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Devastated to hear the 'Top Man' of British Jazz & Blues has left us. His band was/is my 2nd fave outfit whom I saw many times over the years. Though many thought of him as a 'Trad' man, his heart was in the Blues, and he introduced to this country such greats as Rosetta Tharpe and Sonny Terry & Brownie Mcghee. Bill Wyman always said "No Chris, no Stones!" Guitarists should check out his Sideman John Slaughter.....leaves Clapton standing!
Goodbye old friend.

martcaster wrote:Devastated to hear the 'Top Man' of British Jazz & Blues has left us. His band was/is my 2nd fave outfit whom I saw many times over the years. Though many thought of him as a 'Trad' man, his heart was in the Blues, and he introduced to this country such greats as Rosetta Tharpe and Sonny Terry & Brownie Mcghee. Bill Wyman always said "No Chris, no Stones!" Guitarists should check out his Sideman John Slaughter.....leaves Clapton standing!
Goodbye old friend.

Seconded in every respect.

The trad boom saw a lot of bands turn (at least slightly) commercial, but Chris always trod his own path, happy for the fact that the trad boom meant they were all a bit better off, but sticking to the New Orleans and Chicago origins of his music. He must be the last of that generation, surely?

R.I.P. Chris.

I could be said Chris Barber was the elder statesman, indirectly, of all popular music as we have come to know it over the decades, and always his own man. Would there have been Lonnie Donegan without him and all who followed in his wake? We know and love quite a few who did! His legacy is unique. RIP Chris Barber

Oh, that is sad. My introduction to music was via my grandparents' record collection - and mixed in with Apache and Living Doll were several Chris Barber 45s. I wasn't that keen, aged 5(!), but now I think records like Whistlin' Rufus and Monty Sunshine's version of Old Rugged Cross are near perfect. I often listened to his programmes on Radio 2 and finally got to see Chris Barber's band - shortly before trumpeter Pat Halcox (who died a few years ago) retired...in Bromsgrove - about 10 years ago. (I believe Chris Barber and Pat Halcox's musical partnership is one of the longest in history - even longer than Hank and Bruce!)
I echo all the above comments.

Wasn"t Licorice Locking during some period after his commitments with the Shadows involved with Chris Barber?

Cees

Chris Barber was one of the greats of my lifetime.

StanfordTuck wrote:Wasn"t Licorice Locking during some period after his commitments with the Shadows involved with Chris Barber?

Cees

Chris Barber, Cliff & the Shads and Vince Taylor & the Playboys were all involved in tours in the early days and coincided from time to time, so Licorice and Chris will sometimes have shared dates and venues. I don't know of any closer musical involvement than that. I can remember saying he liked Barney Kessel, Oscar Peterson and the Modern Jazz Quartet but I don't recall him mentioning Chris Barber.

One of the highlights of TV variety shows in the 1950s/60s was when a good Trad Jazz Band had
a spot in sometimes an awful bill i.e. a comedian telling jokes as stale as Victorian Bread or a ropey
juggling act etc!!!
Even Granny took her eye off her knitting to watch Chris , Kenny or Acker and her feet started tapping!!!
Great times to remember

Mike

anniv 63 wrote:One of the highlights of TV variety shows in the 1950s/60s was when a good Trad Jazz Band had
a spot in sometimes an awful bill i.e. a comedian telling jokes as stale as Victorian Bread or a ropey
juggling act etc!!!
Even Granny took her eye off her knitting to watch Chris , Kenny or Acker and her feet started tapping!!!
Great times to remember

Mike

I remember a Sunday Night At The London Palladium where Kenny Ball banjoist Paddy Lightfoot flew down from a high riser (beside the drummer) to the front line at stage level, suspended by a "Peter Pan" type wire.

Feigning surprise, Kenny said "Any more of that and it's back to The Shadows for you".

As Jim says possibly the last of a generation and a wonderful pro. Lonnie Donegan cut his teeth with Chris Barber's band and it was Lonnie that spawned the Shadows indirectly.
RIP Chris and thank you.