Barry Wratten, leader of the New Orleans Pelicans, has performed Jazz in the New Orleans Style since being introduced to the music of the Crescent City by his brother John in the early 60s.
In Melbourne, Barry spent his teenage years playing in local bands of fellow youngsters dedicated to New Orleans Jazz.
Joining Geoff Bull's Olympia Band in 1969 led Barry to settle in Sydney after two European tours. There he played with visiting American Jazzmen 'Kid Thomas', 'Louis Nelson', 'Alvin Alcorn', 'Little Brother Montgomery', & others in addition to working with the bands of Roger Janes, Nick Boston and Graeme Bell.
Barry moved to the USA in 1982 and settled in the Crescent City, where he remained for 16 years. In New Orleans he let his own Pelican Trio, Jazz and Brass Bands, working alongside many of the outstanding pioneers of New Orleans Music such as Alvin Alcorn, Percy and Willie Humphrey, Kid Thomas Valentine, George 'Kid Sheik' Colar, Louis Nelson, Preston Jackson, Jeanette Kimball, Narvin Kimball, Father Al Lewis, Justin, Gary and Placide Adams, Chester Zardis, Peter 'Chuck' Badie, Danny Barker and Cie Frazier.
He also performed in the bands of Dave Bartholomew and Teddy Riley's Royal Jazz and Brass Bands (which prompted him to form his own New Orleans Pelicans Brass Band - a sample of which is included on this CD).
Barry appeared for ten years in succession on the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and has many more European tour and festival appearances across the USA to his credit.
This is the first CD by the band which Barry formed upon his return to Australia. In keeping the band name with which he has become associated during his Crescent City years he has also 'kept the faith' by choosing Australian musicians who love New Orleans music as much as he himself does. We hope this CD will be the first of many!
Some of the tracks were recorded 'live' by Chris Corr at the beautiful 'Chapel off Chapel'; there are also some tracks done at Wild Dog Hill Studios; and some by our New Orleans Pelicans Brass Band playing at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2000.
The whole thing was mixed by Chris Corr and Sandro Donati and 'we sincerely hope you enjoy listening to our music as much as we enjoy making it'.
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The sound clips below are in Real Player format.
Click the underlined tune names to play each sample.
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