Lettuce Play The Bert Seager Trio Bert Seager – piano Jorge Roeder – bass Richie Barshay – drums The Bert Seager Jazz Trio brings a new approach to the classic piano-bass-drums trio. With their deeply grooving use of world-rhythms, rich modern harmonies and melodic song-based forms their music is at once recognizable and new. Each piece’s improvised narrative unfolds in a playful three-way conversation. The trio plays a varied program of original music: always striving for transparency and making as much room as possible for the interaction that frames each song’s improvised narrative. Their new CD “Lettuce Play” from Invisible Music Records is available for sale. “The acclaimed pianist’s music is brainy, heartfelt, lyrical, and swinging, as he engages in a true musical conversation with his superb rhythm section.” Kevin Lowenthal – May 5, 2011 Boston Globe “There's not only smart and well-crafted modern jazz present, but innate beauty and serene confidence in Seager's music.” Michael G. Nastos - All Music Guide “Bert’s playing, while generally eschewing technical fireworks, is striking in its thoughtfulness and logic and the organic lines seem to naturally grow from the trio’s interactive frisson. Unafraid to use space, he achieves tension and interest through sophisticated melodic design and piquant harmonic thinking.” David Kane - Cadence Magazine Pianist and composer Bert Seager has been a leading player on the jazz scene in Boston Massachusetts since 1981. He has led tours with his band in Japan, Peru, Canada, Jordan, Bulgaria, and the United States. His fourteen internationally released compact discs have won him unanimous critical acclaim from the New York Times, Keyboard Magazine, The Boston Globe and many other publications. He has performed and recorded with Joe Lovano, Tim Hagans, George Garzone, Bob Moses and Joe Hunt. He has performed in ensembles on stage with George Mraz, Miroslav Vitous, Mick Goodrick, Tom Harrell, Ben Street, Chris Speed, and Billy Drewes. Bert is on the faculty of the New England Conservatory in their Contemporary Improvisation Department. http://www.bertseager.com/ Percussionist Richie Barshay, most noted as a member of the Herbie Hancock Quartet since 2003, has established himself as a prominent musical voice of his generation. Regarded as "a player to watch" by JazzTimes magazine, he maintains a busy international touring schedule with some of today's top artists including Hancock, Chick Corea, Esperanza Spalding, Lee Konitz, the Klezmatics, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Claudia Acuna, and Pete Seeger, Natalie Merchant, Fred Wesley, and many others. In September of 2004 he was named an American Musical Envoy by the U.S. State Department, along with the renowned Latin-Jazz ensemble Insight. Now based in Brooklyn, New York after 5 years on the Boston music scene, Richie began playing Jazz and Afro-Latin music during his youth and has expanded his focus to Indian rhythmic concepts and tabla, inspiring his 2005 recording debut "Homework" and the launching of his new band, The Richie Barshay Project. http://www.richiebarshay.com/ Bassist Jorge Roeder, from Lima, Peru is a founding member of the Grammy nominated Julian Lage group. He also plays in the new Gary Burton Quartet. Jorge was the assistant principal bassist of the Lima Philharmonic and Opera orchestras for the 2001 and 2002 seasons. In 2002, Jorge received a scholarship from the New England Conservatory of Music, and began jazz studies with Cecil McBee, John Lockwood, Danilo Perez, Oscar Stagnaro, Jerry Bergonzi. Jorge has recently performed with jazz greats such as Alex Acuna, Bob Brookmeyer, Roy Haynes, Steve Lacy, Harvey Mason, Bob Moses, George Russell, Maria Schneider, Gunther Schuller, Steve Turre, Bill Watrous and Kenny Wheeler.