Search - Richie Barshay :: Homework

An auspicious debut for sure- Herbie knows how to pick 'em

James Lamperetta | Upstate, NY | 03/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Drummer/percussionist Richie Barshay has worked with Herbie Hancock since `03's "Gershwin's World" project. He also been part of the pianist's touring band.

Barshay's "Homework" is one of the most auspicious debuts in recent memory. Although he is just twenty-three years old, the disc showcases a unique synthesis of numerous traditional styles- both rhythmic and melodic. And although he works within a jazz medium, this is clearly a world-music album. "The writing is all Indian," he explains, "and the instruments and the improvising are all American jazz. It is a fusion, but somehow it is different. Instead of using the mother tongue of jazz as the foundation, we're putting the foreign influence first. This opens the door to a place where style cannot be defined."

Opting for a sound which is lean and open, Barshay and his colleagues move easily from mining thick, muscular grooves to those that are gentle yet equally visceral.

Building the program of mostly original tunes around his core trio of saxophonist Daniel Blake and bassist Jorge Roeder, an assortment of guests are used to great effect.

Hancock lends a hand on three tunes, the title track and the two parts of "Clouds." Informed with an adventurous yearning and a terse edge, one is reminded of the pianist's groundbreaking `60s work, particularly as his comping and solos mesh perfectly with the ensemble and Barshay's propulsive mix of drums and percussion.

Monk's "Trinkle Tinkle" is the disc's lone cover. Cast as a percussion/sax duet over a Tukra (Indian syllabic pattern), Barshay and Blake sparkle as they shine new light on an old favorite.

Among the other highlights are "Return Voyage" and "Sim Shalom/Prayer for Peace." The former glides along on an otherworldly mix of sitar and saxophone. The latter is a traditional piece whose message once again resonates with pertinence and finds the group expanded via clarinet, accordion and voice.

This is must-have music."