Chris Barber

Recent work

The 2012 line up is; Gregor Beck (drums) Jackie Flavelle (bass guitar double bass) Joe Farler (banjo & guitar) Chris Barber and Bob Hunt (after an 18 month break rejoined January 2010) (trombones); Mike Henry and Pete Rudeforth (trumpets) Bert Brandsma Amy Roberts and Richard Exall (clarinets and alto sax tenor sax baritone sax). Barber next added a second clarinet/saxophone and this line-up continued until 1999. Barber stunned traditionalists in 1964 by introducing blues guitarist John Slaughter into the line up who apart from a break between April 1978 and August 1986 when Roger Hill took over the spot played in the band until shortly before his death in 2010.

As well as scoring a UK top twenty trad jazz hit he helped the careers of many musicians notably the blues singer Ottilie Patterson who was at one time his wife and vocalist/banjoist Lonnie Donegan whose appearances with Barber triggered the skiffle craze of the mid-1950s and who had his first transatlantic hit "Rock Island Line" while with Chris Barber's band. His providing an audience for Donegan and later Alexis Korner makes Barber a significant figure in the British rhythm and blues and "beat boom" of the 1960s. Donald Christopher 'Chris' Barber (born 17 April 1930 Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire England) is best known as a jazz trombonist.