The music of Huddie Ledbetter, better known to the world as Lead Belly, is some of the initial sounds that introduced African American music to the world at large. The presentation of this singular artist changed the way the public heard music and shifted the dynamics in what was soon to come in the music industry, namely the adoption and promotion of Black music as a valuable commodity. There are reasons aplenty for the music listening population’s attention being swayed by Lead Belly. The songs that he sang were appealingly forthright and uncomplicated. His voice and powerful 12-string guitar were strong and enticing. Because of his magnetism, Lead Belly’s music remains a touchstone in blues’s evolution into rock, soul and jazz music. Two years ago, Sunnyside released drummer Adam Nussbaum’s first true recording as a leader, and fantastic tribute to one of his idols, The Lead Belly Project. Nussbaum’s band of saxophonist Ohad Talmor and dual guitarists, Steve Cardenas and Nate Radley, ably channeled a program of Lead Belly tunes chosen by the leader, mainly culled from the Folkway Recordings 10-inch records Nussbaum grew up listening to. The project allowed Nussbaum to show another side of his musical character that he hadn’t previously been able to showcase regularly during his remarkable forty-year career. In July of 2019, Nussbam and the ensemble returned to Talmor’s home studio, Seeds, in Brooklyn. They recorded with no separation between the musicians and entirely live. The musicians’ comfort with the material and each other can be heard in the results, as the pieces have an emotional intimacy that goes beyond their prior efforts. The result of these recordings can be heard on their new album, Lead Belly Reimagined. Adam Nussbaum’s love and respect, for both the music of Lead Belly and the musicians, in this project are impossible to miss in the music on Lead Belly Reimagined. The presentation of the legendary blues man’s visceral music in a diverse but flowing set of music is truly a feat of inspiration that will do much for the music’s legacy
