Arthur Barron, jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, bandleader and music educator, is a seasoned musician with a sound of his own. Influenced by both hard-bop and rhythm & blues, he is known for his passionate playing, powerful technique and eclectic flare for musical styles. As in the aptly titled track The Journey on his Soul Messenger CD, Barron's music career has been an interesting journey. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Barron received his music training at Berklee College of Music under Joe Viola, Director of Berklee's Woodwind Department, and went on to study with Joe Henderson and Dave Liebman along with mentoring from Pharaoh Sanders. After leaving Boston, Barron traveled to San Francisco where he made his professional stage debut in 1974 with the Eddie Henderson & Julian Priester Band at the famed Keystone Korner jazz club in North Beach. Following his stint in San Francisco, he relocated first to London in the UK, then to Barcelona and the village of Port Lligat in Spain, woodsheding in a villa next to surrealistic painter Salvador Dali. Barron returned to the states to live in New York City in 1978 where he became an active member in the East Village avant garde movement during height of Loft Jazz years, and played the New York club scene extensively with a funk-fusion band led by Alfonia Tims as well as with his own jazz quintet. In 1983, Barron recorded his first solo album Groove Speed with Magic Music Records, a collection of original jazz fusion material. He also started appearing as a sideman with Hilton Ruiz, and became heavily influenced by Latin music when he played with the band of salsa legend Hector Lavoe. After spending eight years in New York, Barron moved to Miami in 1986 where he opened the acclaimed Tropics International nightclub on Ocean Drive in South Beach, performing regularly at the venue. He relocated again in 1988 to live in Hong Kong where he led a house band at The Jazz Club in the Lan Kwai Fong entertainment district. Following his tenure in Hong Kong, Barron returned to Miami in 1991 where he opened the award winning Rose’s nightclub in South Beach, site of his live Footprints recording with Hilton Ruiz. He has become a well known member of the jazz musician community in Miami, which has continued to be his home base. In addition to his stage and recording work, Barron has taught jazz courses at University of Miami and Florida International University and was an Artist-In-Residence with Arts For Learning Jazz in the Americas program, he now teaches saxophone and flute at SoBe Music Institute in South Beach.
Barron has appeared with an array of stellar jazz and Latin jazz artists in a career that has spanned over three decades of eventful music, he has performed and recorded with Hilton Ruiz, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Dave Liebman, Melton Mustafa, Mac Gollehon, Steven Bernstein, Vernon Reid, Melvin Gibbs, Jerome Harris, Steve Neil, Pepe Aparico, Delmar Brown, Mike Gerber, Abel Papon, Nicole Yarling, Jerry Gonzalez, Mario Rivera, Phoenix Rivera, Steve Berrios, Oscar Salas, Jonathan Joseph, Archie Pena, Patato Valdez and Mongo Santamaria, among others. He currently leads the Miami Jazz Project, an all-star ensemble of South Florida musicians, performing original compositions penned by Barron and a repertoire of mainstream jazz, blues and Latin jazz. His main recordings to date have been Impressions with the Afro Blue Band on Milestone Records (nominated for a Grammy Award), and Dragon Rose Records releases Late Nite Time, From The Archives, Footprints and Soul Messenger.
