Chris Barber 1953-2003 : Jubilee Stomp
The Sunshine/Colyer/Barber Band !953/4
Tracks
Blue Blood Blues * Slow Drag Blues * Merrydown Rag * Chimes Blues * Carolina Moon.
The Big Chris Barber Band 2002-2003
Recorded at the Jools Holland Studio, London 2003, except tune No 10 recorded during 2002 at the Porsche Jazz Festival, Rust, Germany.
Personnel
Chris Barber and Bob Hunt (tmbs); Pat Halcox and Mike Henry (tpts); John Defferary (reeds, incl F pitched bassett-horn); Tony Carter (reeds incl flute); Trevor Whiting (reeds); Vic Pitt (str bs); John Slaughter (gtr); Paul Sealey (bjo gtr); Colin Miller (drms); John Crocker (alto on tune 10)
Tracks
Misty Morning/Jungle Nights in Harlem - Medley arranged by Bob Hunt * The Spell of the Blues * Freeze & Melt * All Blues * Battersea Rain Dance * Devaluation Blues * Jubilee Stomp * Black & Tan Fantasy/ The Mooche - Medley arranged by Bob Hunt.
The Chris Barber Band - New six piece version
Personnel
Chris Barber (tmb); Pat Halcox (tpt); John Defferary (cl); Vic Pitt (str bs); Paul Sealey (bjo); Colin Miller (drms).
Tracks
The Martinique * Lead Me On
(Ti) CDTTD654 - Timeless Records - P.O. Box 201, 6700 AE Wageningen, Holland - www.timeless-records.com
Time - 63.58 minutes. Photography - Wilhelm H Schrader. Recordings - mixed and produced by Tony Atkins
1953, now that is hazy in parts, the year of the First Reading Jazz Festival when George Hughesman gave me a lift there in his van, where the grass was green and flourishing, where the Chris Barber "Professional" band was on stage, and when we left the town’s open parklands, the grass was still green having given us much comfortable space to move around in them. "Abide With Me" by Sammy Rimington is in memory.
On this Chris Barber Jubilee celebratory album, the five numbers by the Sunshine/Colyer/Barber band are of studio tapes presented to Chris by Sonny Morris before the 13th of February 2001, the date of his death.
The Monty Sunshine clarinet on the Jelly Roll Morton Blue Blood Blues three jazz artists opening number is breathtaking.
On the second track, Slow Drag Blues, Chris introduced Ken who had returned from his well recorded sojourn in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, who goes on to relate how he first met bass player Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau, the New Orleansian member of the George Lewis band, telling him of the Sunshine, Newspaper write-up of this tune accredited to him. "We tired to make this a worthy tribute to him" said Colyer, that, and the clipped, tremolo, articulations, with his tendency in taking a background style of playing, makes my finger point to it being Ken, who at the time also played cornet and guitar, and not Pat playing here on this Blues as enquired in the liner notes.
The Joe "King" Oliver 1923 tune Chimes Blues by the Cornetist, who had, had a formative influence on Duke Ellington sideman, James "Bubber" Miley, has always been a favourite number of mine. Here it is arranged by Chris Barber, and, is delightfully, tastefully articulated, thus so, it can be classed as being a musical standard of the highest order of its class. It’s a sheer pleasure to listen to.
Those five recordings are a sample of the kind of jazz heard play in an era that had a very large following, and one which I was part of - that sensational group of Traditional jazz fans.
The Martinique and Lead Me On the two tracks in the 6-piece (2003) Chris Barber band, perhaps the former one being the Miss with the plain golden ring on her finger, quote French fashion, will become samples for the new-age youth begin to have this music become as their own property after when the likes of I leave the world behind, and the name of Chris Barber will always be remembered for his Jubilee and more contributions, that he has awarded to "our kind of jazz" over the years.
An exercise for all listeners to this Jubilee album, is to enjoy twin artistic experiences of the clarinettist on The Martinique with the clarinettist on Blue Blood Blues the opening number. The handling by both of them of their choice woodwind instrument - is at its very best.
It is now a couple of years back when I reviewed "The First Eleven" album of the Big Chris Barber Band, and what I had envisaged then has now come about with a high degree of maturity and fruition as heard in this 2002-2003 section. Seven tunes here have the Duke Ellington of fame theme running through them as trombonist Bob Hunt arranges as. They are perfection of perfection and my understanding of Chris Barber and his feeling for the Blues - it’s an aim that he will achieve to maintain, so on to surpass that aim.
It was during the months of 1957 around the Festival of Britain that I used to attend the Barber concerts in Battersea Park when at one session the heavens opened up and down came the rain, water blobs as big as the snowflakes that fall on the Cairngorms, and misty eyed I watched side glanced at the river Thames rising a full two inches up the stone bass structures of the "ton-up" Chelsea Bridge - Unfortunately missing out, I can’t recall getting wet, nor dancing to the tune Battersea Rain Dance in memories. Ton-up is motorbike slang for doing 100 mph, not achievable there today.
All who have attended the many concerts put on by the Big Chris Barber Band up and down the country and in Europe will be conversant with the attributes of the Chris Barber line-up, and those yet to hear the band will no doubt form their own opinions when they get to hear them live, whereupon this Jubilee Stomp CD is assured as being an excellent start for them to do so - treasure it.
Ian King
Kings Jazz Review
Thursday the 18th of March 2004