Good George Barnes records?

[Rob MacKillop]

I've just listened to Tony Bennett "Sings the Rogers & Hart Songbook" with the George Barnes quartet - wow! It's a great album, with lots of guitar from Barnes, but also great singing from TB. Highly recommended.

[jameslovestal]

Due to this site I listened to this Braff \ Barnes recording last night (I've had the CD for 25 years but hadn't play it for years) and I highly recommend it.

The quartet is bass, two guitars and trumpet. This type of format makes it really easy to hear what the soloist, Braff and Barnes, are doing especially since the rhythm guitarist (Wayne), plays very softly.

Great interplay between the soloist and of course there are all those fine Gershwin tunes.

[sgcim]

Gotta agree, that's a great album..
Another good one to start out with is "Live At The New School" again with Braff.

Here's the rest of what I have in the George Barnes department shown below.
He's a sideman on Al Caiola's date, but a leader on the rest.
If I can just find the other 98% of the stuff he played on, I'll be all set!
John

Attachment 49647Attachment 49650Attachment 49648Attachment 49649

The 'Guitars Pure and Honest' LP is the only other recording of Barnes and Pizzarelli's guitar duo (other than the 'Town hall Guitar Concert' LP I mentioned, which only has a few cuts of the duo) that seemed to be playing everywhere in NY in the early 70s.
I must have seen them play half a dozen times in one year.
imho, it was the best thing either guitarist was ever involved in, because they focused on their respective strengths- Barnes single string solos, and Bucky's accompaniment prowess and chord solos.

The arrangements, probably by Barnes, were very intricate, and the blend of Bucky's 7 string electric and Barnes' more treble sounding axe was perfect. As good as the other duos GB and BP were involved in, this duo was superior in terms of sound and arrangements.

Their breakup was witnessed live in concert at the Hotel Pierre by Whitney Balliet, and included in one of his books. Barnes started yelling at Bucky in the middle of a song, and Bucky said something back to him.
They stopped playing, and were heard backstage yelling at each other.
The next thing the audience knew, both guitar players marched out of the gig on their own, never to play together again.

[Alexandra]

The 'Guitars Pure and Honest' LP is the only other recording of Barnes and Pizzarelli's guitar duo (other than the 'Town hall Guitar Concert' LP I mentioned, which only has a few cuts of the duo) that seemed to be playing everywhere in NY in the early 70s.
I must have seen them play half a dozen times in one year.
imho, it was the best thing either guitarist was ever involved in, because they focused on their respective strengths- Barnes single string solos, and Bucky's accompaniment prowess and chord solos.
*Dad would say that, while he was happy with most of the work he did with Bucky, his best duo work, and his happiest collaboration, was with Carl Kress. In fact, when Carl died at the end of their 1965 Japan tour, part of Dad died, too. It had a terrible effect on all of us...which I will write about in the memoir.

I should let you all know that Dad and Bucky did make amends to each other before Dad died; they'd known each other for so long, and had worked together harmoniously so many times (that's Bucky on the 1962 Bach Fugue recording, playing the second guitar part), it didn't make sense not to make up. Dad's problem with the duo was Bucky's desire to play the Top Ten hits of the day, which Dad hated for their lack of melodic strength (exception: he loved "Here, There and Everywhere," which he and Bucky played in a medley with "Eleanor Rigby," at Town Hall in 1971...probably my favorite Barnes-Pizzarelli performance). When I was prepping the production of the Bach Fugue CD, I met with Bucky at Nola Sound in NYC so I could play back the digitally remastered recording of the session and the final mix (it was the first time he'd heard it since '62), and the engineers recorded our conversation about the Fugue, and about Dad. They truly loved and respected each other...they just had a massive difference of opinion when it came to the duo's repertoire, which is something that never happened between Dad and Carl, who were musical brothers.

The arrangements, probably by Barnes...
*With very few exceptions (maybe none, I'll have to check), Dad was always the arranger on every recording, and in every group and partnership, he led.

...were very intricate, and the blend of Bucky's 7 string electric and Barnes' more treble sounding axe was perfect. As good as the other duos GB and BP were involved in, this duo was superior in terms of sound and arrangements.
*I've already weighed in on what would be Dad's opinion. My late mother and I shared that opinion, by the way...we loved the exposure Dad and Bucky were getting, but we'd witnessed the personal and professional Barnes-Kress dynamic, which was as good as it gets.

Their breakup was witnessed live in concert at the Hotel Pierre...
*Their long-standing gig was in the St. Regis Room of the St. Regis Hotel on 55th and 5th, not the Pierre, which is at 61st and 5th.

by Whitney Balliet, and included in one of his books. Barnes started yelling at Bucky in the middle of a song, and Bucky said something back to him.

*Actually, Dad didn't yell on the stand, he spoke sotto voce...and Bucky responded. They ended the song and their set abruptly, and went backstage (which wasn't really a proper backstage, so it was easy to hear them).

It should be noted that, for some unknown reason, Balliet was never complimentary about Dad; he never gave him a bad review, but it was always apparent he didn't "get" him. No one could understand it, including his fellow music reviewers. Maybe he was too clean, too tight? Maybe Balliet never understood that Dad was a horn player in a guitarist's body? In any case, we all took anything he wrote about Dad with a box of Morton's.

