Percussionist Richie Barshay, most noted for his work with the Herbie Hancock Quartet, has established himself as a prominent musical voice of his generation and is regarded as "a player to watch" by JazzTimes magazine. On tour and on recordings his eclectic resume so far includes Hancock, Chick Corea, Natalie Merchant, Lee Konitz, The Klezmatics, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Krakauer, Fred Wesley, Peter Yarrow and Pete Seager among others. In 2004 he was named an American Musical Envoy by the U.S. State Department for outreach tours in Asia, South America, and Europe. Now based in New York City, Richie began playing Jazz and Afro-Carribean music during his youth and has expanded his focus to Indian rhythmic concepts and tabla, inspiring his 2007 recording debut Homework on Ayva Records. “Homework introduces a major rhythm voice on the rise” says Downbeat magazine, and The Guardian (UK) praises “the arrival of a major innovator who also knows how to have fun.”
On their debut recording "Homework" The Richie Barshay Project explores the common ground between Jazz and a variety of world rhythms. Inspired by studies of Indian tabla drumming, with a foundation in Jazz and Latin-American music, the new full-length CD explores these influences in an improvisational setting. With special guests including the legendary Herbie Hancock, the listener is taken on a journey through a range of exotic musical textures, experiencing a fresh rhythmic approach to World Jazz fusion.
In an effort to stretch the boundaries of world rhythms, "Homework" incorporates different percussion instruments in new combinations. Using rhythms from across the globe, including India and Latin America, the Richie Barshay Project creates a unique musical setting for improvisation over original grooves. On Barshay's composition - the title track "Homework" featuring special guest Herbie Hancock on piano and synthesizers - the band interprets the Indian rhythmic concept of tihai combined with a contemporary Jazz instrumentation, creating a fresh approach to groove-based playing. The sound is unique in it's elegant use of percussion, surprising the listener with rhythms not normally heard in a Jazz setting, bringing the euphoric groove to the forefront.
Homework personel
Richie Barshay, drum set, tabla, congas, cajon, kanjira, shekere, shakers...
Daniel Blake, tenor and soprano saxophones
Jorge Roeder, acoustic and electric basses
with special guests:
Herbie Hancock, piano (1,2,7), keyboard (2)
Reinaldo de Jesus, congas, djembe, bell (3,6,11)
Aoife O'Donovan, voice (10)
Michael Winograd, clarinet (10)
Carmen Staaf, accordion (10)
Josh Feinberg, sitar (4)
Produced by Richie Barshay
Recorded and mixed by Bill Winn
Recorded at Q Division Studios, Somerville, MA, August 4, 5, 13 & 14 2004
and at the Hancock residence, Los Angeles, CA, September 1, 2004
Mixed at Mix One Studios, Boston, MA
Mastered by Mark Donahue at SoundMirror, Jamaica Plain, MA
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