“My father got a good saxophone he had gotten out-of good Navy watercraft,” he says. “The fresh watercraft was torpedoed, and additionally they shut brand new boat off to keep it off sinking. Plus in one sealed-of point, there can be that it horn. Therefore, the United kingdom sailor gave it so you’re able to your. Together with pads had most of the swollen, plus the horn are drinking water-soaked and you may everything. Therefore a friend from mine claims, ‘Well, the audience is planning improve that it up!’ Very the guy bolted off a few of the points so they really won’t leak. I am using a horn which have about three secrets bolted off. I located particular pads and you can altered the shields. And that try my horn.

“Thus i played so it horn for a if you find yourself to examine with it, learning ideas on how to play it. Then i discovered that it Navy head that has a mechanic shop and he fixed they so i you will no less than enjoy at the a complete spectral range of brand new horn. Most of the points was in fact sooner or later established, and i might use all techniques. Very i quickly progressed quite fast between after that and for you personally to check out college or university. They’d a great 20-section band and you can a marching ring, and i also are the full-fledged music major,” he says. “We managed to end for the three years. I through with a great bachelor’s out of audio training. We lived in Western Virginia a complete 12 months messin’ to, to play in one of the clubs.

Inside the 1950 he graduated out-of Western Varginia State College having a beneficial B. But he soon turned in order to tunes (very first jazz, upcoming R , with arrive at play the saxophone. In the second half of the 1950s the guy managed a band when you find yourself holding off a teaching article within Suffolk Twelfth grade.

An effective. education, majoring for the frameworks

“Into the 1951, We emerged to your family and you can visited see just what I could create in tunes,” claims Barge. “I become playing around which have Clint Turner’s ring within the Virginia, which was among the ideal bands in your community. By the time I experienced back, Clint Turner are with the their way down. He had received old. The latest legendary rings that he got had in Norfolk, Virginia got got their point in time. I quickly enjoyed various other earlier man titled Sam Harris.

“We designed a ring and you may been to tackle from the a few of the clubs towards outskirts from Virginia Coastline and you will metropolitan areas this way. Virginia Coastline got this type of nothing alcohol properties back in the fresh new trees. Next we including played from the new coastline by itself. The latest seashore nightclubs sustained as they couldn’t offer whiskey. You to definitely made it very, extremely worthwhile towards bootleggers, since czy swapfinder dziaЕ‚a you couldn’t promote genuine whiskey. Therefore, the bootleggers generated corn alcoholic drinks and you can ended up selling it in the joints and you can after-occasions clubs.” He had multiple head impacts toward sax. “Lester Young was one of ‘em, and i imagine you could potentially say Coleman Hawkins. Immediately after which later there is certainly Arnett Cobb and you will Illinois Jacquet. I eventually got to select all of ‘em, except I did not score the opportunity to discover Coleman,” according to him. “‘Prez’ is actually my personal chief man.”

I decided to go to college and you may inserted a dance band there, and you can turned into a number one solamente saxophonist

“I experienced which have a disk jockey that was performing during the an effective channel entitled Tie inside the Norfolk,” claims Gene. “Their label are Bill Curtis. He was this new emcee, and additionally they was in fact running areas thanks to his route for this bar titled Cedarboro Country Bar down inside the Virginia Beach, back in the latest woods. It actually was a fantastic pub. He had been claiming, ‘Boy, you will want to record. Possibly we are able to make a move.’ As the he and i also surely got to become really good friends. Very the guy called Phil Chess and expected Phil Chess regarding it. Phil Chess told you, ‘Hey kid, you will want to generate a tape and send it in my opinion.’