EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado — What does the movie “The Nutty Professor” have in common with the band Little Hercules? Picture Eddie Murphy in a fat suit, dressed as a woman, clapping his hands and repeatedly calling the fat boy at the dinner table with him “Little Hercules.” That’s it; now you remember. Indeed, that’s how local band Little Hercules came up with the name.

For the past nine years, the members of Little Hercules have been growing tighter individually and as a band, and their music is spreading beyond the borders of Colorado to other parts of the country such as New York, where they played a show for Capitol Records last week because the label has some interest in signing them.

Sometimes classified as a jam band, the members of Little Hercules don’t like being pigeonholed under such a small umbrella. Their music embodies so many influences and styles that it is hard to place them under just one genre.

This Friday, they will be playing a show at the Sandbar in West Vail commemorating their nine-year anniversary. We had a chance to catch up with Little Hercules’ bass player, Cristian Basso, to ask him some questions about the band’s past, present and future.

Vail Daily: Little Hercules has been around for nine years now. What is the biggest lesson that you have learned musically and from the business side of things?

Cristian Basso: Wow, that’s heavy man. That’s a good question. I think that there (are) quite a few things, but I would say that some of the things that jump out first would be to always stick by what you believe in as an artist and make sure that nothing can bring you down so that ... your dreams don’t come alive. I mean, make them happen; stick to what you think is right no matter what anyone says — I think that’s No. 1. And then from the business side of things, that’s a tough one because (music) is just an ugly business. It’s a hard business from a standpoint of touring costs on the road are so high right now and venues around the country are so leery about any developing artists that it really makes you think of more creative ways to keep your musical career alive, other than depending upon venues.

VD: Musically, how do you think the band has evolved its sound since you first came together?

CB: I really do think it’s just life and our experiences within it. From a (sound) standpoint, you know, our record in 2003 was called “Little Hercules.” It was a little bit more hard-driving funk than our record we put out last year. And I think it surprises a lot of artists and friends that the band is diverse enough and confident enough to try something that is atypical of what we tried before. There is no real formula to what we do. ... I think naturally we come up with different sounds or different instrumentations or different effects.

VD: Is there ever an element of fear? Are you ever afraid the fans might not understand what you’re trying to do?

CB: We’ve always been an original band, so to speak. I don’t think there’s much fear as much as it is there’s a lot of hope (that) people can understand what we’re doing because an audience that’s involved with your struggles is the best compliment you can ever receive.

VD: Do you feel like — based on your strengths to date — that you’ll be together another nine years or at least for awhile?

CB: I know that each one of us will be playing music until we die. I think that there’s a collective effort to keep Little Hercules alive and growing, so I would say absolutely. I don’t know about calling out another nine or 10 years, but this nine years went by so quickly that I wouldn’t doubt it.

Arts & Entertainment Writer Charlie Owen can be reached at 748-2939 or cowen@vaildaily.com.