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Larry Barker Quartet Saturday, May 19
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The LARRY BARKER QUARTET brings a close to what promises to be a splendid series. Gainesville, Georgia’s very own Larry Barker is a Jazz pianist with an eclectic musical background. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Barker has performed and/or recorded with Charles Glenn, the U.S. Army Band, the Glenn miller Band, Tom Kennedy, Theo Peoples, Peter Meyer, The Drifters and numerous others. For years, Mr. Barker has collaborated most often with vocalist Charles Glenn, resulting in one CD release and countless memorable Jazz club performances. Since moving to Georgia in 2006, Barker has performed with Atlanta Acoustic Jazz, Atlanta Beat, Sam Skelton, Ken Watters and the Sweet Lu Quartet. Barker prefers not to play “outside” in the manner of many Jazz musicians; rather he finds ways to explore his way “inside” the music. His approach keeps audiences completely engaged with each song.
Larry Barker | performing various Jazz favorites
Larry Barker (piano) | Cherokee
Meet Larry Barker
Source: The Times, Gainesville, GA, January 6, 2010
By day, many of our area’s mild-mannered school music teachers are busy helping kids explore the world of percussion and wind instruments.
But by night (and weekends), these elementary, middle and high school teachers cut loose at weddings, private parties and even public performances, where their talents shine in a completely different light.
Take Larry Barker, a Gwinnett County elementary school music teacher who cut his teeth in the jazz scene in St. Louis, Mo. He’s played piano with the likes of Charles Glenn, the Glenn Miller Band and the U.S. Army band and has a standard following playing classical piano at private events. And introducing his students to the world of music is second on the list to playing jazz.
“It’s a great thing; teaching has energized me quite a bit,” said the Gainesville resident. “I absolutely love being with the kids and getting to teach them.”
But after marrying a Gainesville girl — Ann Reynolds — Barker eventually made his way back to Gainesville. He will be performing his brand of jazz piano and other standards on Saturday night at The Arts Council’s Smithgall Arts Center as part of the Evenings of Intimate Jazz series.
Now that he has settled in — the couple moved to the area in 2006 — he’s worked his way into the music scene around Atlanta and said he has been enjoying getting to know the other artists.
Barker said he used to play a regular jazz gig at an upscale hotel in St. Louis, and one day he and his partner had an A-list audience.
“Theo Peoples was the singer, keyboard player and saxophone player, and we had a duet job at a hotel,” he said. “One day The Temptations walked into the lounge we were playing ... they liked what they heard and they hired Theo.
“So, I lost my partner to The Temptations.”
Peoples has since become the lead singer for The Four Tops.
Barker said as a working musician you have to be versatile, but it’s jazz that really calls to him.
Last weekend, for example, he played during the day for a wedding ceremony that was all classical music. In the evening, he played a six-hour big band gig.
“And it’s pretty much that and everything in between,” he said. “(It’s) the privilege of being able to work in a lot of different contexts and a lot of different types of bands. I really enjoy it all.”
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