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Chris Barber

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Chris Barber · Donald Christopher Barber (1930 to 2021) was an English jazz musician, best known as a bandleader and trombonist. He was born in Welwyn Garden City and had violin lessons as a child. After the war he went to jazz clubs in London and studied at the Guildhall School of Music, where he met Alexis Korner, among others. In 1950 he founded an amateur band to play trad jazz and blues. He had trained as an actuary, but in 1951 he left his job at an insurance office, and in 1952 he became a professional musician.

Music and breakthrough

At the end of 1952 he formed a band with the clarinettist Monty Sunshine that played in London clubs. After a performance in Copenhagen in 1953 it grew into his own group. Lonnie Donegan played in that band, and his appearances with Barber sparked the skiffle craze of the mid-1950s. Donegan had his first hit in America with Rock Island Line while he was still playing with Barber. In 1959 Barber himself reached the British top twenty with Petite Fleur. Later he recorded albums with Lonnie Donegan and with Louis Jordan, among others.

Influence

Barber gave a stage to blues singers such as Ottilie Patterson, for a time his wife, and brought African American blues musicians to Britain. In doing so he played an important part in the emergence of British rhythm and blues and the beat boom of the 1960s. His own music remained traditional New Orleans jazz, but his band became a breeding ground for the pop that came after it.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Petite Fleur and notice the soft clarinet that carries the melody, with the band beneath it. Try to hear how this piece sounds like traditional jazz and yet was a hit.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists