ALLAN BARNES with BRUCE ADAMS

05/04/08

Alan Barnes (saxophone), now one of UK’s leading jazz players has enjoyed a prolific career as a sideman, playing and recording for many bands. He broadcast regularly over a ten-year period with the BBC Big Band and Radio Orchestra and has toured and recorded with big band leaders, Dick Walter, Kenny Baker, Bob Wilber, Don Weller, Stan Tracey and Mike Westbrook. The British Jazz  Awards have been dominated by him, having won both the alto and clarinet sections five times and the Baritone section three times.  Since leaving the Lyttleton Band, Alan has concentrated on his freelance career. In 1993 he again recorded with Newton resulting in the duo album “Like Minds” and the quartet, quintet and sextet album “Thirsty Work”, which featured fellow reedmen Andy Panayi and Iain Dixon. Throughout the 90s he co-led a quintet with blistering be-bop trumpeter Bruce Adams, recording 2 CDs “Side- Stepping” and “Lets Face the Music”. Other bands he has toured and recorded with include the Gary Potter quartet, playing the music of Django Reinhardt, the Tina May Trio with Nikki Iles, Bill LeSage’s Genetically Modified Quintet, and Spike Robinson’s Tenor Madness. 

Bruce Adams is a superb jazz trumpeter who comes from a showbiz family and was part of his father’s stage act from an early age.  Having learnt his craft in the halls and the last days of the big bands he is able to play in a wide range of styles but his style can really be classified as mainstream/modern.

For many years he co-led a critically successful and award winning quintet with saxophonist Alan Barnes and now either leads his own band or plays as a featured artist as he does here.  Recent recordings include the marvellous ‘Always and Forever’ with Dave Cliff and ‘Good Bait’ recorded live at Ronnie Scott’s.