Leigh Barker Band

Bassist, bandleader, composer (and sometime tuba player) Leigh Barker arrived in Paris in 2016 to set up a new European base for his music, family and diverse projects. Over the past ten years Leigh has appeared at venues and events such as the Sydney Opera House, Jazz at Lincoln Center, ‘Frankie 100’ in New York, the Paris Jazz Roots Festival and the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Festival.

Dancers will know Leigh from a host of popular dance bands, including Branford Marsalis, Gordon Webster, Naomi Uyama, the Hot Jazz Alliance, and the Shirt Tail Stompers. His reputation as a solidly swinging musician and excellent bandmate has brought Leigh on stage with a range of artists, establishing him worldwide as a first call sideman and award winning band leader.

In 2022 Leigh finally brought his band back to Australia, featuring violinist and vocalist Heather Stewart, Eamon McNelis, Don Stewart, Jason Downes, Matt Boden, John Scurry, and Sam Young to launch their new album, Paris/Melbourne.

Leigh teaches workshops in jazz music and structure for dancers and musicians, and was a guest instructor at the Celebration Weekend in 2022, teaching ‘Making Jazz with Dancers’ with Ramona Staffeld.