Born: July 24, 1959 Primary Instrument: Drums
Barry has been a major fixture on the Canadian jazz scene for over 25 years and has been featured on over 70 recordings including 12 as leader/co- leader,with groups such as The MRC Trio, Inside Out & Random Access. Over the years Barry has worked with Gil Evans, Joe Henderson, Ritchie Bierach, Don Pullen, Don Byron & Sam Rivers to name a few. Barry has also been a featured performer on numerous Canadian tours as well as the US, Europe & India. Barry is also a Juno winner & 8 time Juno nominee.
Barry Romberg's Random Access Group was nominated at the National Jazz Awards for Best Electric Group in 2005/2006/2007/2008/2009 and Barry was also nominated for drummer of the year at the NJA in 2006/2007/2008/2009.
Barry's Romhog Records has been picking up speed since its inception in 2002 and now has 10 titles in its catalogue,and has been recieving some great exposure in Canada, Europe & the US.
Barry is also on faculty in the music programs at York University & Humber College in Toronto.
Barry's most recent project; RALE, The Random Access Large Ensemble is an extension of the Random Access group expanding the 7 piece band bringing the full compliment to 14, and features some of the finest musicians in the country. The new group has been workshoping some exciting new material at The Rex in Toronto over the last few years; and was featured in a Final Gala performance at the IAJE/Toronto in 2008. The Random Access Large Ensemble (2008/09 National Jazz Awards Nominee for Best Big Band) released the new recording “Existential Detective in April 2008. The CD was nominated for a Juno Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Recording in 2009.
Brian Morton, Wire Magazine
Drummer-composer-bandleader Barry Romberg is playfully subversive. The Latest installment¦ (RA 3) is full of suprises and good humour, along with a multitude of good grooves¦..Romberg displays quick hands, keen instincts and coloristic tendencies behind the kit.
Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times Magazine
Barry Romberg's sound hasn't fully filtered down across that long border separating his native Canada from the US, and it's a shame. He's distinctive and prolific, swirling his own brand of originality with established sounds; Romberg's drumming...is crisp and geometrical, full of tight grooves, dividing the sometimes swirling music into percussive departments.
Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
Romberg struck me as the most startling drummer since Claude Ranger...I am truly convinced Romberg has potential as a future jazz visionary.
Bill Besecker, The Jazz Report
Romberg is one of the most innovative jazz drummers in Canada.
Dennis Slater, FFWD, Calgary
Romberg plays in a brisk bustling, licety-split manner, marshalling a lot of small, quick sounds with a sharp crack of a rim shot. It's a personal style, something that a lot of drummers never develop in careers much longer than Romberg's to date. He applies that style and all its textures to a heated post- fusion style of jazz, the sort that the Breckers, Bergs, and Sterns are doing down New York way.
Mark Miller, The Globe & Mail
The hardest-working musician in Canada just might be drummer Barry Romberg, who in addition to various sideman gigs, plays in the Barry Romberg Group, The Three Sisters, Inside Out, and the MRC Trio- and distributes recordings by these enembles on his own Romhog Records¦ Romberg's got his own style, but there is plenty of Elvin Jones in Barry's off beat accents and in his sheer power and force ....and some Jack Dejohnette, too, in his vast musicality and creativity¦..Romberg's skills as a producer are as important as his ability behind his kit.
Paul Olsen, All About Jazz
Primary Instrument:
Drums
Location:
Toronto
