Drummer Joe La Barbera’s energetic touch and masterful soloing has established him as not only a giant in, but a living master of the music. La Barbera is best known for his recordings and live performances with the trio of pianist Bill Evans in the final years of Evans’ career.

Additionally, over the course of his career, La Barbera has been the choice drummer for jazz greats Woody Herman, Tony Bennett, Chuck Mangione and Joe Farrell among several others. Today, La Barbera remains one of the most in-demand drummers on the west coast, and is a regular on the Sam First stage.

On World Travelers, recorded live at Sam First, La Barbera is joined by 30-plus year quintet members — tenor saxophonist Bob Sheppard, trumpeter Clay Jenkins, pianist Bill Cunliffe and the most recent addition to the band, bassist Jonathan Richards.

Side A:
1. Blue Notes
2. Landmarks Along The Way
3. Lake Erie
4. Barcelona

Putting the vinyl on the record player, drumming icon Joe La Barbera opens with the impressively drawn Blue Notes and the inspired rhythms within Landmarks Along The Way and then we get the furnished melodies of Lake Erie and the vested vibes of Barcelona.

Side B:
5. You Know I Care
6. It’s A Big Wide Wonderful World
7. Simone
8. Soultrane
9. Grand Central

Flipping the smooth vinyl LP over and we next get the stirring You Know I Care and the exuberant It’s A Big Wide Wonderful World, which are in turn backed seamlessly by the bountiful Simone, rounding out on the fulsome Soultrane, coming to a close on the free flowing hipsway found within Grand Central.

Sam First Records is the in-house label for the Westside Los Angeles jazz club, Sam First. A product of the club owner Paul Solomon and musician/artistic director David Robaire, the label is keeping the spirit of jazz moving forward in the 21st century.

Utilizing state-of-the-art equipment (24 channels of Grace and AEA preamps running through a Lynx Aurora A/D converter), there is a strong effort to bring pristine recording aesthetics to a live club setting. Their setup also includes AEA ribbon mics with DPA, Mojave and Soyuz condenser mics.

The first release in this “live” series was pianist Justin Kauflin, a musical pioneer who is celebrated by jazz royalty including Quincy Jones.

Joe La Barbera Quintet - World Travelers [Official Teaser]