1. 1. Spontaneous Combustion (Adderley) Listen
2. 2. Rengeo (Barnes) Listen
3. 3. Harmon Blues (Barnes) Listen
4. 4. Bitter-Jug Waltz (Barnes) Listen
5. 5. Griffin-a-ning (Barnes) Listen
6. 6. Skylark (Carmichael) Listen
7. 7. Motoring Along (McGriff) Listen
8. 8. Hanging 'Round For Friday (Barnes) Listen
9. 9. Funji Mama (Mitchell) Listen
10. 10. One For D.M. (Barnes) Listen
11. 11. Cannonball (Adderley) Listen

Details

A new session with my old sparing partner and a trio led by Belgian pianist Pasqual Michaux. Bruce and I have a lot in common: neither of us is prone to depression, we both enjoy playing straight- ahead jazz and we usually contrive to enjoy ourselves! This is a good representation of our current live set.

Reviews

Alan Barnes is a jazzman with a high profile, seemingly appearing at every jazz festival in Britain and also well-known abroad. Bruce Adams, on the other hand, may be less familiar on the jazz scene, as he has often worked as a session musician. However, he and Barnes have been friends and sparring partners for years, co-leading various groups since 1992. And their togetherness is evident on this new album, where they work together well, playing an interesting variety of material.

This session is book-ended by two Cannonball Adderley compositions. Spontaneous Combustion is an exciting opener, with Adams making his mark with some of those high notes which are his trademark. Alan Barnes' solo also hits the highspots before the two play interweaving phrases and then take the tune out in style. The closing Cannonball is equally dynamic, with Barnes leading the way on fluent alto sax and Adams punching the bluesy message home. This track includes a personable solo from Belgian pianist Pascal Michaux but for most of the album the rhythm section plays with professional skill without making much of an individual impact. Attention is focused mainly on the co-leaders and, in truth, they deserve the limelight.

Alan Barnes wrote six of the eleven pieces on the album and they exhibit his ability to compose melodies which are immediately catchy. He knows how to write memorably - a skill he shares with Horace Silver, to whom he paid tribute in his album Yeah! His composition Rengeo contains some warm tenor sax from Alan and nice muted trumpet from Bruce, whose playing here and elsewhere reminds me of Roy Eldridge. Bruce resembles Eldridge in his irrepressible playing, which occasionally leads him astray but - hey! - what are a few wrong notes when you're enjoying yourself? Bruce's enjoyment is infectious, as is the humour of song titles like Bitter-Jug Waltz, on which Bruce plays flugelhorn, managing to avoid the sentimentality sometimes associated with that instrument.

Bruce's muted trumpet in Harmon Blues (another Barnes original) reminds me more of Harry Edison in its allusive economy, while Barnes' tone is very Ben Websterish. Both men play with heartfelt feeling on Skylark, which includes Alan doing his stuttering effect on the baritone - something which could become an irritating mannerism if he does it too often. Motoring Along is a jaunty tune which would suit an old-fashioned commercial for motor-cars. Adams motors along cheerfully, while Barnes's alto negotiates some challenging bends and Alec Dankworth's bass solo almost comes off the track. The bass is more comfortable with Hanging 'round for Friday, an easy loping Barnes composition on which Bruce's muted trumpet again evokes Little Jazz, and Alan proves that his dexterity on the baritone is at least as great as Gerry Mulligan's. One for D.M. is a delicate elegy for the late Dick Morrissey.

All in all, another highly listenable album from Alan Barnes's Woodville label.

Tony Augarde

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