Barry Galbraith, 1919 - 1983, remains one of the most admired jazz guitarists of all time. As a studio musician in the 1950's and 1960's he was in such high demand that he left us with one of the richest collections of jazz recordings on record, but at the same time one of the most limited, due to the fact that he most commonly appeared as sideman only. His recording Guitar and the Wind was apparently his only recording as leader. But, due to his excellent musicianship in almost any venue from Dixieland to the experimental there are dozens of examples of Barry Galbraith to listen to and learn from.

Barry Galbraith is known to have maintained a home in Vermont throughout his life and that in his later years he commuted from Vermont to New York and Boston for recording and teaching sessions. For sometime in the 1940's and 1950's he lived in New York and it was during this time that he made some of his most interesting and important recordings. It was also during this time that he witnessed the arrival in New York of several young guitarists; Tal Farlow, Sal Salvador, Jimmy Raney, Joe Puma among them. These young guitarists, the legend goes, sought him out for inspiration and guidance, both of which he gave in ample amounts to help them establish themselves. Barry Galbraith appeared on some of their earliest recordings such as The Tal Farlow Album and Joe Puma.

It was in the 1950's that he was part of the Hal Mckusick groups, recorded with Sam Most and Don Elliott and made some extraordinary recordings with George Russell. It was also in 1957 that Willie Rodriquez's Flatjacks appeared. Galbraith dominates this recording with some really excellent guitar playing whether improvising, comping in the background for the other soloists or playing unamplified solo guitar.

The range of Galbraith's abilities as a guitarist is staggering in it's diversity, excellence and quantity. He was also a great teacher and his Jazz Guitar Study Series is considered one of the best for learning to play jazz guitar. For a sample of Galbraith's arranging skills refer to Just Jazz Guitar , Issue No. 8, August 1996, for an outstanding arrangement of My Romance.

Ralph Patt’s Comments about Barry Galbraith:

I was fortunate to have studied with Barry from 1953 to 1955. He was a mentor to me.

Barry grew up in the Pittsburgh, PA. area (McDonald, PA). In 1941 he was staff guitarist at radio station WJAS in Pittsburgh. After the army, Barry went with Claude Thornhill's band. By 1950 he was working as a studio musician in New York. (The Kate Smith Show.) Barry was married to singer Marcie Lutes and divorced in 1956. He married again in 1957.

Barry was an exceptional rhythm guitarist (from the Freddie Green school) as well as an all around electric player. He was without doubt the best reading guitarist in New York and consequently got all the jazz record dates that required reading.

Barry was a constant student. He studied classic guitar, Flamenco guitar and went to the Manhattan School of Music as a piano student in the late 1950s.

During the 1960s he was having trouble with his left hand movement. It was diagnosed as calcium deposits on his upper spinal column. In 1969 he had surgery that seriously affected his playing ability. He told me in 1970 that he had only gotten back about 60 per cent of his playing ability. (For most of us that would be plenty.) After that surgery he played less and concentrated more on teaching.

Ralph Patt

Editor’s Note:

Ralph Patt, was born in 1929 in Kittanning. PA. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1952 with a degree in Geology. Ralph studied guitar with Joe Negri and played guitar with numerous bands, including Neal Hefti (1955), Frankie Carle (1956), and Les Elgart (1956), Benny Goodman (1957), Richard Maltby (1958), Glenn Miller (1958). Ralph also attended the Manhattan School of Music as a French horn major. Ralph settled in New York in the 1960's as a studio musician, where he worked on Broadway shows and occasionally as a staff musician at ABC. Ralph studied with Barry Galbraith and Chuck Wayne and co-authored a book with Wayne in 1965, The Guitar Arpeggio Dictionary. Ralph has written numerous books for Hanson Music.

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