Sam Barsh

Biography

Barsh was born in Chicago, IL, and began playing piano at the age of 4. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL and William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. Barsh moved to New York City in 2001 and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Career

From 2003-2006 Barsh was a member of the band of bassist Avishai Cohen, with whom he toured the world extensively. Barsh appears on Cohen's albums At Home and Continuo, and the live album/DVD As Is...Live at the Blue Note.

Between 2008 and 2011, Barsh released three albums as a leader: the independently released Live! and Live Vol. II, and I Forgot What You Taught Me on Razdaz Recordz.

Along with vocalist Jesse Palter, Barsh founded the electronic pop group Jesse Palter and the Alter Ego, (later renamed Palter Ego), in 2009. The group has released 2 EPs and two albums.

In 2013, Barsh co-wrote "The Man" for Aloe Blacc's album Lift Your Spirit. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified platinum by the RIAA, selling over 2.5 million copies in the US.

Barsh played keyboards on the 2014 Kendrick Lamar song "i", which received the award for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 2015 Grammy Awards. He composed and played keyboards on the song Institutionalized on Lamar's Grammy-winning 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly.

In 2016, Barsh co-wrote and played on the songs "Heart Don't Stand a Chance" and "Your Prime" for Anderson .Paak's Grammy-nominated breakthrough album Malibu, and co-wrote "Man Down" for BJ the Chicago Kid's Grammy-nominated album In My Mind.

Barsh has performed with Babyface, Bobby McFerrin, Boyz II Men, Branford Marsalis, Bruno Mars, Cassandra Wilson, Common, David Foster, Debbie Friedman, Emily King, Estelle, Fred Wesley, Gene Simmons, Gregory Porter, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kiran Ahluwalia, Large Professor, Lonnie Plaxico, Mark Ballas, Mino Cinelu, Natasha Bedingfield, Quadron, Ravi Coltrane, Rez Abbasi, Robin Eubanks, Roy Hargrove, Stevie Wonder, The Brand New Heavies, and Tom Jones.

1999

Song For Tomorrow - Sam Barsh (As Sam Bar-sheshet) (composer, piano, keyboard)

2004

At Home - Avishai Cohen Trio and Ensemble (composer, fender rhodes, melodica, organ, piano, vocals)

So Alive - Lonnie Plaxico (piano, keyboards, organ)

Two Colors - Russ Nolan (piano)

Zach Brock and the Coffee Achievers - Zach Brock (composer, piano, organ)

2005

Chemistry - Zach Brock (composer, producer, piano, keyboards)

Finding Space - Rick Parker Collective (piano, synthesizer)

The Relatives - Jeff Parker (electric piano)

2006

Continuo - Avishai Cohen (keyboards, piano, handclapping)

Live at the Jazz Factory - Zach Brock (piano, composer)

2007

As Is…Live at the Blue Note - Avishai Cohen (piano, keyboards, melodica)

As Is…Live at the Blue Note (DVD) - Avishai Cohen (piano, keyboards, melodica)

With You in Mind - Russ Nolan featuring the Kenny Werner Trio (producer)

2008

The Gambler EP - Beyondo (keyboards)

I Forgot What You Taught Me - Sam Barsh (composer, producer, keyboards, melodica, piano)

Live! - Sam Barsh (composer, producer, keyboards)

Vosotros Presents: The Years - The Years (composer, producer, keyboards, melodica)

2009

Day One - Meilana Gillard (electric piano)

Evil Genius - Michael Feinberg (piano, keyboards)

Hypnotic - Gene Segal (composer, organ, synthesizer)

In My Own Company - Jennifer Lee Snowden (producer, piano, organ, melodica)

Inner Dance - Fabrizio Sotti (organ)

Limited Edition EP - Palter Ego (as Jesse Palter and the Alter Ego) (composer, producer, keyboards)

Vosotros Presents: The Years Mixtape - The Years (composer, producer, keyboards, melodica)

2010

By the Numbers - Dustin Edge (keyboard, organ)

PVD and 8th W1 are: Luz Deville - Lux Deville (keyboards)

Yvette Rovira - Yvette Rovira (composer)

01. "Everybody Stand Up"

09. "Psychedelia"

12. "Smile"

2011

Live Vol. II - Sam Barsh (composer, producer, keyboards)

Sounds Like This! - PVD (keyboards)

01. "One Two (feat. Sam Barsh)"

We Write Songs - Palter Ego (as Jesse Palter and the Alter Ego) (composer, producer, keyboards)

We Are - Elan (keyboards)

2012

Agápē - Jojo (keyboards)

01. "Back2thebeginningagain"

Above the Covers - Palter Ego (producer, keyboards, mixing)

Dealbreaker - White on Rice featuring Norah Jones (composer, producer, keyboards)

Emuna - Daniel Ori (piano)

Eviction Notice - Wax (composer, producer, keyboards)

09. "Killing Me Inside"

MoodSwings - Lalana (composer, producer, keyboards)

01. "Waitin' (6 O'clock)"

02. "Best of 3"

04. "Operating At the Cost of Love"

