| George Barnes |
| Birth name |
George Barnes |
| Born |
July 17, 1921
South Chicago Heights, Illinois |
| Died |
September 5, 1977 (aged 56)
Concord, California |
| Genres |
Jazz, pop |
| Occupations |
Guitarist, Composer |
| Instruments |
guitar |
| Years active |
1930's - 1970s |
| Labels |
Decca, Mercury, others |
| Associated acts |
Big Bill Broonzy, Joe Venuti, The George Barnes Guitar Choir, The Jodimars |
George Barnes (July 17, 1921 – September 5, 1977) was a world-renowned swing jazz guitarist, who claimed he played the first electric guitar in 1931, preceding Charlie Christian by six years. George Barnes made the first recording of an electric guitar in 1938 in sessions with Big Bill Broonzy.
Biography
George Barnes was born in South Chicago Heights, Illinois. He started his career accompanying blues vocalists such as Big Bill Broonzy. In the mid-1930s, Barnes toured throughout the Midwest. By 1938, he was working as a musician on the staff of NBC studios. After a stint in the Army, Barnes recorded with his octet and worked as a studio musician for Decca.
In 1940, Barnes released his first recording under his own name on Okeh Records, "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" backed with "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me".
He did not receive national acclaim until he recorded an album called Two Guitars with Carl Kress. After the death of Kress, Barnes recorded several albums with Bucky Pizzarelli. Their partnership lasted through the early 1970s. He also worked as a session musician for The Jodimars in the late 1950s.[1] Before his death, Barnes also made well-received albums with Joe Venuti. He also contributed an album entitled Guitars a'plenty, under the name The George Barnes Guitar Choir, for Mercury Records in 1962. It was part of a series of recordings known as "Super Stereo Sound" as technical "state of the art" techniques.
First Recording of Electric Guitar
The first recording of an electric guitar was by jazz guitarist George Barnes who recorded two songs in Chicago on March 1st, 1938: "Sweetheart Land" and "It's a Low-Down Dirty Shame" with Big Bill Broonzy. Many historians incorrectly attribute the first recording to Eddie Durham, but his recording with the Kansas City Five was not until 15 days later. Durham introduced the instrument to Charlie Christian.
Style and technique
Barnes formative guitar years preceded the be-bop era therefore his playing style was more swing. His lines were usually short, very melodic, bluesy and "inside" (e.g. diatonic) as compared to the chromaticism and long lines of be-bop era guitarists (such as Pat Martino). His improvisation employed "call and answer" extensively — e.g. playing a line in one octave (call) and repeating the exact or similar line in another octave (answer). His lines swung, were well articulated and often cleverly posed. Barnes' tone was brighter than most jazz guitarists (such as Joe Pass or Jim Hall) and reflected his "happy" approach.
Barnes died in Concord, California. Not long before his death he recorded two live albums at a San Francisco club. The albums are good examples of his swinging, happy and often mischievous technique. The albums also include his banter with the audience, introduction of tunes and his band, giving you a brief look into his sense of humor.
Compositions by George Barnes
George Barnes' compositions included "Kilroy is Here", "Starlight Interlude", "South Side Blues", "Suite for Octette", "Zebra's Derby", "Jumpin' Jack", "Sunday Drive", "Misty Morn", "Girl in a Picture Hat", "A Good Night for Murder", "Fast and Fancy", and "Sunny Day in May".
References
External links
