{"id":89,"date":"2013-03-04T09:36:32","date_gmt":"2013-03-04T09:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/georgebarneslegacy.com\/wp\/?page_id=89"},"modified":"2021-07-17T16:19:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-17T23:19:36","slug":"about-the-legacy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/georgebarneslegacy.com\/?page_id=89","title":{"rendered":"ABOUT THE LEGACY…aspects of the truth"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many years since my father\u2019s unexpected death in 1977, I have been contacted by friends and fans and students and hundreds of wonderful strangers from around the world (many of whom were barely babies in \u201877, or were born after he died). I have been asked to keep his work alive, to tell the story that hasn\u2019t been told — not just to complete Dad\u2019s work, but to continue it.<\/p>\n

Music is a living, breathing gift, and my father was blessed with the rare inspiration that breeds true genius. He loved exchanging creative energies with his peers and, especially in his last years, he adored giving his all to his students. He\u2019d be giving still, but for the fact that he too quickly used up his heart. So…it was left to me and my late mother Evelyn to curate and collate his life and his work in one authoritative (and continually evolving) collection. It\u2019s a huge undertaking.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a writer and producer for over 20 years, and have always wanted to find a compelling way to tell these amazing untold tales, to mine the deeper history of American music through the life of one of its pioneers.<\/p>\n

The time is ripe: there is fresh interest in Barnes\u2019 work\u2013and with full access to his stunning inventory, the multi-faceted career of this influential musical innovator can be enjoyed via emerging technologies and social media, allowing the story to unfold as a transmedia property over multiple platforms, in interactive as well as traditional formats.<\/p>\n

I have many precious, rare and revelatory materials in hand\u2013and I am gathering the resources to access those that have fallen out of the family’s hands. Beyond the material that was commercially produced during Dad\u2019s career, we have hours of personal recordings\u2013including teaching methods, conversations, homemade tapes of jam sessions and rehearsals\u2013as well as manuscripts of unrecorded original compositions and arrangements, diaries, photographs, letters. Generous glimpses into the life of a master; a comprehensive musical history that must be shared.<\/p>\n

Dad loved giving back the gifts he\u2019d been given. Over the course of his career, he produced several different teaching methods that I believe are at the core of this collection. It\u2019s one thing to love a musician\u2019s work, and quite another to learn it from the inside out, to understand its inner workings. His desire to guide musicians to excellence was his deepest motivation.<\/p>\n

When Dad died, he was writing a book of reminiscences about music and musicians; the manuscript is being edited for publication. He was in the midst of composing a cycle of instrumentals inspired by his recent spiritual explorations; those lead sheets will be part of a program of study and available for performance. His recording of The Bach Fugue in G Minor<\/a> is available on The Art of Sound label, and his handwritten score for that piece will also be made available for study and performance.<\/p>\n

THE GEORGE BARNES LEGACY COLLECTION offers a unique program of study from the beginners\u2019 to the professional level. In panels and performances at colleges and festivals, the legacy of his work will edify and inspire new generations of jazz aficionados and students, expanding their musical vocabulary and invoking a level of excellence that was the trademark of this exceptional artist.<\/p>\n

ASPECTS OF THE TRUTH<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Composer Alec Wilder and George Barnes were musical brothers long before they met. Barnes’ exceptional compositions and arrangements for The George Barnes Octet were inspired by Alec\u2019s extraordinary octet compositions from the late 1930’s. As kindred creative spirits, they enjoyed many marvelous conversations over good whiskey well into the wee hours, and their few co-creations were evidence of the shorthand between true friends and masters.<\/p>\n

Alec Wilder Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n

This letter from Alec to George, in which Alec accesses his customary eloquence to laud his longtime friend, was written in 1972, when George and his then-partner, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, were the featured performers at New York’s prestigious St. Regis Hotel:<\/p>\n

\"Alec<\/a> \"Alec<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Alec<\/a> \"Alec<\/a><\/p>\n

Dear George:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Most Americans are embarrassed by loving remarks. Since I am about to make a few, I\u2019ll have to risk embarrassing you.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

You may ask how anyone who hears you play so seldom could feel so intensely about your musical communication as I do.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Two reasons: I didn\u2019t know for a long time that you and Bucky were working in New York, and when I did learn, I was unable to be here.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

What you do is much more than be a brilliant musician. Your statements, comments, attitudes are all what caused me to suggest the album title: \u201cAspects of the Truth.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Very few players have provided me with more than their music: [Bix] Biederbecke, [Stan] Getz, [Gerry] Mulligan, [Paul] Desmond, Hank Jones, Toots Thielemans, [Art] Tatum, and only a few others, like Joe Wilder.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

And what are their extra elements? Reassurance, reaffirmation, wit, warmth, conviction and, best of all, hope!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

So here I am, thanking you from the bottom of my head and heart.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I stopped by and Bucky told me you had the flu. I hope it clears up fast.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

My best to Evelyn and Alexandra.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Alec<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Dear George:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t finished.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

What happens when you and Bucky play is make strangers turn to one another and smile, strangers not in the habit of smiling.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

When you two play, I start in believing again\u2013as opposed to denying that a good thing might exist in a darkening world.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Quite outside of the superb music is this magical element that opens locked doors, dissipates gloom, recalls former faith and sets me, for one, out again on the quest for miracles.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m serious, my very dear friend. And if no one has told you this, it\u2019s because they\u2019re either too self-centered, planning tomorrow\u2019s swindle, or too insensitive to be open to what\u2019s really happening.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

If I could do what you do, I would consider it a great joy and as great a responsibility.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Anyone who can bring even a pin prick of light into a dark landscape is obligated to do so.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Forgive me if I sound like a pompous preacher. I don\u2019t mean to. I think sometimes we creators don\u2019t realize what we\u2019re really doing, or trying to do.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Alec<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a9 \u2117 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 LaCheraqui Media<\/b><\/p>\n

Copyrighted content on this site may not be further used for profitable purposes without the expressed written permission and consent of the copyright owner.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For many years since my father\u2019s unexpected death in 1977, I have been contacted by friends and fans and students and hundreds of wonderful strangers from around the world (many of whom were barely babies in \u201877, or were born after he died). I have been asked to keep his work alive, to tell the … Continue reading »<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-89","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/georgebarneslegacy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/georgebarneslegacy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/georgebarneslegacy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/georgebarneslegacy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/georgebarneslegacy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=89"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/georgebarneslegacy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":788,"href":"https:\/\/georgebarneslegacy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89\/revisions\/788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/georgebarneslegacy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=89"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}