Bruce Barth
American jazz pianist and composer (born 1958)
Bruce David Barth (born September 7, 1958) is a jazz pianist, composer, and producer.
01Early life
Barth was born in Pasadena, California, on September 7, 1958. He started to play the piano around the age of five. He had private jazz lessons with pianist Norman Simmons from 1978 to 1980 and studied at the New England Conservatory of Music in the early 1980s, including under Jaki Byard and George Russell.
02Later life and career
Barth moved to New York in 1988, where he was part of groups led by Stanley Turrentine (1989-90) and Terence Blanchard (1990-94). Barth's first album as a leader, In Focus, was released by Enja Records and was based around standards. The follow-up, Morning Call, was also released by Enja and the material was mostly Barth originals. He has led his own small groups since 1993, and has been a freelance pianist and arranger. He was on the teaching faculty of the Berklee College of Music from 1985 to 1988 and Long Island University from 1990. He has also been a record producer, including for vocalist Carla Cook.
03Discography
An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.
As leader
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993* | In Focus | Enja | Quintet, with Scott Wendholt (trumpet, flugelhorn), Steve Wilson (alto sax, soprano sax), Robert Hurst (bass), Lewis Nash (drums) |
| 1994* | Morning Call | Enja | With Scott Wendholt (trumpet, flugelhorn), Steve Wilson (alto sax, soprano sax), Larry Grenadier (bass), Leon Parker (drums) |
| 1997 | Don't Blame Me | Double-Time | Trio, with Ed Howard (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 1998 | Hope Springs Eternal | Double-Time | Quartet, with Steve Wilson (alto sax, soprano sax, flute), Ed Howard (bass), Adam Cruz (drums) |
| 1999 | Where Eagles Fly | Fresh Sound | With Sam Newsome (soprano sax), Pat O'Leary (bass), Adam Cruz (drums) |
| 2000 | Somehow It's True | Double-Time | With Terell Stafford (trumpet), Adam Kolker (tenor sax, soprano sax), Ugonna Okegwo (bass), Billy Hart (drums), Duduka DaFonseca (percussion) |
| 2000 | East and West | Maxjazz | With Terell Stafford (trumpet, flugelhorn), Steve Wilson (alto sax, soprano sax, clarinet), Sam Newsome (soprano sax), Adam Kolker (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Ugonna Okegwo (bass), Al Foster (drums) |
| 2000 | American Landscape | Satchmo Jazz | Solo piano |
| 2002 | Live at the Village Vanguard | Maxjazz | Trio, with Ugonna Okegwo (bass), Al Foster (drums); in concert |
| 2007* | Live at Maxjazz Cafe del Teatre | Quadrant | With Montez Coleman (drums); DVD |
| 2010* | Home | We Always Swing | With Steve Wilson (alto sax, soprano sax); in concert |
| 2010 | Live at Smalls | Smalls Live | Trio, with Vicente Archer (bass), Rudy Royston (drums); in concert |
| 2012 | Three Things of Beauty | Savant | Most tracks quartet, with Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Ben Street (bass), Dana Hall (drums); one track duo, with Nelson (vibraphone) |
| 2014* | Daybreak | Savant | With Terell Stafford (trumpet), Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Vicente Archer (bass), Montez Coleman (drums) |
As sideman
| Year recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Randy Johnston | Jubilation | Muse |
| 1993 | Steve Wilson | Blues for Marcus | Criss Cross |
| 1995 | Steve Wilson | Four for Time | Criss Cross |
| 1998 | Andy Statman | The Hidden Light | Sony |
| 2005 | Terell Stafford | Taking Chances: Live at the Dakota | Maxjazz |
| 2011 | Terell Stafford | This Side of Strayhorn | Maxjazz |
| 2015 | Terell Stafford | Brotherlee Love: Celebrating Lee Morgan | Capri |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Bruce Barth”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Bruce Barth.jpg by Jimmy Baikovicius, CC BY-SA 2.0
Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.