Bass Inside Magazine, 9/02
"Evidence" album review:

In late 2001, Adam Nitti released the follow-up album to his Balance CD. This release brought a series of frankly well-written and recorded fusion tunes that sent a lot of players into alert mode once more, both revering and sometimes reviling this new kid on the block. The word was out that there was a player around that could really shake things up. On this and other key points, Adam Nitti delivers.
In this most recent release, Adam Nitti covers a lot of the ground that Balance went over, but adding some fresh embellishments and ideas. Bass Inside talks to Adam about his new CD and his Evidence, what he has learned from this recording and what to expect from his next release.

Adam tells us that Evidence has been very well received, particularly considering its independent status. "My record company is really just pretty much me and my wife. As with my last record the largest jump of sales happened right at the release date. They have pretty much tapered off now.
Most of the fans have the record now, so it's more a matter of word of mouth getting it around. I seem to have pretty much of an Internet presence and that has been helping to spread the word. I sell about as many through that as I do on my own. Then there are those at gigs and those that order directly from me.

Bass Inside: You have held the 'day gig' at the Atlanta School of Music for quite some time now.
Adam Nitti: Actually I've been affiliated with them for about the last 7 years, writing curriculum, heading the Bass Department, all right up until about a year and half ago.

After the most recent tour I took on I found it impossible to continue doing both. It was always more of a part time thing for me. Now my involvement is even more at arm's length. My title there has actually changed as well. I am now the Artistic Director of the Bass Program. I'm very comfortable with that change. I still do Master Classes there, but I am not on a set schedule anymore.

Bass Inside: Do you do clinics for your endorsers as well?
Adam Nitti: Yes, I do. Those are through my sponsors. I've just been real lucky, being able to draw income from a few different sources. I think that if I were forced to rely on just the performance, or just the clinics or just the school, things would be a little tougher. Put them all together and it keeps my interest level higher.

It's part of the whole phenomenon of doing what you love and still having it be your living. Then your living can become your job. It's a strange self-perpetuating cycle. You dream all your life of playing music, but when you finally get there you realize there are things occurring outside of the music in your life that are also as important.

You have to be sure that you don't get into the headspace where the music becomes your enemy. Something you have to do. There's an element of urgency to this job.

It's so nice to know that "If I don't take this gig, I am still gonna be okay". I've been really lucky being able to do a few things all at once.

Like I told my colleague today, someone like a Marcus Miller has it set up really well. He is established as a producer, and as a bass player; he deals in strength on both sides. He is pretty much free to spend his time, his year as he wants to.

Bass Inside: Do you yourself ever look at lessons? I don't mean that in an insulting way, just that we are all always trying to grow, to improve.
Adam Nitti: No, no, no! I understand! There are so many great players in Atlanta alone. The last time I studied it was with a keyboard player. I would love to be able to take lessons every week. It's just hard to have a set time every week, my schedule changes all the time. So, it's hard for me to commit time-wise to a particular teacher. But if I see I have a stretch of time, I try to get in there and pick things up. I love to study, I need the accountability to keep me honest and pushing forward!

Bass Inside: As recently as this summer you were at Victor Wooten's Bass Camp. Was that as an instructor/performer?
Adam Nitti: I have been lucky to have been there every year. I think that was the 3rd one and each one has been greater than the last. The camp is like a living breathing being. Each year it grows, it seems to take on more mass. It's interesting to see that the camp is growing as well as the students are.

Bass Inside: I kept coming across references to you using some sort of slap/flamenco hybrid. Can you clear up what that is for our readers?
Adam Nitti: I didn't know what else to call it! (laughs) The best way to describe it is to incorporate the slap part, the thumb bass part of slap and then the plucking, either finger-style playing or even flamenco guitar playing. The end result is a really aggressive tremolo kind of sound. It just started out as a technique and nothing else. I eventually ended up writing a couple songs using that technique.

Bass Inside: You have been quoted as saying that "so often our hands get caught up in ruts of muscle memory". 'Muscle memory' is an accurate term. We get used to doing certain things, without even being aware of them. This ultimately not only shapes and therefore limits our technique, it also shapes what we compose, what we write. We end up thinking still unknowingly trapped in that box.
Adam Nitti: That's why so many people, so many players find that when they have their instrument out of their hands, they conceive of music that is so much more developed, so much more seasoned.

Bass Inside: Is this why you like to compose parts on keyboards?
Adam Nitti: Yeah, that's part of it! Part of it is also just having all that harmony right there with you, using your left and right hands. Absolutely, I have written bass parts on the keyboard because I know that I will hear different ideas than I would on my bass. I don't want to rely upon or be influenced by this 'muscle memory'.

Bass Inside: Do you have an idea in your mind as to when the follow-up to Evidence will be available?
Adam Nitti: Actually I have a handful of ideas that have already been started. We have been finishing up construction of a studio at my house. Only one and a half rooms of a plan for a 3-room studio have been completed at this time.

I kinda promised myself I wouldn't get knee-deep into the next record until I finished those rooms. I am probably another month away from finishing. So it won't be that far out there.

It is time to get those other things recorded into the computer and start working on them! I am thinking of making the next record using the philosophy of the song 'Truth' (from Evidence), making it sort of a more vocal record with some flashy playing on it. I am a little burned out on bass records with the bass playing the melody, the harmony and the chords! (laughs) There was a time when that idea was fresh. I own a lot of those records!

Bass Inside: So this is quite important to you?
Adam Nitti: Yeah, and I get more positive feedback on that one song in particular than anything else. I don't know why, people have just really received that song pretty well. So I think I might try some more of that!

Bass Inside: What have you learned from this past year?
Adam Nitti: That it seems that my primary job is to learn how to be led, rather than to always try to lead.

Bass Inside: And as males, we are hard-wired to want to lead.
Adam Nitti: Especially those of us who are trying to step out as solo artists! I am trying to ride that fine line between being inspired and then at the same time having the wisdom to know at least the correct direction to move in. I guess if you keep moving forward, that is probably the most important thing. Even if you sometimes make the wrong move. Like a shark, if you stop swimming you are going to drown.

I guess at this age (my early 30's) I am a little more forgiving, perhaps a little less hard on myself. So far I like my 30's more than I liked my 20's!


Look for a review of Adam Nitti's CD in Bass Inside when it becomes available.