Format Details: 6CD /
Description
Chris Barber was a true legend not only of Jazz in the UK and Europe, but also in the influence he had on the UK's popular music as a whole. He formed his first band and made his first recordings in 1949; he continued leading his band and recording up until his retirement in 2019 at the age of 89. He turned professional in 1953 and toured continuously until his retirement. The 1950s Skiffle movement, which influenced many later Rock stars such as The Beatles, took off as an offshoot from his band and its banjo player, Lonnie Donegan (who became a star in his own right). Chris was influential in bringing American Blues musicians over to play in this country; his involvement in London's Marquee Club provided a jumping off point for bands like The Rolling Stones and British RnB. During the 1950s Chris's band was the leading band on the burgeoning Traditional Jazz scene which became the Trad Boom on the late early 1960s where the band enjoyed the top spots along with the bands of Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball. Chris passed away in March 2021. He left behind a vast legacy of recordings.
This handsomely packaged box set consisting of an 80 page hard backed book and six CDs which traces the history of Chris Barber's bands from 1949 to 2008. Four of the CDs take a specific period and looks at the development of the band during that time. A fifth CD looks at the various soloists featured in the band over the years and the last CD includes some very rare items as well as bidding a final farewell to Chris Barber.
What makes this collection unique is that out of the 109 tracks, 105 have never been previously released. The compilation and audio restoration of the CDs plus the book text has been done by Paul Adams who first met Chris in 1964, started working with him recording the band in 1994, and liaised with Chris over the reissue of both the Barber back catalogue and previously unreleased items. This resulted in the LAKE label having the largest collection of Chris Barber albums anywhere. This box set is a worthy review of the life and times of Chris Barber's bands
Tracklisting
Chris Barber
Various Artists
Chris Barber's Jazz Band
Various Artists
Fred Hunt Duo
Humphrey Lyttelton
Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band
Chris Barber
Chris Barber
Chris Barber
Chris Barber
Chris Barber
Chris Barber
Chris Barber
Chris Barber
