Sam Barsh, who decides to pose nude on the back cover of his debut CD (save by a strategically positioned melodica covering his behind) is one of those lovely free spirits. Indeed, his music is cheeky, which seems to be dedicated to his strict albeit well-meaning music teachers of the past.
Barsh, a former member of the Avishai Cohen Trio, has built a funky yet endearing pop-jazz album filled with fun moments, great for a cup of joe on Sunday morning. “Plans Change” and “This Is The Album” are quick and enjoyable, but it is with tracks such as “Wake Up and Smile” and Barsh’s melodica responding to Tim Collins’ vibes, that the real fun starts.
“I Forgot What You Taught Me” features the quartet known as “The Sam Barsh Band”: Barsh on piano, keyboards and melodica, Tim Collins (Christian McBride, Buster Williams, Harvie S.) on vibes, Ari Folman-Cohen (Soulive, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe) on bass and Jaimeo Brown (Stevie Wonder, A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip, and Bobby Hutcherson) on drums.
“I Forgot What You Taught Me” is a compilation of genre-crossing music that tosses influences of jazz, funk, pop, reggae, trance, into a pot of simmering, insistent groove juice. It makes the listener want to get up and dance.
Hipster keyboard man checks in with a pleasant band in a box date that zips along in a deceptively cool fashion. Easy on the ears, this is simply a snappy little date that has got me looking ahead to summer. It’s that kind of music.
Jessica Chung, Celebrity Café
Don’t know if his jazz teachers would approve, but I Forgot What You Taught Me is a hell of a sweet listen.
Brian Soergel, JazzTimes
