Barre Phillips

Barre Phillips

At the age of three Barre Phillips was already giving solo song recitals. He studied romance languages at Berkeley and then moved to New York where he received double bass lessons from Frederick Zimmermann in the early 60s. In March and April 1963 Barre Phillips played with Eric Dolphy at Carnegie Hall, part of Gunther Schuller's Twentieth-Century Innovations series, and from 1964 he was a member of Jimmy Giuffre's revolutionary drumless trio. Barre Phillips worked with Hungarian guitarist Attila Zoller between 1965 and 1967 and also with Archie Shepp, playing on Shepp's side of the famous New Thing At Newport and on one track of his classic On This Night. In 1969 Phillips played in an orchestral project led by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, with the improvising band Gong (Magick Brother) and with Mike Westbrook. Increasingly involved with the European scene, Barre Phillips played with Rolf Kühn and Joachim Kühn (1969) and with English saxophonist John Surman and fellow-expatriate drummer Stu Martin as the Trio (1969-71). In 1971, in conjunction with Dave Holland, Phillips led a whole band of bass players. In 1976 Barre Phillips began recording as a solo artist for ECM Records (Mountainscapes), an arrangement that lasted until 1983. In the latter year Barre played and recorded with the classical ensemble Accroche Note and in 1988 with Derek Bailey and Company. The following year saw Phillips involved with several of British bass player Barry Guy's projects. Phillips' output during the 90s was remarkably prolific and eclectic, with his recordings with Evan Parker and Paul Bley of particular note.