Paul D. "Polo" Barnes (November 22, 1901 – April 3, 1981, New Orleans) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

clarinetist and saxophonist. He was the brother of

Emile Barnes Emile Barnes (18 February 1892 – 2 March 1970) was a New Orleans jazz clarinetist. Barnes studied under Lorenzo Tio Jr., Alphonse Picou, George Baquet, and Louis Nelson Delisle (also known as "Big Eye" Louis Nelson). Active professionally in ...

and was a mainstay of the New Orleans jazz scene of the 1920s and 1930s.

Career

Barnes attended St. Paul Lutheran College and began playing alto saxophone in 1919. He and

Lawrence Marrero Lawrence Henry Marrero (October 24, 1900 – June 6, 1959) was an American jazz banjoist. Early life Marrero was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 24, 1900. He grew up in a musical family: three brothers became musicians – Eddie (bass) ...

formed the Original Diamond Band, later known as the Young Tuxedo Band. He was with

Kid Rena Henry "Kid" Rena (August 30, 1898 – April 25, 1949) was an American jazz trumpeter, who was an early star of the New Orleans jazz scene. Biography He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Rena may have taken lessons from Manuel ...

in 1922, the Maple Leaf Orchestra in 1923, and

Papa Celestin Oscar Phillip Celestin (January 1, 1884 – December 15, 1954) better known by stage name Papa Celestin was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader. Life and career Celestin was born in Napoleonville, Louisiana, to a Creole family, son of a s ...

's Original Tuxedo Band later that year; Celestin's group recorded his tune "My Josephine", which became quite popular. He played with

Chick Webb William Henry "Chick" Webb (February 10, 1905 – June 16, 1939) was an American jazz and swing music drummer and band leader. Early life Webb was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to William H. and Marie Webb. The year of his birth is disputed. ...

in 1927, and with

King Oliver Joseph Nathan "King" Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 8/10, 1938) was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized for his playing style and his pioneering use of Mute (music), mutes in jazz. Also a notable c ...

three times (1927, 1931, 1934–35). He toured with

Jelly Roll Morton Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...

in 1928-29. In 1932 and 1933, Barnes led his own band. He also played with

Chester Zardis Chester Zardis (May 27, 1900, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States - August 14, 1990, New Orleans) was an American jazz double-bassist. Zardis played bass from a young age, and studied without his disapproving mother's knowledge, under Billy M ...

(1935), and

Kid Howard Avery "Kid" Howard (April 22, 1908, New Orleans, Louisiana - March 28, 1966, New Orleans) was an American jazz trumpeter, associated with the New Orleans jazz scene. Howard began on drums at about age fourteen, but switched to cornet and then tr ...

(1937–1939, 1941). He played in

Algiers, Louisiana Algiers is a historic neighborhood of New Orleans and is the only Orleans Parish community located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Algiers is known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans. It was once home to many jazz m ...

in a

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

band from 1942 to 1945, then returned to work with Celestin from 1946 to 1951. From 1952 to 1957, he left music and moved to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Upon his return to New Orleans in 1959, he played with

Paul Barbarin Adolphe Paul Barbarin (May 5, 1899 – February 17, 1969) was an American jazz drummer from New Orleans. Career Barbarin grew up in New Orleans in a family of musicians, including his father, three of his brothers, and his nephew (Danny Barker) ...

(1960), but from 1962 to 1965, joined the Young Men from New Orleans band that played on a

riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...

. He returned again to New Orleans in 1964 and played at

Preservation Hall Preservation Hall is a jazz venue in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. The building is associated with a house band, a record label, and a non-profit foundation. History of the jazz hall In the 1950s, art dealer Larry Borenstein f ...

and

Dixieland Hall Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ( ...

. He toured Europe in 1973 and 1974, but poor health ended his career in 1977.

References

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

and

Ira Gitler Ira Gitler (December 18, 1928 – February 23, 2019) was an American jazz historian and journalist. The co-author of ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'' with Leonard Feather—the most recent edition appeared in 1999—he wrote hundreds of ...

, ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. Oxford, 1999, p. 39. {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Polo 1901 births 1981 deaths American jazz clarinetists American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists 20th-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from Louisiana 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians