Pat LaBarbera

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pat (Pascel Emmanuel) LaBarbera (Born April 7, 1944 in Mt. Morris, New York, USA) is considered one of the finest saxophone soloists working within the framework of John Coltrane's principals. The connection was most obvious when he worked with Elvin Jones groups which began in 1975. He studied with his father Joseph LaBarbera, John LaPorta and Joe Henderson. LaBarbera became best known for his solo work with the bands of Buddy Rich (1967-1974), Louis Bellson, Woody Herman and his own groups. He moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1974 and is a member of the faculty at Humber College. Pat has played with Carlos santana. A true intellectual of improvisation, he has been among the key members of the Toronto jazz scene for more than 30 years. LaBarbera has played a major role in the development of a generation of Canadian saxophonists. In 2000, he won a Juno award for Best Traditional Instrumental Jazz Album for "Deep In A Dream."

He is the brother of John LaBarbera (arranger/trumpeter) and Joe LaBarbera (drummer).