Disc 1

1. 1. 221B Play On (Barnes) Listen
2. 2. Narration (Barnes) Listen
3. 3. The Game Is Afoot (Barnes) Listen
4. 4. Narration (Barnes) Listen
5. 5. Watson (Barnes) Listen
6. 6. Narration (Barnes) Listen
7. 7. The Tiger Of San Pedro (Barnes) Listen
8. 8. Narration (Barnes) Listen
9. 9. The Napoleon Of Crime (Barnes) Listen
10. 10. Narration (Barnes) Listen
11. 11. The Dancing Men (Barnes) Listen
12. 12. Narration (Barnes) Listen
13. 13. Grimpen Mire (Barnes) Listen
14. 14. The Hound Of The Baskervilles (Barnes) Listen

Disc 2

1. 1. Narration (Barnes) Listen
2. 2. The Baker Street Irregulars (Barnes) Listen
3. 3. Narration (Barnes) Listen
4. 4. Sherlock Holmes - Quite A Three Pipe Problem (Barnes) Listen
5. 5. Narration (Barnes) Listen
6. 6. The 7% Problem (Barnes) Listen
7. 7. Narration (Barnes) Listen
8. 8. Lestrade Of The Yard (Barnes) Listen
9. 9. Narration (Barnes) Listen
10. 10. Watson's Women (Barnes) Listen
11. 11. Narration (Barnes) Listen
12. 12. The Sussex Vampire (Barnes) Listen
13. 13. Narration (Barnes) Listen
14. 14. 221B (Full version) (Barnes) Listen

Details

This is a project that I've wanted to produce for years, combining my love of the Sherlock Holmes Stories and Jazz. 14 original compositions, interspersed with narration over 2 CDs. Pour a large glass of brandy, lie back on the ottoman, and, lighting a Trichinopoly cigar, drift back with us to the fog-bound London Streets of the 1890's with its infinite variety of criminal life. The game is afoot!

Reviews

Now this is something really different. It turns out that Alan Barnes has been a raving fan of Conan Doyle's writing, and more specifically, his greatest creation, Sherlock Holmes, since the age of eleven. This double album consists of 95 minutes of original music interspersed with narration relative to the plot and well put over by actor Alan Mitchell. Not only did Alan Barnes compose the music, he wrote the script, and jolly good it is as well.

This is all great fun, but more importantly, the music is outstanding, and the playing by this starry cast of musicians, is superb. Barnes chose his men very carefully, including some of his colleagues from groups in the past, and they all come up trumps, including their very talented leader.

The writing for the octet is clever as it leaves plenty of scope for each of them to show their improvisational skills, and they more than justify their selection. In his own liner notes, Alan states that he tried to write in a way that would bring out the unique qualities and strengths of his fellow musicians, and acknowledges that if that method was good enough for Duke, who is he to quarrel.

There are so many good things in these CDs; it is difficult to know what to pick out. Both Stan Sulzmann and Robert Fowler have their share of good moments, and Bruce Adams brings power and invention to the ensemble and to his solos. Mark Nightingale is just terrific in his spots, and especially in Grimpen Mire and The Hound of the Baskervilles. The rhythm section do a fine job throughout, with splashes of inspiration all over the place from David Newton, who swings hard in The Tiger of San Pedro, and then shows his reflective wistful side in The Napoleon of Crime. It doesn't matter a hoot whether you are familiar with the stories or not. The narration gives you the general idea, and the music is excellent. Alan Barnes has delivered an outstanding opus in this CD, great fun, fine production; I'd give it ten out of ten. Strongly recommended.

Latest News

JULY 2008

16th
British Standard Time with Chris Biscoe
Start 8pm
Leasowes Bank Farm
Ratlinghope, Shropshire SY5 0SW
More Info: 01743 790 769

17th
Wigan Jazz Festival
10am Seminar
1-3pm Liquorice Stick Allsorts
Wigan Cricket Club
Parsons Walk
Wigan, WN1 1RU
01942 241581

18th
With the Laurie Holloway Trio
The Arts Festival at The Townley Hall, Fulbourne
Ticket info www.fulbournarts.org or 01223 880778/880793.