06. "Gold"

07. "You Pester Me"

08. "Somethin Bout Nothin"

09. "Lady Freak"

12. "I'm Sold/Apology"

Soulflower - Robin McKelle (composer)

01. "So It Goes"

02. "Tell You One Thing"

03. "Nothing's Really Changed"

04. "Fairytale Ending"

05. "Miss You Madly"

Violet - Nick Rosen (composer, producer, keyboards, mixer)

04. "Blues for Albert"

05. "Eastside/Westside"

2013

Between Two Evils - Aubrey O'Day (composer, keyboards, vocal producer)

08. "Devil & Me"

Fairytale Ending - Robin Mckelle (composer)

I Lost My Coachella Ticket - Kosha Dillz (composer, producer, keyboards)

Id, Ego, Palter Ego - Palter Ego (composer, producer, keyboards)

The Man - Aloe Blacc (composer, keyboards)

Maurice vs. Mobetta - Maurice Brown (composer, producer, vocals, keyboards)

02. "The Connection (feat. Sam Barsh)

2014

Control Yourself - Opolopo Remix - Robin Mckelle (composer)

Enter the Dynasty - Dontae Winslow and Winslow Dynasty (piano, keyboards)

06. "Blaxploitation and Revolutions (feat. the West Coast Get Down)" (piano, nord lead)

09. "2304 West North Avenue"

Heart of Memphis - Robin Mckelle and the Flytones (composer)

01. "About to Be Your Baby"

04. "Control Yourself"

08. "Easier That Way"

i - Kendrick Lamar (keyboards)

Lift Your Spirit - Aloe Blacc (composer, keyboards)

02. "The Man"

08. "Red Velvet Seat"

Modern Vintage - John Robinson and PVD (composer, keyboards)

06. "What's the Point"

The Way - Macy Gray (composer, keyboards)

10. "Life"

The Worst - Van Ike (composer, producer, keyboards, vocals)

2015

All We Need - Raury (composer, keyboards)

07. "Peace Prevail"

Free TC - Ty Dolla Sign (composer, keyboards)

17. "Finale"

Southpaw (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture) - Various Artists (keyboards)

02. "Kings Never Die (Eminem featuring Gwen Stefani)

The Incredible True Story - Logic (composer, keyboards)

18. "The Incredible True Story"

To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (composer, keyboards)

04. "Institutionalized" (featuring Bilal, Anna Wise and Snoop Dogg

15. "i"

Way to Be - Amanda Brecker (piano, keyboards, organ)

Misunderstood - Ethan Tucker (keyboards, organ)

2016

Malibu - Anderson .Paak (composer, keyboards)

02. "Heart Don't Stand a Chance"

12. "Your Prime"

In My Mind - BJ the Chicago Kid (composer, keyboards)

02. "Man Down"

Always Strive and Prosper - A$AP Ferg (composer, keyboards, trumpet)

01. "Rebirth"

05. "Psycho"

11. "Beautiful People"

18. "Grandma"

Back To Me - Shana Halligan (composer, keyboards)

04. "Something Real"

The Birth of a Nation: The Inspired By Album - Various Artists (composer, keyboards, string arranging)

14. "Forward" (K. Michelle)

Stripped - Macy Gray (composer)

09. "The Heart"

Beautiful Broken - Heart (composer)

02. "Two"

61 Barkly - Jakubi (composer, keyboards)

02. "Uptown Lady"

The Name EP - SonReal (composer, keyboards)

04. "Hot Air Balloon"

State of Mind - Nipsey Hussle ft. Y2 (composer, keyboards)

D.R.U.G.S. - Rejjie Snow (composer, keyboards)

The Deal - Palter Ego (composer, producer, keyboards, engineering)

2017

All-Amerikkkan Badass - Joey Bada$$ (composer, keyboards)

01. "Good Morning Amerikkka"

02. "For My People"

12. "Amerikkkan Idol"

Everybody - Logic (composer, keyboards)

08. "Mos Definitely"

12. "Black Spiderman"

East Coast - ASAP Ferg (composer, keyboards)

Half Hearted - Finn Matthews (composer, producer, keyboards)

Rather You Than Me - Rick Ross (composer, keyboards)

10. "Scientology"

Awards and nominations

Barsh was the recipient of two 2015 BMI Awards, the US R&B Hip-Hop award and the London Pop Award.

He was a nominee for the Ashford and Simpson Songwriter Award at the 2014 Soul Train Awards.

Though never an official Grammy Award nominee, Barsh’s work as a composer and keyboardist has received 3 Grammy Awards out of 7 nominations.

Aloe Blacc Lift Your Spirit - 2014 Best R&B Album (nominated)

Kendrick Lamar i - 2014 Best Rap Song (won) and Best Rap Performance (won)

Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly - 2015 Best Rap Album (won) and Album of the Year (nominated)

Anderson .Paak Malibu - 2016 Best Urban Contemporary Album (nominated)

BJ the Chicago Kid In My Mind - 2016 Best R&B Album (nominated)

He was awarded a 2000 Downbeat Magazine Student Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Soloist.