Robert "Bootsie" Barnes (November 27, 1937 – April 22, 2020) was an American jazz

tenor saxophonist The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while t ...

from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Early life and education

Barnes was raised in a housing project in

North Philadelphia North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as everything north of either ...

. His father was a trumpet player who performed with

Bill Doggett William Ballard Doggett (February 16, 1916 – November 13, 1996) was an American pianist and organist. He began his career playing swing music before transitioning into rhythm and blues. Best known for his instrumental compositions "Honky Tonk" ...

and

Frank Fairfax Frank Thurmond Fairfax (25 November 189925 January 1972) was the organizer of Philadelphia's Protective Union Local 274 (1935–1971), a charter of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM/AFofM) for black musicians. Fairfax was also a bandleader, ...

. His mother worked as a housekeeper. Barnes had three older brothers. His uncle,

Jimmy Hamilton Jimmy Hamilton (May 25, 1917 – September 20, 1994) was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, who was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Biography Hamilton was born in Dillon, South Carolina, United States, and grew up in ...

, was a jazz clarinetist and saxophonist. Barns initially intended to become a drummer after being given a pair of drumsticks by Sonny Greer during a visit to the Earle Theatre. He played drums at Benjamin Franklin High School before switching to saxophone.

Career

In the 1950s, Barnes played with various musicians in Philadelphia, including

Lee Morgan Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s, Morgan came to prominence in his late teens, recording on John Coltrane's '' Blue Train'' (1 ...

Philly Joe Jones Joseph Rudolph "Philly Joe" Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. Biography Early career As a child, Jones appeared as a featured tap dancer on ''The Kiddie Show'' on the Philadelphia radio station WIP. He wa ...

and

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

(then a drummer). During the 1960s, he performed with various organists including Jimmy Smith and Don Patterson, with whom he recorded in 1978. In the 1980s, he toured with Sonny Stitt. He continued to play in his home town and recorded his album "You Leave Me Breathless!" in 1995. In an article for

Patch Patch or Patches may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Patch Johnson, a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'' * Patch (''My Little Pony''), a toy * "Patches" (Dickey Lee song), 1962 * "Patches" (Chairmen of the Board song) ...

, Kim Tucker wrote, "Barnes has toured the world performing the music he loves, jazz in places like

St. Croix Saint Croix; nl, Sint-Kruis; french: link=no, Sainte-Croix; Danish and no, Sankt Croix, Taino: ''Ay Ay'' ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincor ...

US Virgin Islands, to Europe and back home to Philadelphia. From the " Chitlin Circuit" to the infamous New Jersey clubs: Dreamland,

Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of Harlem (1923- )" Blac ...

, Loretta's High Hat,

Club Harlem Club Harlem was a nightclub at 32 Kentucky Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Founded in 1935 by Leroy "Pop" Williams, it was the city's premier club for black jazz performers. Like its Harlem counterpart, the Cotton Club, many of Club Harlem' ...

. Barnes has taken the stage at Philly's Blue Note, Just Jazz, Red Carpet, The Showboat and Pep's too."

Personal life

Barnes died from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

Wynnewood, Pennsylvania Wynnewood is a suburban unincorporated community, located west of Philadelphia, straddling Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The community was named in 1691 for Dr. ...

, on April 22, 2020, during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. He was 82.

Discography

As a leader

*''Been Here All Along'' – Bootsie Barnes Quartet (Way After Midnight, 1984) *''You Leave Me Breathless'' – Bootsie Barnes Quartet (French Riviera, 2001) *''Hello'' - Bootsie Barnes Quartet (French Riviera, 2003) *''Boppin' Round the Center'' – Bootsie Barnes Quintet (Harvest, 2004) *''The More I See You'' – Bootsie Barnes & Larry McKenna (Cellar Live, 2018)''Bootsie Barnes & Larry Mckenna: The More I See You''
Review by Jack Bowers, ''All About Jazz'' - November 29, 2018. Retrieved 2019-6-2

As a sideman

*''Looking Up'' - Cullen Knight (Tree Top, 1978) *'' Why Not...'' - Don Patterson (Muse, 1978) *''Here to Create Music'' - Gamble/Huff (Philadelphia International, 1980) *'' The Saxophone Shop'' - The

Odean Pope Odean Pope (born October 24, 1938) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Pope was raised in Philadelphia, where he learned from Ray Bryant while young. Early in his career, at Philadelphia's Uptown Theater, Pope played behind a numbe ...

Saxophone Choir (Soul Note, 1985) *''John Swana Quintet'' - Introducing John Swana (Criss Cross, 1991) *'' Epitome'' - Odean Pope Saxophone Choir (Soul Note, 1993) *''Comin' Home'' - Poppa John DeFrancesco (Muse, 1994) *''All in the Family'' - Poppa John & Joey DeFrancesco (Muse, 1998) *''Live at Ortlieb's Jazzhaus '' - Various Artists (Encounter, 2000) *''Hip Cake Walk'' - Poppa John & Joey DeFrancesco (HighNote, 2001) *''Philly Gumbo'' - John Swana (Criss Cross, 2001) *''Open the Gates'' - Kenny Gates (Independent, 2003) *''To Joe With Love'' - Juanita Holliday (Rhombus, 2003) *''

Shelf-Life Shelf life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale. In other words, it might refer to whether a commodity should no longer be on a pantry shelf (unfit for use), or no longer on a ...

'' -

Uri Caine Uri Caine (born June 8, 1956, Philadelphia, United States) is an American classical and jazz pianist and composer. Biography Early years The son of Burton Caine, a professor at Temple Law School, and poet Shulamith Wechter Caine, Caine began ...

(Winter & Winter, 2005) *''Philly Gumbo, Vol.2'' - John Swana and The Philadelphians (Criss Cross, 2005) *''I Got Up!'' - Chad Carter (Jkbj, 2009)

References

External links

- Bootsie Barnes website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Bootsie 1937 births 2020 deaths Musicians from Philadelphia American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists 21st-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania