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FREE ME : THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PDF

Chris Barber, | 196 pages | 15 Mar 2014 | Equinox Publishing Ltd | 9781845530884 | English | , Chris Barber - Wikipedia

Jazz trombonist Chris Barber formed his first band in the late s, but it is the band that he formed in and has led continuously fromafter parting company with trumpeter , that has established all kinds of records for success and longevity. His 54 year partnership with trumpeter Pat Halcox is the longest such association in jazz history. The band was one Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber the first groups to tour extensively in the United States. It has remained one of the most popular and widely imitated jazz bands in Europe for over half a century. In this candid account of his life and music, Barber tells the story of his band, but also of his many other contributions to music in Britain. He and his guitarist and singer began the movement. Barber and his colleague also launched the in London, which became a legendary jazz and rock venue, as well as becoming the launchpad for the Richmond and Reading Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber. Inthe band became the Big Chris Barber Band, allowing him to Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber to play the jazz he has always loved, but also to play the repertoire of musicians such as . The book covers the Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber and lows of his career and that of the band, as well as his passionate commitment to the cause of spreading the word about jazz and blues to the widest possible public. Series : Popular Music History. He is the pivotal player in the game of , jazz and skiffle whose blues offshoots strongly influenced the American scene also. . I have been listening to jazz for about 60 years and Chris Barber has been a big name in the music throughout that time. I first heard him play trad and his music helped get me into the music Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber. He has led band after band, bringing on new players. The last time that I heard him was about two years ago, when he had certainly developed an interesting different group. He is the epitome of British jazz and this book explains why. Back in the s very few people in this country had even heard of blues music. But there was one Englishman who knew what we were missing and decided to change that. In so doing he changed my life and probably yours, too, because he changed the course of popular music: the legend, Chris Barber. Hugh Laurie. His influence and inspiration, often unsung, in the fields of jazz and blues is long-lasting and widespread. He continues to educate and entertain mightily more than sixty years after he formed his first band. His autobiography is a captivating account of a fascinating life — a musical and social history viewed from behind his magnificent trombone. Tim Rice. Delightful first-hand anecdotes … an engaging portrait of a continuing life in jazz. Michael Steinman, Jazz Lives. Contributing Author. Chris Barber is a jazz trombonist and leader of the Barber band formed in It has remained one of the most widely imitated jazz bands in Europe for over half a century and has established all kinds of records for success and longevity. His first biography of Fats Waller, published inhas scarcely been out of print since. Alyn won an open scholarship to Oxford inwhere he read English at St. Edmund Hall. He has been a lecturer in music at Brookesteaching the jazz history course, and he has also given lectures on jazz and American popular music at Exeter University and at the Institute for United States Studies in the University of London. Alyn divides his time between living in Oxford, UK, and deep in rural France. Show Hide Table of Contents. Chris BarberAlyn Shipton. Independent musician. View Website. Independent musician, author and broadcaster. In this chapter, the author discusses his childhood, family matters and how did he begin playing music and listening to jazz music. Chris Barber. In this chapter, the author describes his experience with the band while touring around the UK and Europe. In this chapter, the author tells about the release of their second album, Petite Fleur, and how it became a hit outside Europe, specially in the USA. In this chapter, the Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber remembers the time when he was very interested in cars and started to race. In this chapter, the author talks about his musical contributions outside his band, mostly North-American musicians. ISBN Hardback. Buy Now. Inform My Library. Van Morrison I have been listening to jazz for about 60 years and Chris Barber has been a big name in the music throughout that time. Tim Rice Delightful first-hand anecdotes … an engaging portrait of a continuing life in jazz. Michael Steinman, Jazz Lives [Jazz lovers] will find much to enjoy here. Dave Gelly, Jazz Journal. 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As well as scoring a UK top twenty hit, he helped the careers of many musicians, notably the blues singer Ottilie Pattersonwho was at one time his wife, and Lonnie Doneganwhose appearances with Barber triggered the skiffle craze of the mids and who had his first transatlantic hit, " ", while with Chris Barber's band. His providing an audience for Donegan and, later, makes Barber a significant figure in the British and " beat boom " of the s. Barber was born in Welwyn Garden CityHertfordshire, the son of a Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber father and headmistress mother. Barber and formed a band incalling it Ken Colyer 's Jazzmen to capitalise on their trumpeter's recent escapades in New Orleans : the group also included Donegan, Jim Bray bassRon Bowden drums and Barber on trombone. In April the band made its debut in CopenhagenDenmark. There recorded several sides for the new Danish Storyville label, including some featuring only Sunshine clarinetDonegan banjo and Barber bass as the Monty Sunshine Trio. Pat Halcox took over on trumpet in when Colyer moved on after musical differences and the band became "The Chris Barber Band". British rhythm and blues powered the of the USA charts in the s, yet itself remained popular: in January the British music magazine, NME reported the biggest trad jazz event in Britain at Alexandra Palace. Barber stunned traditionalists in by introducing blues guitarist John Slaughter into the line up who, apart from a break between April Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber Augustwhen Roger Hill took over the spot, played in the band until shortly before his death in This eleven-man "Big Chris Barber Band" offered a broader range of music while reserving a spot in the programme for the traditional six-man New Orleans line- up. The band will continue under the Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber direction of Bob Hunt. Halcox and Barber were together in the band for 54 years — the longest continuous partnership in the history of jazz, exceeding even that of Duke Ellington and 48 years between and John Crocker reeds retired from the band in after a year stint. Vic Pitt retired in January after 30 years with the band. His feature duet with the drummers of the day — "Big Noise From Winnetka" was not only a feature of the Barber concerts, but also his time with the band immediately before. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. For other people with the same name, see Chris Barber disambiguation. Skiffle swing blues trad jazz folk. Musician songwriter bandleader. Lonnie Donegan Ken Colyer. Official website of Chris Barber. From the Archives. Retrieved 8 February The Book of Golden Discs 2nd ed. London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. London: Reed International Books Ltd. CN Retrieved 30 June Retrieved 28 June Pre s s s post Bibliography of jazz Blues Ragtime Straight-ahead jazz Pre s s s s s s s s s s. Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber Article Talk. Views Read Edit View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. Wikimedia Commons. Barber in TromboneContrabass. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chris Barber. Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography Of Chris Barber | Louder

