Bill Barber (musician)
Encyclopedia
John William Barber, known as Bill Barber or Billy Barber (May 21, 1920 – June 18, 2007) is considered by many to be the first person to play tuba
in modern jazz
. He is best known for his work with Miles Davis
on albums such as Birth of the Cool
, Sketches of Spain
and Miles Ahead
. (There is a younger musician named Billy Barber
, who plays keyboards; the two are unrelated.)
, near Rochester
, in 1920. He started playing tuba in high school and studied at the Juilliard School of Music. After graduating, he travelled west to Kansas City, Missouri
, where he played with the Kansas City Philharmonic and various ballet
and theatre
orchestras.
in 1942 and played in an army band for three years. After the war, he started playing jazz, joining Claude Thornhill
's big band
in 1947. Barber was one of the first tuba players to play in a modern jazz style, playing solos and participating in intricate ensemble pieces.
Barber became a founding member of Miles Davis's nonet
in 1949 in what became known as the Birth of the Cool recording sessions. He then worked in theatre pit orchestras before joining up with Davis and Gil Evans
in 1957 to record albums such as Sketches of Spain, Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess
. Barber also played on John Coltrane's only big band album Africa/Brass
.
and became an elementary school music teacher at Copiague, New York
. He continued to play where possible including with the Goldman Band
. In 1992, he recorded and toured with a nonet led by Gerry Mulligan
, reworking material from Birth of the Cool. From 1998 to 2004 he was part of the The Seatbelts
, New York musicians who played the music of the Japanese anime Cowboy Bebop
. He died of heart failure in June 2007 in Bronxville, New York
.
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
in modern jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. He is best known for his work with Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
on albums such as Birth of the Cool
Birth of the Cool
Birth of the Cool is a compilation album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1957 on Capitol Records. It compiles twelve songs recorded by Davis's nonet for the label over the course of three sessions during 1949 and 1950...
, Sketches of Spain
Sketches of Spain
Sketches of Spain is an album by Miles Davis, recorded between November 1959 and March 1960 at the Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York City....
and Miles Ahead
Miles Ahead
Miles Ahead is a jazz album by Miles Davis that was released in 1957 on Columbia CL 1041. This was the first album following Birth of the Cool that Davis recorded with Gil Evans, with whom he would go on to release albums such as Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain...
. (There is a younger musician named Billy Barber
Billy Barber (musician)
Billy Barber is a keyboardist and composer. He is the son of pianist and William C. Barber, also known as Bill Barber Sr.He is most noted for the theme song for All My Children in the 1990s as well as keyboardist for the jazz group Flim & the BB's with Jimmy Johnson and Bill Berg...
, who plays keyboards; the two are unrelated.)
Early life and career
Barber was born John William Barber in Hornell, New YorkHornell, New York
Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 9,019 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. Its current population has not yet been released by the new census....
, near Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, in 1920. He started playing tuba in high school and studied at the Juilliard School of Music. After graduating, he travelled west to Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, where he played with the Kansas City Philharmonic and various ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
orchestras.
Jazz musician
He joined the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1942 and played in an army band for three years. After the war, he started playing jazz, joining Claude Thornhill
Claude Thornhill
Claude Thornhill was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader...
's big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
in 1947. Barber was one of the first tuba players to play in a modern jazz style, playing solos and participating in intricate ensemble pieces.
Barber became a founding member of Miles Davis's nonet
Nonet
A nonet refers to a group of nine.*In music, a nonet is a composition which requires nine musicians for a performance. Spohr and Martinu composed nonets....
in 1949 in what became known as the Birth of the Cool recording sessions. He then worked in theatre pit orchestras before joining up with Davis and Gil Evans
Gil Evans
Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
in 1957 to record albums such as Sketches of Spain, Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess (Miles Davis album)
Porgy and Bess is a studio album by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1958 on Columbia Records. The album features arrangements by Davis and collaborator Gil Evans from George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess. The album was recorded in four sessions on July 22, July 29, August 4, and August 18,...
. Barber also played on John Coltrane's only big band album Africa/Brass
Africa/Brass
-Personnel:* John Coltrane — soprano and tenor saxophone* Booker Little — trumpet* Freddie Hubbard — trumpet on May 23 session only* Britt Woodman — trombone on June 4 session only* Charles Greenlee — euphonium on May 23 session only...
.
Later career
Barber completed a Master's Degree from the Manhattan School of MusicManhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
and became an elementary school music teacher at Copiague, New York
Copiague, New York
Copiague is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 18,037 at the 2007 census. Once Copiague was a thriving Italian community. Many years ago a part of Copiague was named after Marconi. The ethnic makeup of the hamlet is quite diverse, making Copiague a rich...
. He continued to play where possible including with the Goldman Band
Goldman Band
The Goldman Band was formed by American musician and composer Edwin Franko Goldman in 1918 from the earlier New York Military Band. Goldman had organized the New York Military Band in 1911...
. In 1992, he recorded and toured with a nonet led by Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan
Gerald Joseph "Gerry" Mulligan was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though Mulligan is primarily known as one of the leading baritone saxophonists in jazz history – playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz – he was also...
, reworking material from Birth of the Cool. From 1998 to 2004 he was part of the The Seatbelts
The Seatbelts
was a Japanese blues/jazz band led by composer and instrumentalist Yoko Kanno.-Band history:The name of the band, according to the fictional description given in the anime series Cowboy Bebop, derives from how the performers wear seatbelts to be safe while they play hardcore jam sessions.The band...
, New York musicians who played the music of the Japanese anime Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop
is a critically acclaimed and award-winning 1998 Japanese anime series directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, written by Keiko Nobumoto, and produced by Sunrise. Its 26 episodes comprise a complete storyline: set in 2071, the series follows the adventures, misadventures and tragedies of five bounty...
. He died of heart failure in June 2007 in Bronxville, New York
Bronxville, New York
Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323...
.