Alan Barnes

[Tom in RI]

Can anyone comment on any of the discs Alan Barnes has released on his Woodville label?

[JohnS]

I've found the ones I've heard disappointing and a shade too polite. Alan puts on a good live show but his records don't seem to catch fire for me. Is there a Silver tribute, maybe not on Woodville? If so that might be worth a try.

He's playing at our club tomorrow night as a member of Terry Seabrook's Milestones, playing Kind of Blue and a Davis inspired suite.

Edited February 13, 2011 by JohnS

[A Lark Ascending]

I really like this one:

Steps into Rollins/Coltrane territory rather than his usual Swing world,

[John Tapscott]

I have the following Alan Barnes CD's on Woodville

http://www.woodvillerecords.com/CDs.htm

Alan Barnes/Scott Hamilton/David Newton - Zootcase

Bruce Adams/Alan Barnes - Spontaneous Combustion

Alan Barnes Octet - Harlem Airshasft

Greg Abate/Alan Barnes - Birds of a Feather

Ken Peplowski/Alan Barnes - Doodle Oodle

Scott Hamilton/Alan Barnes - Hi-Ya

just received the latest - Ken Peplowski/Alan Barnes - Happy Reunion - haven't heard it yet.

I respectfully disagree with John S's assessment. I don't find them disappointing at all. I enjoy them all, but I would most highly recommend Harlem Airshft and Doodle Oodle. If you're looking for more fire check Birds of a Feather.

P.S. The real jewel in the Woodville catalogue is Simon Spillett - a hard-core Tubby Hayes follower. Both his CD's are excellent.

[BillF]

Steps into Rollins/Coltrane territory rather than his usual Swing world,

I don't know Alan Barnes on record, but have heard him live more times than I can remember. Your commment on his style is interesting, Bev. I grew up expecting all altoists of a certain age to sound like Bird, and that certainly isn't Alan. Yes, there could be something of Phil Woods there, but equally something from Tab Smith, Louis Jordan or even Hodges. And, of course, there's his baritone and clarinet playing - and I've heard him on tenor, too. It all adds up to a musician of very high technical accomplishment and I guess his chameleon character is typical of our times, as well as his knowledge of, and influences from, jazz history. Did someone say postmodernism?

[Tom in RI]

I find it interesting that he has recorded with Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen, and Greg Abate. All three have strong ties to Rhode Island. I think its a shame Barnes has no US distributor.

[A Lark Ascending]

Steps into Rollins/Coltrane territory rather than his usual Swing world,

I don't know Alan Barnes on record, but have heard him live more times than I can remember. Your commment on his style is interesting, Bev. I grew up expecting all altoists of a certain age to sound like Bird, and that certainly isn't Alan. Yes, there could be something of Phil Woods there, but equally something from Tab Smith, Louis Jordan or even Hodges. And, of course, there's his baritone and clarinet playing - and I've heard him on tenor, too. It all adds up to a musician of very high technical accomplishment and I guess his chameleon character is typical of our times, as well as his knowledge of, and influences from, jazz history. Did someone say postmodernism?

You're right to stress his range, Bill. I was greatly oversimplifying. He goes from Ellington to Silver to Adderley to Goodman in his projects.

But that disc I recommended seems to go a step further (stylistically, I'm not talking about quality) than I expected from him. Remember seeing him do the title track - a Rollins piece - at Appleby. Definitely outside the 'changes' approach I normally hear him working in.

[Peter Friedman]

I have the following Alan Barnes CD's on Woodville

http://www.woodvillerecords.com/CDs.htm

Alan Barnes/Scott Hamilton/David Newton - Zootcase

Bruce Adams/Alan Barnes - Spontaneous Combustion

Alan Barnes Octet - Harlem Airshasft

Greg Abate/Alan Barnes - Birds of a Feather

Ken Peplowski/Alan Barnes - Doodle Oodle

Scott Hamilton/Alan Barnes - Hi-Ya

just received the latest - Ken Peplowski/Alan Barnes - Happy Reunion - haven't heard it yet.

I respectfully disagree with John S's assessment. I don't find them disappointing at all. I enjoy them all, but I would most highly recommend Harlem Airshft and Doodle Oodle. If you're looking for more fire check Birds of a Feather.

P.S. The real jewel in the Woodville catalogue is Simon Spillett - a hard-core Tubby Hayes follower. Both his CD's are excellent.

John,

I share your view and have most of the ones you have listed above. I have trouble finding Woodville CDs.

