Bob Barnard , 
"The Louis Armstrong of Australia," 
comes to Watchung 

Bob Barnard, "the Louis Armstrong of Australia," will help the Watchung Arts Center celebrate the 13th anniversary of their  acclaimed Jazz Series with a concert there on Friday evening, September 21.  The 8 PM concert will feature some special refreshments during intermission, yet the ticket price remains at $12.  Reservations should be made, though, by calling (908) 753- 0190, with afternoons being best to find the office staffed.

 "Australian Bob Barnard," writes an American reviewer, "is the most cliché-free cornet player I have ever heard."  On his  home turf, a critic wrote that "Barnard rightly enjoys the reputation as one of the best mainstream trumpeters in the world."

Bob Barnard is clearly the foremost trumpet player in Australia, a continent-sized country which boasts quite a number of  top jazz musicians.  He's toured widely, both as a leader and a  sideman with world-class bands, but appears in America only infrequently these days.  His playing has been compared to Louis Armstrong, Bunny Berigan and Bobby Hackett, indicating he can  effortlessly adapt to a wide variety of musical styles.

For the Watchung date, he's managed to surround himself with  some of the best New York area jazz musicians available.  Pianist  Keith Ingham has been a regular visitor to Watchung over the  years, both as an accompanist to vocalists and a member of all- star aggregations.  Clarinetist Dan Block did Watchung's annual  Benny Goodman tribute in 1999, an event so large it had to be   held in a much larger hall.  And it is probably the only Goodman  tribute in history ever done with an Albert system clarinet. 

The ubiquitous Greg Cohen is so popular with leaders he's close to becoming the "house bassist" there.  Certainly the first upright string bassist to call when assembling a great band.  And  drummer Steve Little is certainly no newcomer to the field.  He's  a veteran of the bands of Lionel Hampton, Charlie Barnett, Dave Brubeck and even Duke Ellington.