19th Jazz On A Summer’s Day
Featuring Roy Williams, Andy Wood and the David Newton Trio with appearances from John Dankworth and Alan Barnes.
11:30am £11 in advance, £12 on the door
Venue: Old Rectory Garden
The Stables Theatre Ltd
Stockwell Lane
Wavendon
Milton Keynes
MK17 8LU

19th
Sax Supremos
John Dankworth, Andy Panayi, Alan Barnes, Frank
Griffith, Jimmy Hastings with Dave Newton (Piano)
Andy Cleyndert (Bass) Steve Brown (Drums)
2:30pm £12
Venue as above

19th
Gala Night – with Fireworks & The Chamber Ensemble of London
Director / Solo Violin: Peter Fisher
Hosted by: John Dankworth and Alan Barnes
7.30pm £17.50
Venue as above

20th
Final Festive Flourish – The Gardener’s Big Band
Leader Andy Panayi, under the command of
John Dankworth, Mark Nightingale.
12:00pm £15
Venue as above

22nd
Medway Jazz Society

24th
‘The Miles Davis Influence’
Alan Barnes – saxophone
John Horler – piano
THE DYSART ARMS
135 Petersham Road
Richmond
Surrey
TW10 7AA
020 8940 8005
enquiries@thedysartarms.co.uk

28th
Alan Barnes Septet For Duke
Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival
The Spiegeltent
George Square
Edinburgh, EH8 9LD
Phone: 0131 555 6966
21:00 – £12

29th-31st
Teaching
7th Dordogne International Jazz Summer School
www.jazzschool-dordogne.co.uk/

AUGUST

1st
Spontaneous Combustion -12 noon
Andy Cleyndert Bass
David Newton Piano
Royal Albert Hall

1st
With the Phil DeGreg Trio
8pm
Telegraph Inn, Putney Heath, London, SW15 3TU

3rd
Guestspot with Dan Shepherd Trio
1-3pm
Brighton

4th-8th
Teaching
Rock School
The Dome
Brighton

7th
Jazz at the Boathouse
Hosted by Broxbourne Rowing Club, Old Nazeing Road, Broxbourne
EN10 6QU
Doors open 7.30pm. Music 8pm
Telephone: 01992 442263

9th
Don Weller Big Band
Brecon Jazz Festival
Event 10. Saturday 09 August 1:00 PM
Venue: Theatr Brycheiniog Price: £14.50 (GBP)

9th
Brecon Jazz Festival
18.00 18.45 Theatr Brycheiniog Studio Echos of Ellington Dave Newton & Alan Barnes (Set 1)
19.15 20.00 Theatr Brycheiniog Studio Echos of Ellington Dave Newton & Alan Barnes (Set 2)

12th
Alan Barnes & Dave Newton
The Rhythm Station
Station House
New Hall Hey Road
Rawtenstall
BB4 6AJ
8.30pm
booking tel 01706 214039

15th
Bakewell Arts Festival
Friday 15 August • Piedaniel’s Restaurant, Bath Street • 6.30pm for 7pm • £45 to include gourmet dinner • Tickets (which are to be paid for when booked) available from Andy Littler on 07785 520674 or via the BAF Hotline

17th-23rd
Teaching
The MEhr Clef Summer Jazz Courses are residential courses held at Digby Stuart College, Roehampton University, London.
FOR MUSICIANS AGED 18+ (NO UPPER AGE LIMIT)
www.mehrclef.com

18th
With the Tevor Tomkins Trio
8.30
Coach & Horses Isleworth
183 London Rd, Middx, TW7 5BQ

19th
With Judy Carmichael
10pm
Boisdales
15 Eccleston Street
Belgravia
SW1W 9LX
Tel: 020 7730 6922
info@boisdale.co.uk

20th Boisdales
(as the 19th)

21st
Tutors Concert
7.30
Digby Stuart College, Roehampton University, London.

22nd
Boisdales
(as the 19th)

23rd
Boisdales
(as the 19th)

24th
Keith Nichols Band
12-2.30pm
8-11pm
Bude Jazz Festival

25th
Octupal Odyssey
3-5.30pm
8-11pm With The John Hallam Quartet
Bude Jazz Festival

26th-30th
Teaching
The MEhr Clef Summer Jazz Courses are residential courses held at Digby Stuart College, Roehampton University, London
FOR MUSICIANS AGED 21 AND UNDER (MINIMUM AGE 14)
www.mehrclef.com

28th
Evening
Maida Vale Studios
public recording
Tribute to Allan Ganley

31st
12.15-2.30
Merlins Cave
The Village Green
Chalfont St. Giles
HP8 4QF
Tel: 01494 875101

SEPTEMBER

4th
Guesting with Hugh Ockendon Trio
20:30 – 11:00
Birchwood Park Golf Centre
Birchwood Road, Wilmington Kent DA2 7HJ
Sidcup
DA2 7HJ
Telephone: 020 8325 3999
Email: Marion200@ntlworld.com

6th
Liquorice-Stick All Sorts
10.15-11-30pm
Cleethorpes Jazz Weekend
Cleethorpes Beachcomber
208 North Sea Lane
Cleethorpes
Tel: 01472812666

7th
Alan Barnes Septet
6.30pm
Pontypool Jazz Festival
Newport

12th