![]() Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the band, now called Chris Barber’s Jazz and Blues Band, continued touring the world, always playing to packed houses. It was Barber who first introduced British audiences to Muddy Waters, doyen of the Chicago blues, thus sowing the seeds of the rhythm-and-blues movement of the Sixties, which in turn produced the Rolling Stones. He, too, left to become a bandleader on his own account. ![]() The band had several hit records, including Bobby Shaftoe, Whistling Rufus, Petite Fleur and Hushabye, the last two being features for Monty Sunshine’s clarinet. This single piece sparked a nationwide craze for forming amateur skiffle groups, one of which was the future Beatles.ĭonegan left to pursue his career as a solo entertainer, while Barber went on to enjoy great popularity as a leading figure of the late-Fifties trad boom. ![]() This was Rock Island Line, by a band-within-the-band called the Skiffle Group, consisting of Donegan, singing and playing guitar, Barber playing bass and Beryl Bryden scraping a washboard. It sold 60,000 copies in the first year, The success of one number, however, surpassed everyone’s wildest expectations. A typical night at one of these, with the Barber band performing, is depicted in a short film, Momma Don’t Allow, made in 1955 and readily accessible online.īarber’s first album, New Orleans Joys (a 10 in LP), had been released by then. At first they played mainly at the jazz clubs that were springing up everywhere, most often in the back rooms of pubs. Hopefully, if you let the artist make therecord they want to make, it will be different from what anyoneelse will make.”Īs for the Borders show, Abair said it will be crowded, but thateveryone who buys a CD can get it autographed - and she doesn’tcare how many fans there are.The “classic” Chris Barber band was now complete, consisting of Halcox, Barber, the clarinettist Monty Sunshine, bassist Jim Bray, drummer Ron Bowden and Lonnie Donegan on banjo and guitar. You want someone who’s going to let you make therecord you want to make. “As an artist, you want to go out there and make the record youwant to make. It’s either stupid, or it’s verytrusting and respectful. “They didn’t hear any of the music I was recording until we weremixing. They really want the artists to beartists. “They’re probably the most major of the indie labels - theysigned Paul McCartney and James Taylor and Joni Mitchell and HerbieHancock. In making the new record, her first for Concord after years withGRP, Abair said the folks at Concord left her and her team alone- which she appreciated. ![]() Jazz has probably jumped less than a lot of otherdemographics.” I wouldexpect the jump to be higher due to the loss of every record storein America. “My first record was in 2003, and at that point, digital saleswere 2 percent now they’re somewhat closer to 15 percent. While Abair said she loves vinyl andwas trying to capture the warmth of that mediuim on her latestouting, she also admitted that digital purchases are quicklygrowing as a percentage of her total sales. The cover photo on her new CD finds Abair surrounded by vinylLPs, many from her father’s collection and others from the vaultsat Concord Records, her label. “Thankfully, it’s just kind of snowballed.” “Art Good would come to those shows, and say, ‘Go see the saxplayer.’ That kind of put me on the map in San Diego as my ownperson. It’s just my favorite place togo play.”Ībair said her arrival in Southern California coincided with thenational explosion in the smooth jazz radio format, which had begunat San Diego’s KiFM with host Art Good’s Sunday night “Lites Out”show. “San Diego has been the perfect city for me from the very start.They’ve been so loyal as fans to me.
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