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Saxophonist Alan Barnes has been a key figure on the British jazz scene since the late 1970s. His strong tone, assured improvisations and imaginative arranging technique have marked him out as one of the country’s top players, respected by both his audience and fellow players alike. His new album, recorded in the Specific Jazz studios, is by his own admission his best work to date, and for a player with the kind of form he possesses that’s certainly some admission…
Completing studies at Leeds College Of Music in 1980, Alan joined the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, touring Europe with the lineup for three years. After this came an offer to join Tommy Chase’s hard bop band, which achieved considerable success in the years leading up to the much-heralded UK Jazz Boom of the 80s, and it focussed attention in particular on to Alan’s playing. He left Chase’s band in ‘86 to co-lead the Jazz Renegades with drummer Steve White (later to find fame as a member of the Style Council, and with Paul Weller’s bands). 4 well-received albums and a Japanese tour later, Alan accepted an offer to fill the saxophone chair in Humphrey Lyttelton’s band, where he remained until 1992, finding time along the way to form the Pizza Express Modern Jazz Sextet with Gerard Presencer and Dave O’Higgins.
Alan Barnes has been a prolific freelance sideman and session player over the years, recording and performing with a dazzling array of stars from both within and outside of the jazz world. A short list would include his stints with Tommy Whittle, Clark Tracey, David Newton, Warren Vache, Ken Peplowski, Don Weller and the BBC Big Band from the jazz scene and Bjork, Bryan Ferry, Van Morrison from outside, in addition to his long association as leader of Michael Parkinson’s house band. However, his work goes way beyond that of a first call soloist, and his work as a leader is cut from the same grade-A cloth…
Following the albums cut with the Modern Jazz Sextet, Alan’s name appeared on many albums for the Concord Jazz label (including collaborations with Clark Tracey), and the Zephyr label, and in 2001 an album recorded with Don Weller in tribute to Cannonball Adderley was awarded Best Album in the 2001 BBC Jazz Awards. The following year saw the inception of Alan’s own label, which has so far released three albums of themed suites.
And so we come to “Yeah!”… As the title might suggest to the music logically minded, it’s a collection of tunes by the legendary Horace Silver, which were originally recorded in Blue Note’s golden period of the mid to late ‘50s. Alan’s quintet (consisting of Dave Green, bass; Steve Waterman, trumpet; John Donaldson, piano and Steve Brown, drums) rips into these classic themes with aplomb, playing the hell out of the bop heads and soloing with complete authority. It’s the kind of record you can use to warm up your house on a cold day. Recorded in 3 days at Specific’s in house studio in South London in 2004, Alan told our engineer upon hearing the first playback that it’s the best work he’s ever put down on record. We’re certainly not going to argue with that!
Specific Jazz is a division of Proper Records Ltd.
The New Powerhouse, Gateway Business Centre, Kangley Bridge Road
London, SE26 5AN, +44 (0)208 676 5180
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