Sam Bardfeld

“Hurtling Between” is an apt description of the way Barry Altschul plays drums: effortlessly moving between swing and free playing. It’s also a fitting analogy for the current historical moment, in which there’s often a feeling of catapulting between awareness and denial. During the pandemic, Joe Fonda asked me if I would join him in a trio session at Barry’s house. We began to play semi-regularly, developing a rapport. Barry’s living room is filled with the accumulated trappings of a jazz life.…