• Chris's Summer Break? (2002)
• Chris Barber: Guest Trombonist in Van Morrison's Band
• CD sleeve notes
• Concert review, June 11, 2003
• Mike Magic Henry

CHRIS'S SUMMER BREAK? (2002)

During the Summer breaks Chris has been as busy as ever!

In early June Chris travelled to Germany to take part in an interview with Van Morrison for inclusion in a documentary being made by ARTE, the German-French TV Company. To make it worthwhile Chris suggested to Van that he guested with him on Van's concert in Cologne on 8 June; Van took Chris up on his offer and the concert was the first of seven that Chris has done with Van over the summer.

Later in June Chris and Kate took a holiday in Vancouver (they first went in 2000) and as previously Chris joined the band Sweet Papa Lowdown for a few gigs, including a session for the Canadian Broadcasting Company, and a festival appearance.

12 July saw Chris with Van again this time in Lugano; and later in the month in Esslingen, Germany, on the 25th, and Lucerne on 26th.

In the previous Newsletter Chris's BBC Jazz Award was mentioned, the complete ceremony, (31 July) including Chris and the Band, has been available on the Internet. Some of the Band were on holiday and Nick Payton depped for John Crocker, Enrico Tomasso for Pat, and Brian Mellor (Zenith Hot Stompers) for Paul.

In Mid August Chris guested with Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra at the Ferrari Convention.

Sweden was the next destination for Chris with Van: Gothenburg on 23rd August and Malmo on the 24th.

On 11 September Chris followed up his appearance with Jools Holland with a recording session with the Rhythm and Blues Orchestra for Jools' next album More Friends. The track was "Angle Grinder Blues." The session was recorded at Helicon Mountain, Jools' own studio in Greenwich.

The last two dates with Van were at the Dome, Brighton on 13th and 14th September. Both these shows were excellent, with most fans thinking that Saturday just had the edge. From the second concert two numbers stand out, "St. James Infirmary" with Chris joining in on the vocal chorus (this had Van laughing like mad!) and the four horns (Van on sax) were so tight that a piece of tracing paper would not have fitted between them. The show climaxed with a truly outstanding "All In The Game"; the audience were stunned into total silence, the horns (Matt Holland-trumpet; Martin Winning-Saxes; and Chris) were perfect, so good in fact that after Van sang "mellow" he was so knocked out that he asked them to do it again; even the Band applauded! The number ended with a very well deserved standing ovation.

The TV documentary mentioned was due to be broadcast on 27 August, but was postponed, and is now due to air in January 2003 in Europe; the conversations and interviews will be dubbed in both German and French. There are no plans yet for a UK slot! This is a great pity, because it is well produced and well worth watching (a very good documentary). There are also plans for two or three other TV programmes during the rest of the year in Europe, including one from a concert in Berlin filmed in the 1960s (in black and white!).

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CHRIS BARBER -- GUEST TROMBONIST IN VAN MORRISON'S BAND

Van's fans may by now becoming used to seeing Chris Barber in the Brass Section, the latest occasion being Van's topping the bill at Guildford on Sunday 30 July; and this after Chris (he is now a spritely 70 year old) had played with his Band in Edinburgh on the Friday, and in Amsterdam on Saturday. It was no doubt a blessing that the Sunday date was only a few miles from Chris's home near Guildford. Chris has of course got a normal (?) day job -- that of leading his own Jazz and Blues Band, which he started in 1954 and which still plays over 200 dates a year, in UK, Europe, and further afield; lately that has included a tour of Australia and New Zealand (with Kenny Ball and His Band).

