Daily Dose Of Jazz…

John Barnes was born in Manchester, England  on May 15, 1932. He started out his career as a flügelhorn player in the early 1950s, and adapted his playing skills to the clarinet, an instrument he favored. He played traditional jazz with Alan Elsdon, The Mike Daniels’ Delta Jazzmen and also The Zenith Six.

In May 1964, after a bad car crash Barnes was replaced by Al Gay, until his full rehabilitation as a member of Alex Welsh band. He continued and extended his career musically from 1967 with the Scottish dixieland jazz trumpet and cornet player Alex Welsh and his Jazz Band, which lasted ten years until 1977.

He began playing alto, baritone, soprano saxophone and the flute. During this period he rose to fame in the jazz arena appearing at the Newport Jazz Festival aged 37 in 1969. His skills on baritone saxophone earned him a huge jazz fan base, some suggesting he was the best they had seen in Europe. After leaving Welsh, Barnes worked as co-leader, with trombonist Roy Williams of the Midnite Follies Orchestra, which included many American jazz artists.

John worked with Janet Jackson, Leo Sayer, Humphrey Lyttelton, Gerry Mulligan, Spike Robinson, Bobby Wellins and Keith Nichols. He considered Coleman Hawkins and Johnny Hodges to be his two main saxophone influences throughout his career.

In 2011, while on holiday in Greece, Barnes suffered a stroke. As a result of his stroke, a benefit concert was held for him the following year at the 100 Club in Oxford Street, London.

Saxophonist, clarinetist and flutist John Barnes died on April 18, 2022 at the age of 89.

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