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Bassists · b. 1947

Barry Guy

British composer and jazz musician (born 1947)

Born: 22 April 1947
London
Country: United Kingdom
Active: 1969–
Record labels: ECM Records
Discography: 41 albums

Biography

Barry Guy is a jazz musician who plays double bass. Barry Guy was born on 22 April 1947 in London. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: ECM Records. The discography here lists 41 albums, from “Ode” (1972) to “Harmos – Kraków” (2025). Honours include Royal Philharmonic Society Award (Chamber-Scale Composition) (1992) and Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards.

Barry John Guy (born 22 April 1947, in London, England) is an English composer and double bass player. His range of interests encompasses early music, contemporary composition, jazz and improvisation, and he has worked with a wide variety of orchestras in the UK and Europe. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music under Buxton Orr, and later taught there. Guy came to the fore as an improvising bassist as a member of a trio with pianist Howard Riley and drummer Tony Oxley (Witherden, 1969). He also became an occasional member of John Stevens' ensembles in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Spontaneous Music Ensemble. In the early 1970s, he was a member of the influential free improvisation group Iskra 1903 with Derek Bailey and trombonist Paul Rutherford (a project revived in the late 1970s, with violinist Philipp Wachsmann replacing Bailey).

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Ode 1972 · Live

Statements V‐XI for Double Bass & Violone 1977

Improvisations Are Forever Now (1977-9) 1978

Endgame 1979

Stringer 1983

Assist 1986 · Live

Zürich Concerts 1988 · Live

Harmos 1989

Double Trouble 1990

Arcus 1991

Theoria 1992

Fizzles 1993 · Live

Portraits 1994

Study - Witch Gong Game II/10 1994

Three Pieces for Orchestra 1997

Double Trouble Two 1998

Gudira 1998

Ceremony 1999

Odyssey 2001

Symmetries 2002

Birds and Blades 2003

Folio 2005

Ithaca 2005

Open Textures 2006 · Live

Radio Rondo / Schaffhausen Concert 2009 · Live

Some Other Place 2009

Harmos 2012 · Live

Lava 2012 · Live

Metal! 2012 · Live

Tales of Enchantment 2012

Slip Slide and Collide 2014

Occasional Poems 2015 · Live

Time Passing... 2015 · Live

Deep Memory 2016

The Blue Shroud 2016 · Live

Roma 1980 2017 · Live

Without Borders… 2017 · Live

Syllogistic Moments 2018 · Live

Kraków 2020 2022 · Live

Live in Munich 2024 · Live

Harmos – Kraków 2025 · Live

Awards

1992 Royal Philharmonic Society Award (Chamber-Scale Composition)
Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards

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Frequently asked questions

What instrument does Barry Guy play?

Barry Guy is known for playing double bass.

When and where was Barry Guy born?

Barry Guy was born 22 April 1947 in London.

What are Barry Guy's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Ode (1972), Statements V‐XI for Double Bass & Violone (1977), Improvisations Are Forever Now (1977-9) (1978), Endgame (1979) and Stringer (1983).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.