George Barrow 1921-2013

[brownie]

From The New York Daily News (his son is the sports editor at the paper):

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/george-barrow-jazz-great-dead-article-1.1295279

[JSngry]

Sorry to hear this, but a life well-led, apparently. All I know is that every time I see his name on a record, I get interested. RIP.

[colinmce]

Love his work on Mingus at the Bohemia & Plus Max Roach. I know he played on a couple other sides I own (besides TB&TAT) but I can't quite place them. An interesting fellow.

[Joe]

Love Barrow's tone on all his instruments. And I've long wondered about that Amram-Barrow date...

Edited March 22, 2013 by Joe

[BillF]

He's also on Blues and the Abstract Truth - on baritone in the ensembles.

[kh1958]

Prior thread on George Barrow.

[colinmce]

I was thinking of the Bill Dixon Savoy.

[Guy Berger]

I remember our recent discussion about Stolen Moments in the Kenny Burrell thread and his contribution to that performance/arrangement. RIP George.

[king ubu]

Honestly, I wasn't aware he was still around. Somehow I never really got into the Mingus at the Bohémia material really, until getting the big Mingus Debut box - and then I fell deeply in love with Barrow's playing!

[sgcim]

I worked with him pretty steadily at a big theater in NY where we were part of the house band back in the mid to late 70s. Charlie Fowlkes was his buddy on bari, George generally played tenor.

He was a beautiful cat, walked with a severe limp, I don't know what from.

I always looked forward to talking with him about some of the bands he played with, and the records he played on. We were working together the day Oliver Nelson died- he was shattered.

I remember he told me that Eric Dolphy played out of tune on purpose on his flute solo on "Stolen Moments" because ED said that was how the flute players in Africa played.

I talked to him about that incredible Teddy Charles Tentet LP, and the fantastic part Jimmy Raney played in its creation, and he said JR used to act tough during the session so people wouldn't hassle him about those impossible guitar parts.

He told me a hairy story about when he was touring with the Quincy Jones band, and their plane started to go into a nosedive, and pulled up just in time before they were going to go into a snowcapped mountain somewhere in the North (Alaska?- I forget).

He always played with a strong, soulful sound. RIP, George.

[paul secor]

I worked with him pretty steadily at a big theater in NY where we were part of the house band back in the mid to late 70s. Charlie Fowlkes was his buddy on bari, George generally played tenor.

He was a beautiful cat, walked with a severe limp, I don't know what from.

I always looked forward to talking with him about some of the bands he played with, and the records he played on. We were working together the day Oliver Nelson died- he was shattered.

I remember he told me that Eric Dolphy played out of tune on purpose on his flute solo on "Stolen Moments" because ED said that was how the flute players in Africa played.

I talked to him about that incredible Teddy Charles Tentet LP, and the fantastic part Jimmy Raney played in its creation, and he said JR used to act tough during the session so people wouldn't hassle him about those impossible guitar parts.

He told me a hairy story about when he was touring with the Quincy Jones band, and their plane started to go into a nosedive, and pulled up just in time before they were going to go into a snowcapped mountain somewhere in the North (Alaska?- I forget).

He always played with a strong, soulful sound. RIP, George.

Thanks for sharing those memories with us.

[Big Beat Steve]

Another link severed to that past era of jazz.

RIP.

Gonna spin the Amram-Barrow LP later tonight.

[JSngry]

.He told me a hairy story about when he was touring with the Quincy Jones band, and their plane started to go into a nosedive, and pulled up just in time before they were going to go into a snowcapped mountain somewhere in the North (Alaska?- I forget).

He always played with a strong, soulful sound. RIP, George.

Yeah, now see, that's what builds character, stuff like that, where you know that you're going to die RIGHT NOW and then somehow for some reason you don't. That ain't no "intellectual perspective", that's LIFE talking to you right in your mf-ing FACE, no avoidance to be had . THAT'S perspective!

After that, what choice do you have but to be strong and soulful?

Yeah, George Barrow. Liking him even more now. Thanks for passing that on.

[Hardbopjazz]

RIP George. Thanks for the music.

[mikeweil]

He always played with a strong, soulful sound.

That's how I will always remember him. R.I.P.

[Gheorghe]

Honestly, I wasn't aware he was still around. Somehow I never really got into the Mingus at the Bohémia material really, until getting the big Mingus Debut box - and then I fell deeply in love with Barrow's playing!

I also must admit, I noticed him on Mingus at the Bohémia, which was one of the first Mingus Albums I purchased. That was the only occasion I heard him on record.

Also, I was a bit disappointed of the Bohémia stuff, when I listened to it for the first time. Then, I only had the 3 LP set "The Great Concert of Charles Mingus" (Paris 1964), which is one of the greatest things I ever heard. To get further albums of Mingus, I somehow found "Charles Mingus Quintet with Max Roach" in the record store (one of the two Bohémia-Albums). First I thought that might be with two drummers, I mean with Willie Jones AND Max Roach on the same time, so I thought that might be a gas, as much action as on "Great Concert". Later when I heard it, I was a bit disappointed, because it sounded much more subdued that the stuff I was used to....

[clifford_thornton]

Sorry to hear about Mr. Barrow's passing.

An opportunity to interview him came up but his mind wasn't in particularly great shape - apparently he didn't remember much of anything. His wife, whom I talked to, was super-friendly and cool though.