Matus and Barshay: New World Music with Old World Roots
Jim Matus and Richie Barshay play an enticing blend of improvised world music that wouldn't sound out of place in centuries past, but belongs squarely in the connectedness of the 21st century. Their individual backgrounds span jazz, klezmer, progressive rock and music of the near and far east. Their recent album Rise From the Top is a work of subtle beauty and innovation, effortlessly drawing on all of this.
In episode 44 of the Right Brain Music Podcast, we hear lots of it and did deeply into the making of multi-cultural music. We're joined by World Fusion Show host Derrik Jordan
Jim and Richie have a creative process that is fascinating. They have a lot to say about the cross-cultural nature of music. Click below to listen to the episode, which includes ample helpings of their work:
Jim’s tool of choice is a cousin of the guitar, more accurately defined as a cross between a Greek lute called the laouto and a mandocello. His background spans jazz, traditional folk and progressive rock, and he has quite a repertoire of recorded music. Richie is an accomplished jazz drummer with tentacles that run deeply into the realm of world music. You may have heard of some of the musician’s he’s worked with: Herbie Hancock, Esperanza Spalding, Bobby McFerrin, Natalie Merchant and Chick Corea, to name a few. He joined us while on tour with The Klezmatics, a band he’s been part of for 17 years. Jim and Richie met recently, after Richie moved to Northampton. It didn’t take them long to form a strong musical connection.
If Derrik Jordan’s name sounds familiar, he has appeared on this podcast a bunch of times. He’s an accomplished violinist, and we featured his music in episode 19. He also joined as a co-host for episodes 19 and 21. His public TV show, out of Brattleboro Vermont, has extolled the virtues of world fusion music around the globe. We’re happy to have him back. The World Fusion Show recently featured Jim and Richie. That was episode 165 of the show, which you can find on Youtube. I highly recommend it.
Click the cover, below, to hear Jim’s and Richie’s first album together:
Here’s the playlist from the episode:
“And of Five” from Jim and Richie’s album Rise From the Top
“Cloud Call,” the title track from the album by Telemana, featuring Jim, Richie and Jim’s partner, Leila, as well as sitarist Robert Markey
“If’s Bridge” from Rise From the Top
“Overtly Other” from Rise From the Top
“Not There,” from the album Private Power by Paranoise, featuring Jim on guitar
“Forro de Dois Amigoes,” from Richie’s album Sanctuary, featuring Richie and Chick Corea
“Time Takes” from Rise From the Top
Free jam with Jim, Richie and Derrik Jordan on The World Fusion Show.
Learn more about Jim and Richie here. Explore the world of Right Brain Record here. And stay tuned to this podcast — lots more lies ahead.