Van started out in the sixties, at which time no doubt he would have heard Chris and His Jazz and Blues Band, and of course Lonnie Donegan and skiffle. The recent collaboration between the three of them on The Skiffle Sessions was Van's way of reprising the past with musicians whom he admired and respected, as they do Van. Van would also have listened to records by American Bluesmen, some probably imported, but some recorded in the UK; he would have been able to go to concerts by some of these Blues legends. What a lot of fans, still to this day, do not realise is that Chris was probably the first musician to actually invite Bluesmen to tour with his band. However, even before this, Chris had been recording Blues numbers, and within the first year of the founding of the Band Ottilie Patterson joined as the Band's Blues singer. She made many fine records with the band; there are three CDs available at present which feature Ottilie throughout, and she is of course on many compilations.

The first guest to tour with the Band was Big Bill Broonzy in 1955 and unfortunately (unless somebody knows better) there are no recordings available of the band with Big Bill, although there are recordings made by Big Bill while in the UK on a Castle reissue CD. In the Autumn of 1957 Sister Rosetta Tharpe was Chris's guest (although she sang gospel, her style was very much blues influenced - the same people who sang in the Churches in the South of the States, would have been singing Blues in the bars on Saturday night!) Luckily a concert in Manchester, and radio and TV appearances, were recorded, and there is a recent recording on Lake Records to remind us of Sister's wonderful singing and guitar playing.

Next, Chris invited the duo of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee to tour with the band. They were here in April and May 1958, and at the time they recorded two fine LPs on Nixa, one with Chris's Band, the other just the two of them, with on some tracks the pianist Dave Lee. Again both have recently been reissued, the tracks with Chris, again on Lake, and the duo tracks being on Castle. Both are well worth a listen.

In the Autumn of 1958 Muddy Waters, with his pianist Otis Spann, were the Band's guests and as with Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Manchester concert was recorded and issued on a Krazy Kat LP and reissued in 1993 by Interstate. The purists were taken aback by the addition of an amplifier for Muddy's guitar! (How old fashioned we were then; it wasn't till the 90s that acoustic again found favour - the unplugged albums by various Blues players).

In November and December of 1959, the blues singer and pianist, Champion Jack Dupree, toured with Chris, and although he did not record with the Band, an excellent tape exists of the BBC Jazz Club Christmas Show recorded on 3 December at Maida Vale, with Champion in good form. (There is also BBC2 Jazz 625 recording somewhere in the BBC vaults recorded in 1964).

1962 saw Louis Jordan touring with the band. Louis was credited with being one of the founders of RnB and Rock and Roll in the late 1930s. Chris said playing with Louis was like being dragged along by an express train! He certainly enlivened the band, and can be heard on a Delta Music CD.

Other Bluesmen to record with the Band in the sixties included Muddy Waters' harmonica player Jimmy Cotton. In 1961 he toured and recorded two excellent EPs for Columbia (these are very rare now, and need reissuing on CD!!). The backing for Jimmy included Chris on trombone and bass, Alexis Korner on guitar, and Keith Scott on piano.

Sonny Boy Williamson toured and recorded with the band in 1963. (He also played harmonica backing Ottilie Patterson on a Columbia single; one track, "Baby Please Don't Go", can be found on an EMI compilation). There was also home grown talent: Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies were in the band for a time in the early 1960s before deciding to go it alone; Ted Wood (Ron's brother) also recorded with the band; in 1965 John Slaughter, a young blues guitarist, joined the band as a permanent member and was well featured in Blues numbers and as rhythm guitarist. Ottilie Patterson was one of the first to encourage and arrange a recording session for Long John Baldry and The Hoochie Coochie Men in 1964. (One of these tracks is also on the EMI compilation mentioned earlier). Chris also recorded with such as Keith Emerson and The T Bones; Rory Gallagher; Tony Ashton (Chicken Shack); Brian Auger; and Steve Gibbons.

In 1976 Van himself asked Chris to help with an old New Orleans title "Oh Didn't he Ramble." Although Van himself did not take part, a future friend and fellow musician Doctor John did play piano!

