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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBIGARD, Barney(b Leon Albany Bigard, 3 March 1906, New Orleans LA; d 27 June 1980, Culver City CA) Tenor sax, clarinet. With King Oliver, Luis Russell, Oliver's Dixie Syncopators, '25-8; then with Duke Ellington, concentrating on clarinet, soloing on scores of Duke's classics from 'Black Beauty' (March '28) to 'Main Stem' (June '42); also beautiful ensemble work, and co-composer credit on 'Mood Indigo' '30. His solos often took the form of high-spirited filigree, sailing over riffs or ensembles, as in 'Jack the Bear', 'Harlem Air Shaft'; but also lovely low-register work: 'Across The Tracks Blues' (all '40). He then worked with Freddie Slack, Kid Ory, with his own small groups, and with Louis Armstrong's All-Stars '46-55. He freelanced in Las Vegas, Los Angeles including Disneyland; with Cozy Cole '58-9, rejoined Armstrong '60-61. Played Leonard Feather record date B.B.B. and Company '62; Armstrong's 70th birthday concert '70; Keys to City of New Orleans '72; toured high schools, colleges; Switzerland '75, French TV film Musical Biography Of Barney Bigard. Other films included New Orleans '47, St Louis Blues '57. With Louis And The Duke: The Autobiography Of A Jazz Clarinetist by Barney Bigard and Barry Martyn was published '85 with introduction by Earl Hines; Bigard disliked reminiscing about the Ellington years: the band changed, the magic was gone and that was that. His nickname was Steps; when Woody Herman recorded 'Steps' with his Woodchoppers '46 he did his best to imitate that woody low-register Bigard sound. Records issued under his own name included Ellington small-group tracks '36-9 (reissued on Epic, Tax, others; then on two-CD sets The Duke's Men on Columbia) and '40 (The Ellington Units on Bluebird). Fantasy For Clarinet and Strings '44 with guitar, bass and string section was two 78s issued in a set numbered and signed by Bigard. Various other small-group dates included LPs Bucket's Got A Hole In It '68 on Delmark with Art Hodes; Clarinet Gumbo '73 on RCA (aka Easy On The Ears); Barney Bigard And The Legends Of Jazz '74, And The Pelican Trio '76, both on Crescent Jazz Productions, the latter later on Jazzology; Giants In Nice '74 on RCA with Earl Hines. |