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New Album, “Scattered Diamonds” From The Barrett Martin Group

Scattered Diamonds is the 9th studio album from Latin Grammy-winning producer, composer, percussionist, and writer, Barrett Martin. This time around, Barrett is featuring his collaborations with artists from around the world, from countries such as Iraq, India, Senegal, and Ghana, and including well-known rock and jazz musicians from Seattle, WA and Santa Fe, NM. These songs are as diverse as the guests themselves, and feature Barrett’s original compositional style, built around his visceral drumming and global percussion techniques. As Barrett describes it in his own words:

Scattered Diamonds is a collection of my best songs and collaborations with friends from around the world. The album represents my global musical influences, and it seems particularly timely now, because they feature musicians and singers from the Middle East, West Africa, and India, as well as several jazz and rock musicians, who I have worked with over the years. Scattered Diamonds encapsulates all of these special guests and their immense talents, organized into one concise album. Each of these songs is a diamond in their unique example of how music can be expressed globally, and I think it’s my favorite album so far – it’s certainly the most adventurous!”

Barrett has also been promoting his 2 books, The Singing Earth and The Way Of The Zen Cowboy (both available as audiobook, paperback, E-Book, and Kindle), and he will be embarking on a One-Man Storytelling Tour in 2021. At the shows, he will be telling stories from his books, performing on drums and multiple percussion instruments, and presenting a slideshow of his photos from 6 continents, over the course of 30 years.

SCATTERED DIAMONDS

Produced by Barrett Martin

The Guest Artists:

Rahim Alhaj – Grammy-Nominated Iraqi Oud Master 

Seth Amoaku – Ghanaian Master Drummer

Peter Buck – Grammy-Winning Guitarist for R.E.M.

Dave Carter – Trumpet and original member of the Barrett Martin Group

Thione Diop – Senegalese Drum Master

Paul Fischer – Seattle-based Guitarist

Mehnaz Hoosein – Hindustani Singer from Mumbai, India

Wayne Horvitz – Renowned Jazz Keyboardist and Composer

Kanoa Kaluhiwa – New Mexico-based Saxophonist

Curtis Macdonald – New York-based Saxophonist

John Rangel – New Mexico-based Pianist 

Skerik – Seattle-based Saxophonist

Hans Teuber – Seattle-based Saxophonist

Kim Thayil – Grammy-Winning Guitarist for Soundgarden

Ben Thomas – Seattle-based Vibraphonist

 The Songs: 

  1. Roll The Bones (feat. Kanoa Kaluhiwa) 5:22
  2. Way Down (feat. Dave Carter) 4:42
  3. Swingin’ On A Moonbeam (feat. Skerik) 3:56
  4. Battleship Swing (feat. Ben Thomas) 5:26
  5. Alhambra (feat. Rahim Alhaj) 3:30
  6. Firefly (feat. John Rangel) 6:14
  7. Sarasvati (feat. Mehnaz Hoosein) 4:23
  8. The City Slithers (feat. Dave Carter) 4:36
  9. The Firebird (feat. Kim Thayil) 4:10
  10. Agbadza (feat. Dave Carter) 5:33
  11. Sands Of Venus (feat. Wayne Horvitz) 4:24
  12. Jakarta By Taxi (feat. Paul Fischer) 4:20
  13. The Fountain (feat. Rahim Alhaj) 4:06
  14. Ichcha (feat. Mehnaz Hoosein) 5:35
  15. There Is A Galaxy In Your Heart (feat. Curtis Macdonald) 4:55
  16. Play The 4thPrime (feat. Hans Teuber) 4:36
  17. Blue Sunrise (feat. Peter Buck) 3:43

Indwell is out now

IndwellThe 8th album from the Barrett Martin Group, “Indwell”, is now available on every digital platform and CD retailer around the world. It’s a collection of 25 percussion and ambient driven compositions specifically designed to go with a dance, yoga, or martial art practice. “Indwell” provides a soundtrack for these traditions, which is part of my philosophy of “music mixed with everyday life.”

The Way Of The Zen Cowboy/Songs Of The Firebird

The Way Of The Zen Cowboy/Songs Of The Firebird covers

THE WAY OF THE ZEN COWBOY is a new collection of 35 short stories, which are based on Barrett’s personal experiences in environments around the world, as well as wisdom tales heard directly from indigenous elders, his grandparents, and some of the cowboys and veterans he was mentored by. The book also comes with a digital download of the new double album from the Barrett Martin Group, SONGS OF THE FIREBIRD. The album is composed of 20 instrumental songs that serve as a parallel soundtrack to the stories in the book. The album is also available as a CD and embraces everything from modern jazz, to Afro-Latin rhythms, to ambient and electronic music, all of which feature the best and brightest musicians in Seattle, including special guests Peter Buck (guitarist for REM), Wayne Horvitz (New York jazz legend), and Kim Thayil (guitarist for Soundgarden).

Woven Songs Of The Amazon II

Woven Songs of the Amazon 2 Cover

Barrett releases the 2nd album for the indigenous Shipibo Shamans, which he recorded live in the Peruvian Amazon. The album is sequenced like a long healing ceremony, over 90 minutes long, and features 40 sacred healing songs knows as “Icaros.” It is only available a digital download because of its length and 100% of the proceeds go straight to these remarkable, ancient healers.