Van recorded with Jimmy Witherspoon in 1993: "One Night In San Francisco". Jimmy appeared with Chris at the Reading Jazz Festival during the August Bank Holiday weekend in 1977. (The Reading Festival, as it was by then known, started as the Windsor or Richmond Jazz Festival; it became The Jazz and Blues Festival, then when it settled at Reading it became a Pop Festival; the 1977 Jazz Festival was run at the same time as the main Festival, within an area behind the main stage).

In September 1978 Chris had two guests, the New Orleans trumpeter Alvin Alcorn (ex Kid Ory Band) and the RnB pianist and singer Tommy Tucker ("High Heel Sneakers"). Tapes exist, but no recordings were issued. In more recent times (the 80s and 90s) Chris has recorded with Doctor John on an album of New Orleans music, and on other albums, including a lively album recorded during a gig at the famous Marquee Club in 1983 -- that was some night!

Chris Farlowe (also part of Van's Band) has sung with the Barber Band, and has recently been in the BBC Studio at Maida Vale with Chris and the Band, recording for a series of broadcasts to be aired in January 2001. In the studio a week earlier the Band's guest had been Mark Knopfler recording with the Band for the same series. (Chris had been a guest of the Notting Hillbilies at Ronnie Scott's in 1998 and 1999.)

It should come therefore as no surprise to anyone that Chris is now playing with Van; both enjoy playing and are immersed in the Blues; the two generations have come together and both have deep respect for each other's playing and understanding of THE BLUES. Thank you Van for keeping the flame alight, and Chris for nearly single-handedly bringing Blues and RnB to England.

Consulted sources:

• Chris Barber Discography by Gerard Bielderman and Julian Purser (1949-2000; new edition, now published)
• Blues; The British Connection by Bob Brunning (Blandford Press; 1986)

• Big Bill Broonzy; Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Blues Brothers Castle/Pulse PLS CD186 (1955 and 1958)
• Chris Barber's Jazz Band 1957 (special Guest Sister Rosetta Tharpe) Lake LACD130
• Chris Barber's Jazz Band Echoes of Harlem/Sonny, Brownie and Chris (1956/58) Lake LACD87

• Ottilie Patterson with Chris Barber's Jazzband. 1955-1958. Lake LACD30
• Back In The Old Days. 1959/1962. Timeless CBJBCD 4001
• Chris Barber (2 on 1) Blues Book/Good Morning Blues 1960 and 1964. BGO CD380
• Rhythm and Blues at Abbey Road. 1963 to 1967. (Ottilie/Baldry, etc.) EMI 7243 4 93453 2 4

• Muddy Waters Live in 1958. (Manchester 26/10/58) Interstate MW261058
• Louis Jordan and Chris Barber. 1962. Black Lion/Delta Music (GE) BLCD 760156
• Chris Barber, Dr John, and Freddie Kohlman. 1980. Take Me Back To New Orleans. Black Lion/Delta Music BLCD 760163
• Chris Barber and Dr John. Mardi Gras at The Marquee 1983. Timeless CDTTD 546/7 also on video, and briefly on DVD in USA!
• The Skiffle Sessions with Van and Lonnie on Virgin/Exile 7243 8 48307 2 4 and a few unofficial recordings of both nights in Belfast! (1998) (bootlegs).

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Julian's sleeve notes for the EMI CD released in 2002, The Best Of Chris Barber's Jazz Band (EMI 7243 5 40181 2 1)

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THE BIG CHRIS BARBER BAND AT THE ANVIL, BASINGSTOKE, June 11, 2003
Some thoughts and observations by Julian Purser

First Half:

The Big Chris Barber Band

Pat Halcox, Mike 'Magic' Henry (tps)
Chris Barber, Bob Hunt (tbs)
John Defferary (cl-1; ts-2; cl/basset horn-3; cl/ts-4)
Tony Carter (cl-5; as-6; bar-7; as/cl-8; flute-9; as/cl/bar-10)
Trevor Whiting (cl-11; as-12; ts-13; as/cl-14)
Paul Sealey (bj-15; g-16)
John Slaughter (g)
Vic Pitt (sbs)
Colin Miller (d)

