Bill Barber (musician)
| Billy Barber | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John William Barber |
| Born |
May 21, 1920 Hornell, New York |
| Died | June 18, 2007 (aged 87) Bronxville, New York |
| Genres | Jazz, swing |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Tuba |
| Associated acts | Miles Davis |
John William Barber (May 21, 1920 – June 18, 2007), known as Bill Barber or Billy Barber, is considered by many to be the first person to play tuba in modern jazz. He is best known for his work with Miles Davis on albums such as Birth of the Cool, Sketches of Spain and Miles Ahead.
Barber was born John William Barber in Hornell, New York, near Rochester, in 1920. He started playing tuba in high school and studied at the Juilliard School of Music. After graduating, he travelled west to Kansas City, Missouri, where he played with the Kansas City Philharmonic and various ballet and theatre orchestras.
He joined the United States Army in 1942 and played in Patton's 7th army band for three years. Bill Quoted to his family often "I never killed anybody with my Tuba" After the war, he started playing jazz, joining Claude Thornhill's big band where he became friends with Al Langstaff trombone player and Gil Evans and Gerry Mulligan in 1947. Barber was one of the first tuba players to play in a modern jazz style, playing solos and participating in intricate ensemble pieces.
Barber became a founding member of Miles Davis's nonet in 1949 in what became known as the Birth of the Cool recording sessions. He then worked in theatre pit orchestration of the King and I, Paradiso and the city center Ballet before joining up with Davis and Gil Evans in 1957 to record albums such as Sketches of Spain, Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess. Barber also played on John Coltrane's album Africa/Brass.
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