Barry Altschul-The Daily Ledger

Barry Altschul (born January 6, 1943, New York City) is a free jazz and hard bop drummer who first came to notice in the late 1960s for performing with pianists Paul Bley and Chick Corea.

Biography

Altschul is of Russian Jewish heritage, the son of a laborer who did construction work and drove a taxi. Having initially taught himself to play drums, Altschul studied with Charlie Persip during the 1960s. In the latter part of the decade, he performed with Paul Bley. In 1969 he joined with Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Anthony Braxton to form the group Circle. At the time, he made use of a high-pitched Gretsch kit with add-on drums and percussion instruments.

Barry Altschul

In the 1970s, Altschul worked extensively with Anthony Braxton's quartet featuring Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, and George E. Lewis. Braxton, signed to Arista Records, was able to secure a large enough budget to tour with a collection of dozens of percussion instruments, strings and winds. In addition to his participation in ensembles featuring avant-garde musicians, Altschul performed with Lee Konitz, Art Pepper and other "straight ahead" jazz performers.

Barry Altschul

Altschul also made albums as a leader, but after the mid-1980s he was rarely seen in concert or on record, spending much of his time in Europe. Since the 2000s, he has become more visible, with two sideman appearances on the CIMP label with the FAB trio (with Billy Bang and Joe Fonda), the Jon Irabagon Trio recording Foxy and the bassist Adam Lane. Altschul has played or recorded with many musicians, including Roswell Rudd, Dave Liebman, Barre Phillips, Denis Levaillant, Andrew Hill, Sonny Criss, Hampton Hawes, and Lee Konitz.

Barry Altschul

Discography

As leader/co-leader

1967: Virtuosi (Improvising Artists) with Paul Bley and Gary Peacock

1977: You Can't Name Your Own Tune (32 Jazz) 1978: Another Time/Another Place (Muse) 1979: For Stu (Soul Note) 1979: Somewhere Else (Moers Music) 1979: Be-Bop? (Musica) with Pepper Adams 1980: Brahma (Sackville) 1983: Irina (Soul Note) 1986: That's Nice (Soul Note) 2003: Transforming the Space 2012: Reunion: Live in New York (Pi) 2013: The 3Dom Factor (TUM) 2015: Tales of the Unforeseen (TUM) 2017: The 3Dom Factor: Live In Krakow (Not Two) 2021: Long Tall Sunshine (Not Two)

As sideman

With Paul Bley

Touching (Debut, 1965) Closer (ESP-Disk, 1966) Ramblin' (BYG Actuel, 1967) Blood (Fontana, 1966) In Haarlem - Blood (Freedom, 1967) Ballads (ECM, 1967 [1971]) Paul Bley & Scorpio (Milestone, 1973) Japan Suite (Improvising Artists, 1977) Hot (Soul Note, 1985) Live at Sweet Basil (Soul Note, 1988) Indian Summer (SteepleChase, 1987) Rejoicing (SteepleChase, 1989)

With Anthony Braxton

The Complete Braxton (Freedom, 1971 [1973]) Town Hall 1972 (Trio, 1972) Quartet: Live at Moers Festival (Ring, 1974 [1976]) Five Pieces 1975 (Arista, 1975) Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (Arista, 1976) Dortmund (Quartet) 1976 (hatART, 1976 [1991]) The Montreux/Berlin Concerts (Arista, 1975–76)

With Chick Corea

The Song of Singing (1971) Circling In (1975) ARC (ECM, 1971) Circulus (1970) Circle 1: Live in Germany Concert (CBS/Sony Japan, 1971) Paris Concert (ECM, 1971) Circle 2: Gathering (CBS/Sony Japan, 1971) The Beginning (1996)