Bourbon Street Parade (CB, PH; 2, 6, 11, 15)
Misty Mornin'/Jungle Nights In Harlem (4, 8, 14, 15)
Spell Of The Blues (4, 8, 14, 15)
Alice Blue Gown (2, 5, 11, 15)
All Blues (omit PH, MH, CB, BH) (2, 9, 11, 16)
Cornbread, Peas and Black Molasses (CB, PH vcl only, omit MH, BH, 2, 7, 13, 15)
Devaluation Blues (2, 7, 12, 16)
Big Noise From Winetka (VP/sbs and CM/d only)
South Rampart Street Parade (2, 7, 14, 15)

The 'Six Piece' Chris Barber Band

Pat Halcox (tp)
Chris Barber (tb, sbs/tb-1)
John Defferary (cl)
Paul Sealey (bj)
Vic Pitt (sbs)
Colin Miller (d)

Precious Lord
Martinique

The Big Chris Barber Band

Pat Halcox, Mike 'Magic' Henry (tps)
Chris Barber, Bob Hunt (tbs)
John Defferary (cl-1; ts-2; cl/basset horn-3; cl/ts-4)
Tony Carter (cl-5; as-6; bar-7; as/cl-8; flute-9; as/cl/bar-10)
Trevor Whiting (cl-11; as-12; ts-13; as/cl-14)
Paul Sealey (bj-15; g-16)
John Slaughter (g)
Vic Pitt (sbs)
Colin Miller (d)

Black and Tan Fantasy/The Mooche (3, 8, 14, 15)
Jubilee Stomp (2, 6, 12, 15)
Sweet Georgia Brown (omit MH, TC, BH; 1, 12, 16)
Goin' Home/Chimes Blues (4, 5, 11/13, 15)
Petite Fleur (2, 5, 14,16)
When The Saints Go Marching In (1, 5/7,12, 15)

As this review is the first of an occasional series (hopefully) I should introduce the musicians! Chris and Pat have been there forever! (Pat in fact joined in December 1952, but played only briefly before returning to his studies to become a chemist; however, as is well known, he returned for good on 31 May 1954.) John Slaughter joined in the summer of 1964, being recommend by John Mayall, and apart from a break in the 1980s and 1990s is still playing rhythm and blues guitar. Vic Pitt is from a musical family (his brother, Tony, is an excellent banjo/guitartist who has played with bands such as Acker Bilk, Alex Welsh, and Kenny Ball). Vic started in skiffle groups, and joined Kenny Ball in 1959, staying eighteen years before joining Chris on double bass in 1977. Paul Sealey (banjo/guitar), before joining Chris in the summer of 1994, was freelancing and playing with Humphrey Lyttelton, Keith Nichols, and many others; he is still much in demand in band breaks for recording, etc. John Defferary (clarinet, basset horn, tenor sax) has spent a lot of his career abroad: USA (where he was taught by both Barney Bigard and Albert Nicholas) and Europe, latterly with Papa Bue; he joined Chris after the 1998 summer break. Joining at the same time was Colin Miller (drums), who had been playing with Brian White's Magna Jazz Band.

The Big Chris Barber Band came into being officially in November 2001, when three members of the Bob Hunt Ellingtonians joined as full-time band personnel. During the previous couple of years, they had guested on many occasions, and as this was popular and good for the band, Chris took the next step and the band became an 'Eleven Piece.'

