Barney

Swedish trombonist Eje Thelin and French tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen were two of the top European jazz musicians for several decades before their deaths in the 1990s. They first joined forces briefly in Thelin's quartet in 1963. Based in bop and earlier forms of jazz, Thelin and Wilen were open to freer improvising and music from other countries. In 1966 they joined forces, and two sessions are included on the 1966 With Barney Wilen CD. The first one features a quintet with pianist Lars Sjösten, bassist Erik Lundborg, and drummer Rune Carlsson that is joined by eight brass, bass clarinet, and flute for four inventive Thelin originals. While those performances are excellent, it is the other five numbers (which include second versions of a pair of Thelin's tunes plus "It Could Happen to You" and "Dear Old Stockholm") that are of greatest interest.

Herb Ellis had previously recorded with fellow guitarists Charlie Byrd, Joe Pass and Freddie Green, but this early Concord album was his first meeting on records with Barney Kessel. It is of little surprise that the two complementary players (who had both been with the Oscar Peterson Trio at different times in the 1950s) work together quite well. With fine support from bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Jake Hanna, Kessel and Ellis (both generally easy to identify) swing their way through some mostly little-played standards, including "Early Autumn" and "Dearly Beloved," plus a few originals by the co-leaders. Fans of the bop guitar will want this sprightly collaboration.

Barney Bentall is loved globally for his band the Legendary Hearts, that over ten years in the 80s and 90s had more than nine hit singles, won Juno Awards and achieved platinum status for multiple albums. He went on to release acclaimed albums as a solo artist, and more lately has been a part of the bluegrass-influenced folk band The High Bar Gang. This 11-track album ranges from acoustic Americana to traditional Folk and features the highlights of Adrian Dolan's piano on the title track and duets with special guests Ruth Moody and Valentino Trapani. All original new songs aside from the covers "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" (Bob Dylan) and "Shadows" (Gordon Lightfoot), the album is infused with hope with lyrics that focus on love, longing and loss.

If the picture of three grown men hanging onto giant, colored swirl sticks looks a bit odd, or if the title The Poll Winners seems a bit conceited, the music, nonetheless - recorded in 1957 - still sounds great. Besides, guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Shelly Manne really did win polls in Down Beat, Playboy, and Metronome in 1956, and this is precisely what brought the players together. Here, on their first outing, they interpret nine pieces for 40 lovely minutes of modern jazz. After kicking off with a fine take on Duke Jordan's "Jordu," the group delivers an emotionally warm, six-minute version of "Satin Doll," one the album's highlights. While each player is always fully engaged in this small setting, Kessel's guitar supplies the lead voice…

Tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen was not quite 21 years old at the time of this meeting with Milt Jackson, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke, three veterans of the Modern Jazz Quartet. But the young man is surprising mature and confident throughout the session, interpreting several of Django Reinhardt's compositions, along with a few by his French contemporaries and a pair of his own works. What's surprising about this session is the rare opportunity to hear Jackson exclusively as a pianist, as his playing is a bit more reserved than on vibes. The leader digs into his rhythm section's element with his original "B.B.B. (Bag's Barney Blues)," giving them a full chorus before making a convincing statement himself…

This compilation in Verve's laudable Jazz in Paris reissue series features two separate soundtracks of original music. The first features a dozen works by French saxophonist Barney Wilen, written for Edouard Molinaro's Un Témoin dans la Ville, with a quintet consisting of Kenny Dorham, Duke Jordan, Kenny Clarke, and bassist Paul Rovere. While many of the pieces were only heard as musical fragments in the film, and several of them are little more than a brief chorus or two in recorded form, the music doesn't need visuals to be effective. Best is Wilen's sole appearance on soprano sax, the mellow duo ballad with Jordan of "Mélodie pour les Radio-Taxis." None of the tunes is particularly memorable, though the music is certainly enjoyable…

A previously unissued 1989 Radio France live broadcast by the Barney Wilen Quartet. Recorded on September 27, 1989 at the Parisian jazz club Le Petit Opportun, the broadcast features Wilen offering fresh new interpretations of songs from La Note Bleue. It is issued here thanks to the collaboration of the INA (Institute National de l`Audiovisuel). Wilen is backed here by Jacky Terrasson on piano, Gilles Naturel on double-bass, and Peter Gritz on drums.