Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

BARKER, Guy

(b 26 Dec. '57, Chiswick, London) Trumpeter, composer, leader; also flugelhorn; one of the brightest new stars in Britain. He played in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, studied at the Royal College of Music but didn't finish because he was already on the road; he has worked, toured and sometimes recorded with Mike Westbrook, Georgie Fame, Van Morrison, Stan Tracey, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Mel Torm‚, Ornette Coleman, Hermeto Pascoal and many others. He played on Peter King's Brother Bernard '88; King played on Isn't It '93 on Spotlite by Guy Barker's Extravaganza. Barker's International Quintet '95 incl. Alec Dankworth on bass, alto saxophonist Sigurdur Flosason fron Iceland, pianist Bernardo Sassetti from Portugal; Into The Blue '95 on Verve incl. tunes by King Oliver and Coleman, Timeswing '96 a tune by Mingus: the newest generation of jazzpeople worship the masters with joy instead of po-faced reverence. What Love Is '98 appeared on EmArcy.