Do you have a source you can recommend?

[John Tapscott]

Peter: I originally bought them through John Norris. Over the past year I have ordered them directly from the Woodville Records website. They accept Paypal, etc. The service from London is excellent. Sometimes I've had the CD within a week; other times it takes a few more days. With the exchange rate a CD runs about $16 Canadian, so it will be about the same in US$ (and that includes shipping).

http://www.woodvillerecords.com/Home.htm

[BillF]

I find it interesting that he has recorded with Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen, and Greg Abate. All three have strong ties to Rhode Island. I think its a shame Barnes has no US distributor.

Greg Abate spends part of each summer in the UK, where, like Alan Barnes, he's very involved in jazz education. I saw them in a very entertaining gig at Wigan in 2009.

I forgot to mention this additional aspect of Barnes' activities. He himself is a product of Leeds College Music's Jazz and Light Music course, the first jazz education course in the UK and I saw him doing his bit for today's students last year in Manchester when he led the Royal Northern College of Music's big band through a concert of Basie numbers after a weekend's tutoring.

[Peter Friedman]

Peter: I originally bought them through John Norris. Over the past year I have ordered them directly from the Woodville Records website. They accept Paypal, etc. The service from London is excellent. Sometimes I've had the CD within a week; other times it takes a few more days. With the exchange rate a CD runs about $16 Canadian, so it will be about the same in US$ (and that includes shipping).

http://www.woodvillerecords.com/Home.htm

I also bought most of my Woodville CDs from John Norris. However since his death I haven't been able to locate a good source.

Thanks for your input. I may order a few directly from the Woodville website as you suggested.

[John Tapscott]

Just now listening to the latest release - Happy Reunion - it's a very nice Ellingtonian date!

Edited February 14, 2011 by John Tapscott

[jlhoots]

Zoot Case works for me.

I'm thinking about getting Hi-Ya.

Also agree with the earlier comment re: the 2 Spillett CDs.

[sidewinder]

I find it interesting that he has recorded with Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen, and Greg Abate. All three have strong ties to Rhode Island. I think its a shame Barnes has no US distributor.

Greg Abate spends part of each summer in the UK, where, like Alan Barnes, he's very involved in jazz education. I saw them in a very entertaining gig at Wigan in 2009.

I forgot to mention this additional aspect of Barnes' activities. He himself is a product of Leeds College Music's Jazz and Light Music course, the first jazz education course in the UK and I saw him doing his bit for today's students last year in Manchester when he led the Royal Northern College of Music's big band through a concert of Basie numbers after a weekend's tutoring.

First time I heard of Alan Barnes he was in Tommy Chase's neo-bop group. That must have been around the early 80s.

Notice that Greg Abate is in the lineup for Swanage this year. He appears there quite regularly - often in tandem with Barnes.

[jazz1]

Can anyone comment on any of the discs Alan Barnes has released on his Woodville label?

My favorite Alan Barnes cd is called "Cannonball" it is a killer!! but it is on the ASC label

I also enjoy his cd with Tony Coe "Days of wine and roses" on the Zephir label.

I had the pleasure of meeting Alan in South Africa, not only he is a great musician but what a comedian too!

[Jazztropic]

I have 5 Woodvile sets mainly with American spotlighters(Peplowski,Hamilton,Allen).All are fabulous.I would highly recomend any of these.

[sidewinder]

not only he is a great musician but what a comedian too!

He could easily make a career as a stand-up comedian, based on some of his Swanage stage patter !

[The Rep]

Having seen Alan a lot of times, particularly at Scarborough Jazz Festival where he is MC for the weekend, you can't help but like the man. His musical ability is beyond question on the various reeds. I must relate an incident two or three years back, when Tony Kofi was late at Scarborough. Anders Olinder (B3) and Winston Clifford (drums) had arrived but Tony's gearbox had blown just outside Scarborough and he had Byron Wallen with him. So what occurred was Olinder and Clifford were on stage when the ever resourceful Alan Barnes and his alto let the most amazing organ trio. It was awesome, after about three numbers, of good length, Tony came running on stage, throwing off his hat and coat, sax in hand and reclaimed his band with great thanks to Alan.

I think the albums of Alan's I play most are "Yeah!" , all Horace Silver Compositions, Barnes/Weller band "Cannonball" and a really nice album "Manhattan" with Conte Candoli. Alan plays some great baritone sax on this one. I really like Simon Spillett on the Woodville label.

Cheers Ray