Barbara London

Biography

Barbara London, hailed by music critics in Downbeat and the New York Times, is an exciting talent in the world of jazz flute playing. She is a pianist, vocalist, and composer as well.

Performing with Nina Sheldon, Jane Ira Bloom, Carline Ray, and Barbara Merjan in AERIAL from 1979 to 1981, she received an enthusiastic reception at the Kansas City Women's Jazz Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival in New York City. She performed at Carnegie Recital Hall, Lincoln Center Plaza, and was guest soloist at art shows presented at the United Nations and Avery Fisher Hall.

Since 1982, Ms. London has led the Barbara London Quartet which performs throughout New England in festivals, concert halls, colleges, and schools. Having grown up in the northern Maine town of Houlton, Barbara is committed to playing for rural audiences as well as in the cities. In addition she has traveled throughout the country as guest soloist and clinician. She has appeared with such respected artists as Marian McPartland, Richard Davis, Clark Terry, Joe Newman, and Phil Wilson. She has been an artist in residence at the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, University of Maine at Presque Isle, and Eastern New Mexico University.

Barbara is Chair of the Harmony Department at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she has taught harmony, jazz composition, and vocal and instrumental ensembles for 17 years. With colleague Bruce Katz, she co-created and team teaches a course entitled The Blues: Analysis and Application. Prior to Berklee, Barbara taught at the University of Maine, Augusta. She also has extensive experience in doing clinics and workshops for all ages.

A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Barbara has been composing for over 30 years in a variety of styles. Her songs and jazz compositions can be heard on her own recordings, including Natural Progression and Twos and Threes. A well known Norwegian bassist, Knut Guettler, recorded her chamber piece "Almost Spring" on a Japanese label. Barbara also performs and records with John Perrault and Jimmy MacDougall and the Funky Divas of Gospel.

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded Ms. London three jazz performance grants (1986,1988, 1990). Each of the grants allowed her to produce a concert series featuring her original compositions

Discography