Bob Hunt (trombone, arranger) has played with Sid Lawrence, the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, and many others, before leading his own Ellington Orchestra. With an eleven piece band the arrangements are very important, and with Bob, Chris has an excellent arranger, and of course he is an Ellington specialist. Mike 'Magic' Henry (trumpet) started playing with classical groups, brass bands, doing session work; in 1978 he joined the Pasadena Roof Orchestra for some 12 years, and since then has freelanced, working for Keith Nichols, The Grahamaphones, Midnite Follies, and many others, not forgetting the Bob Hunt Ellingtonians. Tony Carter (clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax, and flute) was in BBC Midland Radio Orchestra, Harry Strutters Hot Rhythm Orchestra (so are Mike and Bob!) when time permits, and also in Bob Hunt's Ellingtonians. The latest recruit to the band, Trevor Whiting (clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, and soprano sax) has played with John Petters Band, Hefty Jazz, and also made an album under his own name (Flamingo on Rose Records).

So there is the line up for this concert, which opens with the Band's signature tune Bourbon Street Parade (there was a period when I Never Shall Forget took over this role for a while!). This is an ensemble piece, but has a good solo by Paul, and a wonderful duet by the two trombones. We then move on to the first Bob-arranged Ellington piece, Misty Mornin'/Jungle Nights in Harlem, lively numbers with solos all round. (Chris first recorded Misty Morning in October 1951! reissued on Lake LACD158 - The Great Revival Traditional Jazz 1951-57). Next we have a 1930 Dorsey Brothers tune, Spell of the Blues. Bob Hunt plays the Tommy Dorsey 1st Trombone part, and as Chris himself stated he plays the easier 2nd trombone part (Glen Miller was the Dorsey Brothers' other trombonist!). A wonderful old 1920 popular song Alice Blue Gown (Bob Hunt Arrangement) comes next. (On the First Eleven CD [Timeless] I play this track time after time, it fairly romps along, with the band building to a great climax, and then repeating it.) One would not normally expect a Miles Davis number from Chris; however Miles understood the blues as well as anyone, and All Blues is a workout for the reeds (no trumpets or trombones), with Tony Carter soloing on flute: wonderful stuff. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee wrote Cornbread, Peas and Black Molasses and introduced the band to the number on their tour in 1958; Chris and Pat provide vocal, and again the reeds are featured with Tony on baritone and John and Trevor swopping choruses on tenors: very bluesy. I remember listening to Devaluation Blues back in 1975 -- at the time the title was self explanatory! It is a good tune, and John Slaughter is showcased. One of the current highlights of the band's concerts is the Vic's and Colin's workout on The Bob Crosby Band original Big Noise From Winetka (Timeless TDD628); it is one number that needs to be watched as well as listened to, as Colin leaves the drums and uses his sticks everywhere, ending on the bass strings! This is followed by another Crosby Band original, South Rampart Street Parade -- ensemble playing throughout, bringing the first part of the show to a roaring climax.

Chris starts the second half with a humorous resume of how the band started, and then introduces the current 'Six Piece' playing the spiritual Precious Lord and one of Wilbur De Paris's well known Island Tunes, The Martinique (all these islands started with an M (Malta, Madeira, etc.); this is another of my favourite tunes first recorded in 1954 and released by Decca on New Orleans Joys (reissued on Lake LACD141/142). The full band returns with another segued version of two Duke Ellington numbers, Black and Tan Fantasy/The Mooche, very atmospheric, lots of clarinets, and John Defferary playing the basset horn to vary the sound (again Bob Hunt arrangements). Black and Tan was first recorded in 1955, while The Mooche was first played and recorded while the band was touring with two ex-Ellington sidemen, Wild Bill Davis (piano) and Russell Procope (clarinet and alto sax) in 1976: wonderful concerts (Timeless TTD 556/557). Jubilee Stomp, first recorded by Duke in 1927/28, is an up-tempo romp, after which the band need a break, so Chris takes his solo number Sweet Georgia Brown with nice changes of tempo; also soloing are Vic and Paul. Monty Sunshine (who was rather ill recently, but is now in better health) has retired and the band is again playing Petite Fleur as a Tony Carter feature, with full band backing, and Paul playing the guitar solo. This leaves just time for a good workout on The Saints. Everyone gets to solo, and the version is far from hackneyed.

