Violinist Sam Bardfeld is a member of Bruce Springsteens' "Sessions" band and is a featured soloist on two of his last recordings "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions"(Sony 2006) and "Live in Dublin"(Sony 2007). He is also a member of The Jazz Passengers and has worked with jazz and avant-garde legends John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, Ray Anderson and James Spaulding; alt-rock icons Elvis Costello, Debbie Harry and John Cale and Latin stars Johnny Pacheco and Dave Valentin. He has recorded two CDs of critically acclaimed original music including "Taxidermy" (CIMP, 1999) and "Periodic Trespasses [The Saul Cycle]" (FreshSound/NewTalent, 2006). Sam is also the author of "Latin Violin: How to Play Salsa, Charanga and Latin Jazz Violin" considered to be the definitive work in its field.

"Sam Bardfeld's Up Jumped the Devil" is the violinist's latest project: a tribute to the maverick swing-era violinist Stuff Smith - equal parts reverent and irreverent. The group features pianist Anthony Coleman, trombonist and vocalist Curtis Fowlkes and bassist Sean Conly.

Sam was born and raised in New York City and began studying the violin at the age of five. He abandoned formal training at fourteen to play tunes with his friends and recorded with The Connotations on CBGBs Records. He attended Wesleyan University (CT) in 1986 where he graduated with honors, studying improvisation with saxophonist Bill Barron, in addition to studies in anthropology and history. In 1991 he received a fifth year Ford Foundation Academic Associates grant to study ethnomusicology at Wesleyan.

Upon returning to New York, Sam took time off from music and considered pursuing a variety of careers. At the age of twenty-six he quit his day job and dove into the life of a freelance musician. Early gigs included a week with alt-rock legend John Cale in Vienna, work with John Zorn, a weekly residency at the Louisiana Community Bar and Grill playing Cajun and zydeco music with The Gotham Playboys which led to recording folk music with Bruce Springsteen, a night with avant-jazz icons The String Trio of New York and collaborations with saxophonist Michael Attias and percussionists Ehran Elisha and Kevin Norton.

Bardfeld also began working regularly in NYC’s fertile Latin music scene. This led to numerous recordings, tours of Europe, South America and major US jazz festivals with salsa legend Johnny Pacheco, Septeto Roberto Rodriguez, flutist Dave Valentin, charanga greats Orquesta Broadway, Los Jovenes del Barrio, Tipica Novel and many others.

In 1999, Bardfeld released his debut CD, Taxidermy (CIMP), with Drew Gress, Mike Sarin and Kenny Wessel, which received a four-star review in Downbeat magazine and made top-ten lists in CODA and Cadence Magazines. He has continued to collaborate with Mark Dresser, James Spaulding, Anthony Braxton, Mark Ribot, Steven Bernstein, Drew Gress, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and pianist D.D. Jackson. His arranging credits include Stephen Trask’s soundtrack "A Hole in One" and work on Nancy Sinatra’s eponymously titled recording (Synchonicity, 2004) with alt-rock greats Calexico.

In 2002 Sam began working with saxophonist Roy Nathanson and the Jazz Passengers. Their projects have included two incredible nights with Elvis Costello; regular work with the Debbie Harry including a night with the BBC symphony at London’s Barbican; and multiple creative projects including “The Creature From the Black Lagoon” tour (SF Jazz festival, etc.) and “Fire at Keaton’s Bar and Grill” (w/ Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, et al). Sam has also recorded and performed at major jazz festivals with Roy Nathanson’s "Sotto Voce" quintet (Aum Fidelity, 2006).

Bardfeld’s second album as a leader, "Periodic Trespasses [The Saul Cycle]" (FreshSound/NewTalent,2006) features Ron Horton, Tom Beckham, Sean Conly and Satoshi Takeishi. The recording, structured like a graphic novel, tells the story of a character named Saul (a Gen-X shlemiel) through seven short narrative vignettes interspersed with Bardfeld's witty compositions. Time Out NY called Bardfeld "a marvelously gifted, violinist, composer and arranger,” The NYTimes called the record "coolly evocative," and Cadence Jazz said Bardfeld is "one of today's more delightfully eccentric characters."

Sam is currently touring with Roy Nathanson's Sotto Voce and working on the Broadway production of "Lone Star Love" with folk/swing group The Red Clay Ramblers and actor Randy Quaid.

He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Jessica and his daughter Daisy.

Sam Bardfeld | violinist & composer