Sam Barsh

Sam Barsh (born 1981 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American songwriter, keyboardist and record producer. He has worked in the genres of Jazz, R&B, Hip hop and pop.

Biography

Barsh was born in Chicago, IL, and began playing piano at the age of 4.[1] He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL[2] and William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.[3] Barsh moved to New York City in 2001 and currently resides in Los Angeles.[4]

Career

From 2003-2006 Barsh was a member of the band of bassist Avishai Cohen, with whom he toured the world extensively.[5] Barsh appears on Cohen's albums At Home[6] and Continuo,[7] and the live album/DVD As Is...Live at the Blue Note.[8]

Between 2008 and 2011, Barsh released three albums as a leader: the independently released Live! and Live Vol. II, and I Forgot What You Taught Me on Razdaz Recordz.[9]

Along with vocalist Jesse Palter, Barsh founded the electronic pop group Jesse Palter and the Alter Ego, (later renamed Palter Ego), in 2009.[10] The group has released 2 EPs and two albums.[11]

In 2013, Barsh co-wrote "The Man" for Aloe Blacc's album Lift Your Spirit. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified platinum by the RIAA,[12] selling over 2.5 million copies in the US.[13]

Barsh played keyboards on the 2014 Kendrick Lamar song "i", which received the award for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 2015 Grammy Awards.[14] He composed and played keyboards on the song Institutionalized on Lamar's Grammy-winning 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly.

In 2016, Barsh co-wrote and played on the songs "Heart Don't Stand a Chance" and "Your Prime" for Anderson .Paak's Grammy-nominated breakthrough album Malibu, and co-wrote "Man Down" for BJ the Chicago Kid's Grammy-nominated album In My Mind.[15]

Barsh has performed with Babyface, Bobby McFerrin, Boyz II Men, Branford Marsalis, Bruno Mars, Cassandra Wilson, Common, David Foster, Debbie Friedman, Emily King, Estelle, Fred Wesley, Gene Simmons, Gregory Porter, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kiran Ahluwalia, Large Professor, Lonnie Plaxico, Mark Ballas, Mino Cinelu, Natasha Bedingfield, Quadron, Ravi Coltrane, Rez Abbasi, Robin Eubanks, Roy Hargrove, Stevie Wonder, The Brand New Heavies, and Tom Jones.[16][17]

Discography

1999

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Awards and Nominations

Barsh was the recipient of two 2015 BMI Awards, the US R&B Hip-Hop award[18] and the London Pop Award.[19]

He was a nominee for the Ashford and Simpson Songwriter Award at the 2014 Soul Train Awards.[20]

Though never an official Grammy Award nominee, Barsh’s work as a composer and keyboardist has received 3 Grammy Awards out of 7 nominations.

He was awarded a 2000 Downbeat Magazine Student Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Soloist.[21]

References

  1. ↑ "Sam Barsh Biography". www.allmusic.com.
  2. ↑ Wilmette Newspaper Index
  3. ↑ "Jazz Studies & Performance : Alumni". wpunj.edu.
  4. ↑ "Sam Barsh: - As a lead artist I would have to commit to a lifetime of touring - Musicians on Music". www.musicians-corner.net. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  5. ↑ Pico. "Music Review: Sam Barsh – I Forgot What You Taught Me". Blogcritics.
  6. ↑ "Jazz Reviews: At HomeAvishai Cohen - By Nate Chinen — Jazz Articles". jazztimes.com.
  7. ↑ "BBC - Music - Review of Avishai Cohen - Continuo". bbc.co.uk.
  8. ↑ "Jazz Reviews: As Is … Live at the Blue Note Avishai Cohen - By Steve Greenlee — Jazz Articles". jazztimes.com.
  9. ↑ Mark Saleski. "Music Review: Sam Barsh – I Forgot What You Taught Me". Blogcritics.
  10. ↑ Jim Derogatis review of Jesse Palter and the Alter Ego for Chicago Sun-Times
  11. ↑ "Evolution Records - Palter Ego". highlyevolving.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  12. ↑ "American single certifications – Aloe Blacc – The Man". riaa.com.
  13. ↑ "The Big 9 in 2014: Interscope". hitsdailydouble.com.
  14. ↑ "57th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees". Grammy Awards.
  15. ↑ "Going for the Grammy: UCLA jazz director works on Anderson .Paak’s nominated album ‘Malibu’". dailybruin.com. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  16. ↑ "Jazz Studies Alumni". wpunj.edu.
  17. ↑ "Sam Barsh: As a lead artist I would have to commit to a lifetime of touring". musicians-corner.net.
  18. ↑ "Nile Rodgers Honored as BMI Icon at the 2015 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards". www.bmi.com. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  19. ↑ "Graham Gouldman and Top Songwriters Honored at 2015 BMI London Awards". www.bmi.com. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "Ashford And Simpson Songwriter's Award". www.bet.com. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  21. ↑ "DOWNBEAT AWARDS". ntjazz.com. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
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