Alan Barnes: Blessing In Disguise

When Barnes recorded this disc, he says, he ‘called a bunch of tunes on the day and it was more or less first takes all the way.’ A recipe for a

Published: January 20, 2012 at 4:00 pm

COMPOSERS: Alan Barnes
LABELS: Woodville
ALBUM TITLE: Alan Barnes
WORKS: Blessing In Disguise
PERFORMER: Alan Barnes (saxophone, clarinet)Andrew Cleyndert (bass)John Donaldson (piano)Spike Wells (drums)
CATALOGUE NO: WVCD 111

When Barnes recorded this disc, he says, he ‘called a bunch of tunes on the day and it was more or less first takes all the way.’ A recipe for a

jam-session kind of record, perhaps, but no such meandering with this skilled, inventive team. Barnes shows his mastery of alto, baritone and clarinet on a connoisseur’s choice of tunes – four by Thelonious Monk, plus rare entries from Victor Feldman, Phil Urso and others. The title piece is a Sonny Rollins tune, which Alan has the audacity to play on alto. Features quietly simpatico support from the aristocratic Donaldson and failsafe propulsion from Cleyndert and Wells. Delightful. Richard Cook

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