Danny Barker

Daniel Moses Barker ( born January 13, 1909 in New Orleans, † March 13, 1994 in New Orleans) was an American banjo player, singer, composer, guitarist, ukulele player and bandleader of the jazz tradition.

Life

The nephew of drummer Paul Barbarin first took clarinet lessons with Barney Bigard. After he had already stepped in as a banjo player in the band from Kid Rena, he took lessons on this instrument when Lorenzo stable from the band of Buddy Bolden. In 1930 he moved to New York City, where he switched to guitar, and in 1938 in the big band of Benny Carter, Lucky Millinder and 1939-1949 in the played by Cab Calloway. From 1947 he played on the Jazz on the River weekend trips on the Hudson River and with other "veterans" during the New Orleans revival this time. He took, inter alia, with Jelly Roll Morton, Baby Dodds, James P. Johnson, Sidney Bechet, Mezz Mezzrow and Red Allen on, and 1945 in a session with Sir Charles Thompson even with Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon. In 1960 he played at the Newport Jazz Festival with Eubie Blake. In 1965 he moved back to New Orleans, where he accompanied his wife, the singer Blue Lu Barker, parades led (as Grand Marshal of the Congo brass band), a leader in the Mardi Gras was involved ( as in 1994 as King of Krewe de Vieux ) or with the headed by him Fairview Baptist Church Christian band played, in the young Wynton Marsalis and his brother Branford Marsalis played and in the words of former band member Joe Torregano " jazz for a generation in New Orleans saved ". He also lectured on traditional jazz, commented on radio and TV and was an assistant curator at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. He also wrote two memoirs and books on early jazz and New Orleans jazz.

In 1991 he received the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship.

He was married to the blues singer Blue Lu Barker.

On March 13, 1994 Danny Barker died at the age of 85 years in New Orleans with cancer.