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CHRIS BARBER’S JAZZ BAND
“PETITE FLEUR (LITTLE FLOWER)”
(Sidney Bechet) Laurie 3022
No. 5 March 2, 1959
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Chris Barber (b. April 17, 1930, Welwyn Garden City, England) took up the trombone when a mere lad.
Later, becoming quite proficient on the bass trumpet and the string bass, he attended the Guildhall
School of Music. After a stay in Cy Laurie’s band and an attempt at forming his own group, Chris joined
Ken Colyer’s band. In 1954, luck smiled upon him when Colyer reportedly “fired” the whole outfit and
Barber took over.
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With a repertoire that ranged from jug-band tunes to folk-blues to Duke Ellington numbers, Barber set
up small units within his band to work up presentations of these various styles. One of these subgroup
included Lonnie Donegan strumming guitar, Barber on bass, and a bloke beating a washboard. The
resulting music, dubbed “skiffle,” was a pleasantly crude blend of well-aged American folk, blues, and
rock’n’roll. Barber’s group cut an album in 1954, and two of these skiffle numbers were on it.
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In response to the growing interest in skiffle, British Decca Records issued “Rock Island Line” b/w “John
Henry” as a single, and with Lonnie’s name prominent. Donegan up and left Barber’s group enroute to
becoming the most consistent hit-maker in Britain during the ’50s. ‘The “simple” arrangements and
“primitive”–though emotive–musicianship required for playing this skiffle encouraged–dare we say–
thousands (possibly a million+) of young Brits and neighboring nations to do likewise. Strongly
influenced by skiffle-mania were four young things named John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
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Yet despite his influence on British popular music, Barber himself never charted much, not even in his
homeland; “Petite Fleur” was one of only three such chart entries. While patehing togethter a third LP,
Chris got the notion to include a clarinet number. “I told Monty Sunshine [the group’s clarinetist) to go
away and think of something to do, and he came back the next day with Sidney Bechet’s ‘Petite Fleur,'”
Barber explained to Sheila Tracy in Who’s Who in Pop Music in Great Britain. “That album was released
in 1957. Two years later, I hear we are number one in the German charts. ‘With what?’ I asked. ‘We
haven’t got a single out…”
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Once the band’s sound had been supplanted by those Beatles, the Stones, and others, Chris refashioned his
group into the Barber Jazz & Blues Band. An electric rhythm section was brought in that at times included
Tony Aston (later of ASTON, GARDNER & DYKE), Peter York (later of the Spencer Davis Group), and for a
tour in the ’80s, DR. JOHN.
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