Daily Dose Of Jazz…
William Barron, Jr. was born on March 27, 1927 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he spent his formative years. Moving to New York City in 1958 and came to the jazz world’s attention when he first appeared on a Cecil Taylor recording in 1959, later recorded extensively with Philly Joe Jones, after which he co-led a fine post-bop quartet with Ted Curson.
His younger brother, pianist Kenny appeared on all of the sessions that the elder Barron led. Other musicians he recorded with included Charles Mingus and Ollie Shearer.
Barron spent much of the remainder of his career as an educator, directing a jazz workshop at the Children’s Museum in Brooklyn, teaching at City College of New York, and becoming the chairman of the music department at Wesleyan University.
His day job made it possible for him to consistently record non-commercial music for Savoy, recording that label’s last jazz record in 1972, and Dauntless and Muse. The Bill Barron Collection is housed at the Institute of Jazz Studies of the Rutgers University Libraries,
Tenor and soprano saxophonist William Barron Jr., who never compromised his music or received much recognition, passed away in Middletown, Connecticut on September 21, 1989.
More Posts: bandleader,history,instrumental,jazz,music,saxophone