Live at Smalls Bruce Barth

• 1 Oh Yes I Will 05:01
• 2 Sunday 07:24
• 3 Yama 04:55
• 4 Almost Blues 08:02
• 5 Peaceful Place 08:40
• 6 Afternoon in Lleida 07:43
• 7 Wilsonian Alto 08:58
• 8 Good Morning Heartache 05:56
• 9 Looking Up 09:20
• Total Runtime 01:05:59

Info for Live at Smalls

Jazz pianist and composer Bruce Barth has been sharing his music with listeners the world over for more than two decades. Deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, his music reflects both the depth and breadth of his life and musical experiences. In addition to traveling widely and performing his own music, he has also performed with revered jazz masters, and collaborated with leading musicians of his own generation. The Star-Ledger writes, No one sounds quite like Barth. His solos are characterized by robust swing, his ability to tell a story, and by his rich, beguiling sound.

"Bruce Barth came into the jazz scene in the mid-'80s and has assembled an impressive discography, both as a leader and sideman. These 2010 performances at Smalls with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Rudy Royston find him in top form, focusing primarily on his infectious post-bop compositions, though he frequently surprises the listener with his shape-shifting melodies. The opener, "Oh Yes I Will," swings with vigor, while the brisk "Sunday" builds off its initial riff, with the pianist gradually building the intensity to a dramatic conclusion. The mysterious ballad "Yama" has an exotic air, accentuated by Royston's sensitive percussion in the background. "Afternoon in Lleida" is a subdued, bluesy affair, while his choppy, infectious "Wilsonian Alto" is a tribute to the brilliant Steve Wilson, a frequent musical partner. Barth's joyful "Looking Up" is a medium-tempo bossa nova that merits a lyric. The sole standard is a lush, intimate arrangement of "Good Morning Heartache," which conveys its sorrow without the need of a vocalist. Highly recommended." (Ken Dryden, AMG)

Bruce Barth, Vicente Archer, Rudy Royston,

Bruce Barth
Jazz pianist and composer Bruce Barth has been sharing his music with listeners the world over for more than twenty-five years. In addition to traveling widely performing his own music, he has also performed with revered jazz masters, as well as collaborated with leading musicians of his own generation.

Bruce has performed on over 125 recordings and movie soundtracks, including fifteen as a leader. He is equally at home playing solo piano (American Landscape on Satchmo Jazz Records), leading an all-star septet (East and West on MaxJazz), and composing for a variety of ensembles. His trio has recorded live at the legendary Village Vanguard in New York City, and his duo recording with saxophonist Steve Wilson, Home, was chosen by DownBeat magazine as one of the best recordings of 2010. His trio has also appeared at several major European festivals, including San Sebastian, La Spezia, and San Javier, where Bruce shared the bill with Chick Corea's trio.

Originally from Pasadena, California, Bruce arrived on the New York jazz scene in 1988, and soon started working in the bands of Stanley Turrentine and Terence Blanchard. While in Terence's band, Bruce recorded his first two CDs as a leader, In Focus and Morning Call for the Enja label; both were chosen for The New York Times' top ten lists. These recordings displayed not only Bruce's powerfully fluent piano playing, but also the scope of his own compositions and his imaginative arrangements of jazz standards.

As a leader of his trio and larger ensembles, Bruce has performed at major venues in the United States, Europe, and Japan; he has led bands at many major venues in New York, The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and major festivals in UK, Spain, Sweden, and Portugal.

Throughout his professional life, Bruce has had extended collaborations with Terell Stafford, Steve Wilson, Luciana Souza, Steve Nelson, and Tony Bennett. He has performed with James Moody, Phil Woods, Freddie Hubbard, Tom Harrell, Branford Marsalis, Art Farmer, and the Mingus Big Band. Finally, Bruce is a dedicated teacher, currently on the faculties of Temple University and Columbia University. He has also given master classes around the globe.

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