Chris Barber success story

Autor(en): [s.n.]

Objekttyp: Article

Zeitschrift: The Swiss observer : the journal of the Federation of Swiss Societies in the UK

Band (Jahr): - (1984)

Heft 1810

PDF erstellt am: 02.10.2021

Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-687108

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http://www.e-periodica.ch Chris Barber success story

The Chris Barber band, u;ifh the man himself centre jronf rour

THE year is 1949. The scene a searching for for an - BMTMV'S Chris Barber Jazz Band this year years dark and dingy jazz club in accomplished blues guitar celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, and is this London. specialist with a sympathy month ma/cing its twenty /i/th annual tour o/ A battered old trombone, held towards the jazz side. The in- Switzerland. Swiss Observer correspondent together by pieces of string, traduction of electronics was and jazz enthusiast Colin Farmer, who ji'rst extortionately exchanges hands something we as a band felt the band in West London in the for the then princely sum of £6 saw per/orm should be done in jazz". J 950s reports on the Chris Barber success and 10 shillings. The proud In fact, any hostility towards story. recipient of this shabby instru- the Barber band's new sound was ment - a music-mad teenager. soon forgotten, and the band has Whatever the selling ethics of group the very same year he swept Britain. never failed to attract an the hard-up musician at the time, bought that battered trombone. During the subsequent "trad" enthusiastic following wherever it he more than compensated for But the band in its present forma- boom, Chris was always in the performs. any roguery by helping to launch tion played its first professional forefront along with many other Indeed, one of the main a certain Donald Christopher engagement in May 1954. keen contenders. But the Barber reasons for the continuing Barber on the British jazz scene. My own happy memories date band has always been more con- success of the band is - in the At the time, Chris Barber was back to those days when, as a cerned with the content and words of Chris himself: "We are trairiing to become an actuary - a very junior reporter on a West format of their musical drive and constantly incorporating new person who calculates the odds London weekly, I followed the direction than others who have sounds, styles and ideas into the for insurance companies. Today, Barber band around the pub and gained a more middle-of-the- programme, so that we can keep 35 eventful years later, one may club scene. The band has been road following due to blatant the music fresh". wonder what odds Chris, wearing performing around the world showmanship. As The Times jazz critic once his actuary's hat, would have laid ever since, including visits to the Always a popular performer in put it: "Most jazz groups get into at that time on not only making a music's spiritual home, New Switzerland, Chris raised more gear and stay there. With Barber full-time living playing jazz but on Orleans. than a few eyebrows when, in the there are always unexpected becoming one of its most popular The original 1954 line-up in- mid-1960s, he introduced a changes of gear, direction and international exponents. eluded clarinettist Monty young electric guitarist into the tempo, because even after more His early musical tuition was Sunshine, trumpeter Pat Halcox band. Many shocked purists saw than 25 years in the business the on the violin and saxophone, - who is still with the band - and this as a shameful sell-out to com- man's mind is still bright and followed by trombone and double Lonnie Donegan. Their record of mercialism. restless and inquiring. bass studies at London's "Rock Island Line", featuring But the far-sighted Chris "Not only does he go on Guildhall of Music. vocals by banjo player Donegan, defended the decision. "In fact", changing, but he keeps on getting Chris formed his first amateur launched the skiffle craze that he recalls, "I had already been better". 24