sam bardfeld trio at greenwich house music school, nyc, apr 19, 2023

• photography by ©Clara Pereira; text by Filipe Freitas

American violinist Sam Bardfeld, together with his excellent rhythm partners - pianist Jacob Sacks and drummer Michael Sarin - celebrated the release of his new trio album, Refuge (BJU Records), at the Greenwich House Music School in New York on April 19th.

Building a keen rapport with the audience, Bardfeld was visibly pleased not just to present his latest work but also to return to the place where he studied and had his first gig at the age of five.

Following the order of the tracks on the album, the concert began with “It Might Not Work”, whose delightful dissonances, chromaticism, intervallic leaps, and fluid phrasing are declarative of a stimulating style informed by the music of Eric Dolphy, Charles Ives, Thelonious Monk, and Andrew Hill. The interpretation of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” was bent by the harmonically investigative work of Sacks, a true master of modern texture, and propelled by the hand drumming, mallet and brush work of Sarin. The pizzicato and violin chops gave it an irresistible touch.

Another piece that caused frisson was “Kick Me”, with its ascendant violin glissandi and fleet piano playing (Sacks’ command of the bass notes and high registers is impressive). And the concert ended with “Refuge”, an unwavering dedication to pianist Andrew Hill, who wrote it.