Historical Dictionary of Jazz. John S. Davis
saxophone (or bari sax) is in the key of E. Famous jazz baritone saxophone players include Nick Brignola, Gerry Mulligan, Pepper Adams, Serge Chaloff, Gary Smulyan, and Joe Temperly. See also CARRUTHERS, EARL “JOCK” (1910–1971); CUBER, RONNIE (1941–); DE VILLERS, MICHEL (1926–1992); FOWLKES, CHARLIE (1916–1980); GOYENS, AL(PHONSE) (1920–); GRAHAM, BILL (1918–); KONOPASEK, JAN (1931–); MAIDEN, WILLIAM “WILLIE” (1928–1976); PARAPHERNALIA; PARKER, LEO (1925–1962); PERKINS, BILL (1924–2003).
BARNET, CHARLIE (1913–1991)
Barnet learned to play several instruments as a youth and was a proficient alto saxophonist. He primarily led bands during the 1930s and developed into one of the decade’s most successful bandleaders. Barnet discontinued leading a band in the 1950s. Barnet’s bands featured many top musicians, including Clark Terry, Charlie Shavers, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bill Holman.
BARNYARD EFFECTS
A musical device used specially by early jazz performers; musicians would imitate animal sounds using their instruments.
BARRELHOUSE
A precursor to the boogie-woogie piano style, the barrelhouse was one of the first blues piano styles. The barrelhouse style received its name from being developed and performed in bars or drinking establishments in which drinks were served straight from the barrel. These establishments were generally considered low class, and often this music was considered to be of the same level. Famous barrelhouse pianists include Will Ezell, Washboard Sam, Joshua Altheimer, Peetie Wheatstraw, and Charlie Spand. See also BARRELHOUSE JAZZ.
BARRELHOUSE JAZZ
Barrelhouse jazz was hybrid of the barrelhouse piano style and the New Orleans early jazz style that had migrated to Chicago in the 1920s. Barrelhouse jazz served as a precursor to the Chicago blues style that was formed in the 1930s, and was characterized by the use of nontraditional jazz instruments like the washboard. Groups that performed in the barrelhouse jazz style were recorded much more frequently than its piano-style counterpart, and in many cases, groups that recorded the style did not perform it in public. This style was also considered to be an important element in the creation of rhythm and blues.
BARRELHOUSE JAZZ BAND
Founded by Horst Dubuque, the Barrelhouse Jazz Band was created in Germany in the mid-1950s as an early jazz– and traditional jazz–influenced group. In addition to utilizing guest artists such as Al Grey, Jimmy McPartland, and Buddy Tate, the Barrelhouse Jazz Band also made use of themed concerts to attract concertgoers. These concerts included performances dedicated to Duke Ellington, King Oliver, and Jelly Roll Morton. The name Barrelhouse Jazz Band has been used by several other groups in Europe as well as in the United States.
BARRETTO, RAY(MOND) (1929–2006)
Barretto, originally from New York, played in informal settings with many jazz musicians during the 1950s. Barretto was primarily a percussionist, and his professional career took off in the late 1950s and 1960s when he performed and recorded with Lou Donaldson, Dizzy Gillespie, Oliver Nelson, and Wes Montgomery. A proponent of Afro-Cuban and Latin American jazz, Barretto became increasingly active as a leader during the 1960s and led groups in the 1970s and 1980s. Barretto’s groups consistently featured top musicians, and in the 1990s he founded his most popular group, the New World Spirit. See also LATIN JAZZ.
BARRON, KENNY (1943–)
Hailing from Philadelphia, pianist Kenny Barron found work in the 1960s after he moved to New York, working with performers including Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, and James Moody. He did not become a leader until the mid-1970s and was an important original member of the group Sphere. In addition to working with Sphere, he freelanced through the 1980s, including time spent working with Chet Baker, David Schnitter, J. J. Johnson, Woody Shaw, and, most significantly, Stan Getz. The pairing of Barron and Getz resulted in some important albums during the mid-1980s that garnered much acclaim for both musicians. He was honored by the NEA as a Jazz Master in 2010 and has received nine Grammy nominations. He is a six-time recipient of Best Pianist by the Jazz Journalists Association. Barron continues to remain active as a performer, in addition to becoming a more active educator.
BASIE, WILLIAM “COUNT” (1904–1984)
Along with Duke Ellington, Basie would prove to be one of the most important bandleaders in jazz. While not a standout pianist, Basie was a performer with roots in the stride piano style, and the bands Basie fronted were frequently considered to be among the finest working. After an incident in which he was stranded in Kansas City, Basie found work in the late 1920s with Walter Page, the bassist who ended up playing a vital role in Basie’s 1930 bands. Basie was hired along with Page to play with Bennie Moten’s group, which Basie was with until the band disbanded in the mid-1930s. From then on, Basie would work primarily as a bandleader of both small and large groups.
Basie’s groups in the 1930s included tenor saxophonist Lester Young and rhythm section mates Walter Page and drummer Jo Jones. The first incarnation of the Basie big band lasted approximately 14 years before Basie had to break up the group in favor of smaller, more financially manageable ensembles. After a two-year hiatus from running a big band, Basie began a new band in 1952, which would develop into one of the top-working units of its time. The Basie bands were regarded as the hardest-swinging ensembles in jazz. Other members of the ensemble included Freddie Green, Thad Jones, Marshall Royal, and Frank Foster. Basie would continue to lead the group despite health issues during the 1970s and 1980s. After Basie’s passing, the band continued to play under Jones’s and eventually Foster’s leadership. See also COUNTSMEN; JONES-SMITH INC; KANSAS CITY SEVEN; KANSAS CITY SIX.
BASIN STREET
Located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Basin Street was one of the main streets within the Storyville red-light district. During its development in the early 1900s, jazz was prominently featured in many venues on Basin Street.
BASS
Also referred to as the double bass, it is the largest and consequently lowest-pitched string instrument. The bass is a fixture in dance bands and jazz groups, where it is normally played pizzicato. Its use in the rhythm section of these groups was established in the late 1920s. From the 1960s onward, it is occasionally replaced in these groups by the electric bass guitar. Notable jazz bassists include Jimmy Blanton, Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Dave Holland, Charles Mingus, and Scott LaFaro. See also GOMEZ, EDDIE (1944–); HINTON, MILTON “MILT” (1910–2000); PASTORIUS, JACO (1951–1987); PEACOCK, GARY (1935–); REID, RUFUS (1944–); RIDLEY, LARRY (1937–); RUSSELL, DILLON “CURLY” (1917–1986); SLAP BASS; STEWART, SLAM (1914–1987); SWALLOW, STEVE (1940–); WALKING BASS.
BASS CLARINET
Uncommon in jazz, the bass clarinet is a lower-sounding member of the clarinet family. It is usually pitched one octave below the more traditional soprano clarinet. Eric Dolphy was one of the first jazz musicians to use the bass clarinet in improvisational settings and recorded a famous solo bass clarinet version of “God Bless the Child” on The Illinois Concert (1963, Blue Note).
BASS CLEF
A clef sign used to write lower-register notes. The bass clef is commonly used for instruments like trombone,