Sam Barsh - keys/melodica, Tim Collins - vibes, Ari Folman-Cohen - bass, Jaimeo Brown - drums//
CHECK OUT THESE LIVE VIDS OF THE SAM BARSH BAND:
Sam Barsh Band Live gettin crazy on This Is The Song (T.I.T.S.)
Barsh kb solo, gettin into it
Barsh rockin the keys with his tongue
Sam Barsh dancing and jamming
Influences
IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER (a partial list): the ultrasound machine (prebirth), my mom's bad piano playing, twinkle twinkle little star, B96, New Kids on the Block, Jewish folk music, Jewish rock music, Jewish liturgical music, Jewish guilt (a lifelong song), Rick Astley, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, De La Soul, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kid 'n' Play, Kriss Kross, WLS Talk Radio, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Blue Mitchell, Larry Young, Woody Shaw, Weather Report, Cedar Walton, John Abercrombie, Scofield, Tom Harrell, Bach, Stevie Wonder, Le Mystere de Voix Bulgares, Balkan folk music, New Jersey, Michael Jackson, Jacob Sacks, Dan Weiss, Bobo Stenson, Steely Dan, Ned Ferm, Mount Desert Island, Jack McDuff, Jaimeo Brown, Don Blackman, Captain Planet (Charlie Bethel), Lonnie Plaxico, James Brown, Scandinavian folk music (check out Nordic Roots 2), Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC, Squarepusher, Brahms, Chopin, Curtis Watts, Bilal, The Neptunes, Busta Rhymes, Rich Harrison, Bollywood/Indian Film music, Tortoise (Thrill Jockey in general), Timbaland, R.Kelly, Kanye West, Rodney Jerkins, Sholar, Scott Storch, KCRW.
Sounds Like
Smooth but full of grooves, raw but cooking, hard but still sensitive; an amalgamation of emotions emodied into music. Styles range from r&b infused jazz to classical funk-punk to ambient assault. Packed with crazy dance moves at the live shows.
E.S.T., The Meters, Marc Cary, Tortoise, John Scofield w/Medeski, Hermeto Pascoal
BARSH on CONAN O'BRIEN SHOW with THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES
BARSH at the TEL AVIV OPERA HOUSE with the AVISHAI COHEN TRIO
Sam Barsh is a performer, through and through. Whether in dark and quiet trance-like ballads or explosive jams, Barsh's intensity and deep connection to music always come through. He grew up in the Chicago area, and has been playing music since the age of 4, starting on piano, and expanding to organ, synthesizers, vintage keyboards, and melodica. Barsh moved to the east coast in 1999 to attend William Paterson University's renowned jazz studies program on a full-tuition Presidential Scholarship. He graduated from William Paterson in 2003 Magna Cum Laude.
Barsh has been based in New York City since 2001, but has traveled all over the world sharing his music and the music of others. His own group, the Sam Barsh Band, performs his funky blend of jazz, r&b and slick ambient grooves. Their debut record wil be released on Razdaz Recordz in early 2008.
From 2003 through 2006, Barsh was a member of the renowned Avishai Cohen Trio. With Cohen, Barsh recorded 3 records and a live DVD, performed at many of the world's biggest jazz festivals and received much international acclaim. Barsh can also be seen regularly with violinist Zach Brock and the Coffee Achievers, with whom he has toured and made 2 records and an upcoming live CD/DVD.
Barsh has had the good fortune to perform with a diverse group of incredible artists throughout his career, including Cassandra Wilson, Jeff Parker, Boyz II Men, Bobby McFerrin, The Brand New Heavies, Robin Eubanks, Debbie Friedman, Branford Marsalis, Lonnie Plaxico, Christophe Schweizer, Dave Samuels (of Spyro Gyra), Ku'umba Frank Lacy, The Mighty Blue Kings, Omar Edwards, Mino Cinelu, Rez Abbasi, Kenny Wollessen, Curtis Watts, Nguyen Le, Ben Monder, Hans Glawischnig, Todd Carey and many others.
Additionally, Barsh is an avid songwriter, and has been busy writing and producing r&b and pop songs with collaborators CURTIS "MEGA" WATTS and JESSE PALTER. Look for much more to come!
Combining his musical knowledge with a love for sharing and interacting with students, Barsh has given successful and rewarding clinics at universities and high schools throughout the USA. Barsh's clinics focus on the building blocks for a successful musical career, giving equal attention to the musical, business and general life aspects of the music biz. Past clinics have been given at: Yale University, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, University of Capetown (South Africa), Knox College (Galesburg, IL), LaGuardia Community College (Queens, NYC), University Preparatory Academy (Detroit, MI), The Drum Collective (NYC), Theodore Roosevelt Academy (Bronx, NYC) and public and private high schools throughout the USA.
Feel free to check out WWW.BARSHMUSIC.COM for more info and mp3s.
“One of the most freakishly talented, tasteful and fresh-sounding newcomers today.”
-Philip DiPietro / Jazz Journalists Association Top 10 of 2005
“Really cutting edge, a very promising young pianist.”
-Cassandra Wilson
“A keyboardist with the gift of groove.”
-Nate Chinen / The New York Times
***BARSH'S DISCOGRAPHY***
"AS IS - LIVE AT THE BLUE NOTE"
Avishai Cohen - 2007 Halfnote/RazDaz
"RED GONE WILD"
Redman - 2007 Def Jam
"FINDING SPACE"
Rick Parker - 2007
"CONTINUO"
Avishai Cohen - 2006 RazDaz Recordz
"THE RELATIVES"
Jeff Parker - 2005 Thrill Jockey
"CHEMISTRY"
Zach Brock and the Coffee Achievers - 2005 Secret Fort
"AT HOME"
Avishai Cohen - 2005 RazDaz Recordz
"SO ALIVE"
Lonnie Plaxico - 2004 Sony/Village
"TWO COLORS"
Russ Nolan - 2004 RN
"ZACH BROCK AND THE COFFEE ACHEIVERS" Zach Brock - 2005 Secret Fort