The memoir I'm writing (it's been slow-going, as I've spent the past four years taking care of my beloved mom, who departed on 22 January) is about an American family who participated (and, in Dad's case, was highly influential) in the American music business, from the early 1930s through the late 1970s. Dad's history, combined with Mom's work with him and at CBS' April-Blackwood Music, and my work with him and at the most prestigious recording studios and record companies in NYC, will (I hope) make for a good read...and will clear up some of the stories about Dad that have been misreported over the decades. It'll also reveal the real life of a true artist, with affection, humor, and unfettered candor.

In the meantime, please visit georgebarneslegacy.com for past releases, and the George Barnes, Guitar Legend Facebook page for updates.

Many thanks to all for your interest in Dad's music...when I launched The George Barnes Legacy Collection in 2013, both Mom and I were deeply touched, surprised, and appreciative of the respect so many guitarists and fans around the world have for his work. The love we've been shown for sharing the tales keeps me going...but then, his music has always been my fuel.

All my best,
Alexandra Barnes Leh

[sgcim]

*Actually, Dad didn't yell on the stand, he spoke sotto voce...and Bucky responded. They ended the song and their set abruptly, and went backstage (which wasn't really a proper backstage, so it was easy to hear them).

It should be noted that, for some unknown reason, Balliet was never complimentary about Dad; he never gave him a bad review, but it was always apparent he didn't "get" him. No one could understand it, including his fellow music reviewers. Maybe he was too clean, too tight? Maybe Balliet never understood that Dad was a horn player in a guitarist's body? In any case, we all took anything he wrote about Dad with a box of Morton's.

The memoir I'm writing (it's been slow-going, as I've spent the past four years taking care of my beloved mom, who departed on 22 January) is about an American family who participated (and, in Dad's case, was highly influential) in the American music business, from the early 1930s through the late 1970s. Dad's history, combined with Mom's work with him and at CBS' April-Blackwood Music, and my work with him and at the most prestigious recording studios and record companies in NYC, will (I hope) make for a good read...and will clear up some of the stories about Dad that have been misreported over the decades. It'll also reveal the real life of a true artist, with affection, humor, and unfettered candor.

In the meantime, please visit georgebarneslegacy.com for past releases, and the George Barnes, Guitar Legend Facebook page for updates.

Many thanks to all for your interest in Dad's music...when I launched The George Barnes Legacy Collection in 2013, both Mom and I were deeply touched, surprised, and appreciative of the respect so many guitarists and fans around the world have for his work. The love we've been shown for sharing the tales keeps me going...but then, his music has always been my fuel.

All my best,
Alexandra Barnes Leh

Thanks for the corrections, Alexandra. I was writing from memory about Balliet's chapter on your father and Bucky, so I didn't have the text in front of me.
I'd say Bucky was a bit more commercially-minded than your father, as shown by Bucky's recent commercial for the 'new' D'Angelico guitars, in which he linked them with the old D'Angelico guitars, which they have nothing to do with. Maybe that's why he wanted to play the 'top ten' of that period of time.
When I met Bucky once, I think he said that your father gave him his 'Snakehead' D'Angelico, which Bucky still has. I also have a Snakehead, and Bucky was able to get sounds out of my guitar that I could only dream of getting.
If I recalled that correctly, maybe you could mention the fact that your father gave away a guitar that is now legendary in the history of American guitars, in your memoir. That should speak volumes about the type of person your father was.
Please let us know when your memoir is available for purchase. I, and countless other admirers of your father are waiting for it!

[neatomic]

Many thanks to all for your interest in Dad's music...when I launched The George Barnes Legacy Collection in 2013, both Mom and I were deeply touched, surprised, and appreciative of the respect so many guitarists and fans around the world have for his work. The love we've been shown for sharing the tales keeps me going...but then, his music has always been my fuel.

All my best,
Alexandra Barnes Leh

great writing and awareness...i look forward to the george barnes family memoir/bio as well


i do remember hearing an oldtime radio (on sirius) bing crosby live radio broadcast out of chicago...and george barnes was the guitarist...and bing was so impresssed he featured barnes on the broadcast...and supposedly wanted him for his own band..but george had chicago obligations... (or something like that!) hah

cheers

[Cunamara]

Thank you, Alexandra, and condolences on behalf of all of us on losing your Mom in January.

Your Dad, like many other legendary figures of this music, lived and worked before the interwebs, social media and the 24 hour news cycle. I can find out what Beyonce had for breakfast, lunch and supper if I wanted (and why would I want to?) but not know a thing about how your Dad thought about music other than what I can glean from his recordings. When you finish your memoir, it will be a helpful addition to understand a musician who- among other things- recorded one of the first two electric guitar sessions, predating Charlie Christian. Looking forward to reading it!

[guitouttaheah]

I recently got a disc on Audiophile Records label that has George's - Guitars, Anyone? with Carl Kress, and Swing, Guitars with the George Barnes Quartet, as a sidenote to some tracking down of Carl Kress and Dick McDonough duets that I was going after.

Great stuff, glad I found this one in the process.