BARNSEY’S INTERNATIONAL RESCUE
As I mentioned in the last blog, my Quartet (Rod Mason, Richard Wetherall, Dave Tyas and myself) had a gig in Llay, North Wales on Tuesday, 21 October. Sadly, Rod’s father passed away on the Monday and naturally, his place was with his mum and the rest of his family in Burton on Trent. I had to find a replacement horn player at 24 hours’ notice. I was on the phone most of Monday and I tried all the usual suspects, without success: they were either working, unwell, on holiday or had other pressing domestic commitments. Tea time arrived and I was getting rather despondent. I was going through my phone contacts again and my eyes alighted upon Alan Barnes’ name. He knows Rod well. However, knowing how busy he always is, I rang more in hope than expectation, believing it to be a real longshot. I got his voicemail and left the standard message, explaining my predicament and asking him to get back to me.
Within 20 minutes, Barnsey had returned my call. He said that he was available and without any hesitation, he said that he would do the gig. He did tell me that he was in Exeter on the Wednesday but that didn’t seem to phase him at all. My sense of relief was overwhelming. I really didn’t want to let Maureen Hopkins (the promoter) down but was beginning to get desperate.
Naturally, Maureen was delighted and emailed all her regulars. When I got to the gig, Alan was already there, having driven up from London, raring to go. I had thought that he might want to play some standards, given the last minute nature of the gig. Not a bit of it - we went through the programme that I had originally planned which included pieces by Don Grolnick, Keith Jarrett and Jim Hall, as well as some of my tunes, and Alan was keen to do all the original programme.
We had a very quick run through the heads as people were arriving and off we went. Barnsey, and indeed the whole band, played absolutely brilliantly and there was such positive feedback after the gig. I don’t think that the audience had heard Alan play in quite that context before and he demonstrated what an open, adaptable player he is.
I am so full of admiration not just for Barnsey’s fantastic playing but also for his incredible generosity of spirit. What I didn’t know until we got chatting before the gig was that he was in fact teaching during the day in Exeter. He never mentioned that during our Monday evening phone conversation. After the gig, he jumped in his car and drove through the night to the West Country. I did check the next day and he made it safely. He was then back up North on Thursday and Friday with his outstanding Octet playing Tony Faulkner’s great arrangements of Ellington and Strayhorn.
Alan really helped me out of a jam and I am so grateful to him for his willingness to ‘rescue’ my gig at the drop of a hat. His approach to my dilemma vividly demonstrates why he is so popular and so busy. He really is a good egg. Thank you Barnsey!!
Here are some photos of the gig kindly sent to me by Ken Jackson. They are wonderful reminders of a great gig.
