the great Steve Swallow including the bass guitarist-composer’s erstwhile tenure in the Gents, is promoting the album on Facebook and says: “We play The Jazz Standard on Feb 27 in NYC.” In the playing company of Ohad Talmor, saxophone, who recorded the album and collaborated closely on it with Nussbaum; Steve Cardenas, six-string guitar and Nate Radley, also six-string guitar Nussbaum’s band are all viewable top in the video. 

Tracks, a few of which are listenable to on Bandcamp, are: Old Riley; Green Corn; Black Girl (Where Did You Sleep Last Night); Bottle Up and Go; Black Betty; Grey Goose; Bring Me a Little Water Sylvie; You Can’t Lose Me Cholly; Insight, Enlight; Sure Would Baby; and Goodnight Irene. Recorded by Ohad Talmor in a Brooklyn performance space last year in a single day, classic Huddie Ledbetter songs plus two Nussbaum originals Insight, Enlight and Sure Would Baby are included.

Updated 21 March 2018: 

I got in touch with Adam who kindly answered a few quick questions.  To kick off: how did the Jazz Standard gig in February go?  “It was a good night!  A pleasure to play with these musicians.”  

What did you play that night and what’s next for the project?  “We played the songs from the CD.  We’ll see what’s next:-).”

And what about how you and Ohad Talmor work together?   “Very well... He’s a fantastic musician,” Adam wrote via email.

One thing that puzzled me was that ‘Rock Island Line,’  a big hit in the UK and Ireland for Lonnie Donegan and the Chris Barber Jazz Band in 1955 certified gold heralding a craze for skiffle, wasn’t on the album.  So I asked, why not?   “We did what we did,” the pithy response.

On another subject does he have any future plans for the Impossible Gentlemen?   “I hope we play again.  Right now other commitments are being fulfilled.” SG.