As can be seen the programme is varied: all the band are featured and can be seen to be enjoying themselves, and their playing sounds fresh. There are, I am sure, more new arrangements and tunes to come. Tour dates can be found on the Timeless website. If you have not seen the band recently then I would urge you to go if they are anywhere near you. As Chris says, "If you last saw us in 1958, don't leave it so long again, or it will be too late!"

(Copyright © Julian Purser June 27, 2003; licensed to Ed Jackson for use on this web site)

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Julian Purser on MIKE MAGIC HENRY (trumpet)

Readers who regularly go to Chris Barber concerts will already have heard and seen Mike playing alongside with Pat. Till I joined a tour with the band in Switzerland earlier this year, I did not know very much about him, and wondered where he gained the experience he so obviously brings to his wonderful playing.

Mike was born in Bury, Lancs, and at 11 years of age attended the Junior Royal College of Music in Manchester; after this he gained a scholarship to Chetham's School of Music in the same city. At 18 he gained a place at the Guildhall School of Music in London (following in Chris' footsteps!). His teachers included Trevor Green (Scottish Opera), Henry Hall (Halle Orchestra) and others equally talented and well known.

While at the Guildhall he led the Brass Ensemble conducted by Denis Wick, and also played 1st trumpet in The Symphony Orchestra. During his second year he was chosen as one of 6 musicians to play in the Juenesses Musicals World Orchestra at the 1976 Olympic Games in Canada, touring with them for a month afterwards. The same year he also toured Italy with a 20-piece Brass Ensemble with whom he also travelled to Korea and Japan the following year.

After College his first work was freelancing with the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Further freelance work led eventually to Mike joining the Pasadena Roof Orchestra in 1978. The Pasadenas toured extensively throughout Europe and the UK, with recording, radio and TV work added, it was a busy life. He also did the occasional date with the LSO and session work. Mike was a full-time member of the PRO for 12 years, and since 1990 has been freelancing, basing himself in London, working, in the main, in the jazz field, specialising in the styles of the music from the 1920's-1940's.

Bands and Orchestras he has been involved with, besides the Pasadenas, have been Keith Nichols (Cotton Club Orchestra and Band), The Grahamaphones, Red Hot and Blue Orchestra, Echoes of Ellington, Harry Strutter's Hot Rhythm, Charleston Chasers, Bob Hunt Ellington Orchestra, Midnite Follies, and many other groups. Recently he accompanied Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music on his tours of Europe. He has also played with smaller jazz groups such as Acker Bilk: Guiness Jazz Band (23 years) with whom he has played 20 Cork Festivals, and toured extensively in the UK and Europe. His work with all these bands and groups has included radio, TV, film soundtracks and albums, and he is active as a session musician for CBS, EMI at Abbey Road, CTS and others.

Mike's recorded output includes Brass Band albums in the 1960's, Orchestral in the 70's; and from 1978 albums (both LP's and CD's) with the Pasadenas, Keith Nichols Groups; Guiness Jazz Band CD's, The Bob Hunt Orchestra, and recently Chris Barber and Bob Hunt. On 27 November, 2001 at the 100 Club, Oxford Street, Mike was one of three musicians joining the renamed "Big Chris Barber Band" as a full-time member. We will introduce the others in a later article.

As can be gathered, Mike has had a varied, interesting and exacting career to date, and his joining Pat in the front line brings the Barber Band back full circle to the 1950 Chris Barber New Orleans Jazz Band which had in the front line cornet and trumpet. Anyone who has heard the Chris Barber Band with the Ellingtonians will know what to expect, but if you have not yet heard them (try the Chris Barber/Bob Hunt Timeless album) try to do so as soon as possible. A front line with 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and 3 reeds is able to offer a variety of sounds and styles of Jazz.

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