Chris Barber is celebrating 65 years as bandleader in and one of the most touching things about his autobiography, skilfully put together by jazz broadcaster and writer Alyn Shipton, is the infectious Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber of music that the trombonist, who is 84 on April 17, still displays. Barber recalls his enthusiasm about playing with "mind-bogglingly wonderful" and the thrill of seeing jazz greats such as Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, and Jack Teagarden play live. He is particularly complimentary about the man who wrote Five Guys Named Moe, and who was such a vivacious saxophone player, saying of : "He really was as close to perfection as it was possible to be. He was the best presenter of a song by movement and action that I have ever seen. At the time he was 55 and we were in our thirties, yet Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber was like being dragged along by a wild horse. Barber himself always straddled the worlds of jazz and blues well and there are some good tales of his blues heroes, including Howlin' Wolf, the only musician Barber could recall saying grace before a meal. British musicians come into the story, too. He says that is "the only musician apart from BB King who can play an opening phrase on the guitar that catches you immediately", and pays tribute to the love of blues shown by Van Morrison. Barber toured regularly with Morrison in the Nineties and presents a snapshot of a man who, at heart, is a dedicated musician. Van likes to talk about older blues and jazz and as nobody in Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber band was particularly interested in that, he and I would sit and chat for a long time after gigs. He enjoyed that very much and I did too. The book tells the life story of Barber, born in Welwyn Garden City inand his unusual parents. His father, Donald, was an economist and secretary of The Socialist League set up by Sir Stafford Cripps and his mother Hettie was teacher and the first and only socialist Mayor of Canterbury. Barber, who would go on to help launch the Marquee Club in London, recalls that his Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber trombone was a battered old one that cost Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber pounds 10 shillings. What made a difference was not only hearing the greats such as an but seeing at first hand that British musicians, such as clarinet player Wally Fawkes, could play good jazz. He recalls: "Hearing for the first time, it struck me that this was somebody who was playing jazz properly. Barber had tremendous success in the Fifties and a massive hit with Petite Fleur and admits he "got a reputation for being very uncooperative". A flavour of his plainspoken character comes across in several asides — Ken Colyer was "a most inarticulate man", John Lennon was "rude to everybody" and American TV host Ed Sullivan was a "nasty piece of work". The book is not especially revelatory but it does deal briefly with his "diabolical stammer", his marriages to Naida Lane and singer Ottilie Patterson and his friendships with actor Richard Burton and motor racing stars Jim Clark and Graham Hill. But this is principally a book about Barber's life in music and his respect for musicians such as trumpeter Pat Halcox. Barber is interesting about his tours of America — and the appalling racial segregation of the Fifties — and the stars he worked with. In fact he never used the car! My favourite tale, though, is about the UK Musicians' Union of Fifties, which had its share of Communist sympathisers. When Barber tried to persuade the boss there to allow to come and work in the UK, saying how much British musicians would learn from the experience, Barber recalls: "He said, and I kid you not, 'Why do Jazz Me Blues: The Autobiography of Chris Barber always want an American trumpeter. Why don't you get a Russian trumpeter? Call or visit books. Jazz Me Blues is a book rich in detail for any fan of jazz or blues.