BIO

JOURNEYMAN...lottsa guitars, lottsa miles:

NYC TO CHICAGO

Barry 'Baz' Golin was born in New York City in 1955 to a musical family. Inspired by the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on 9 Feb 1964, Baz started playing guitar whilst growing up in Chicago. The British Invasion brought the Blues home to Chicago, and Baz had the privilege to see artists like Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Joe Walsh and Eric Clapton as well as many local Blues greats during his formative years. Other favourites include: Michael Bloomfield, Stephen Stills, Duane Allman, Johnny WInter, Eric Gale, Delbert McClinton and the Beatles.

MADISON TO LA

A few years, a few bands and a few guitar tutors later, Baz found himself playing Rock, Soul, Blues and R&B with several bands based out of University of Wisconsin's Madison campus which was bursting with musical talent at the time. He studied Music Theory there but was banned from being a music major - these were the days before most American universities had non-classical guitar programmes.

Baz won Best Guitarist and his band won the regional 1976 YSI Battle Of The Bands. A tour with TK Malaco Records artist James Bradley followed and from that a move to Hollywood where he cut his songwriting teeth with Jack Segal (The Songwriters Guild, Hollywood), and producing with the legendary Bones Howe (Dick Grove School Of Music, Studio City, CA).

Baz was musical director for the Songwriters' Guild's 'Hello Young Writers' debut show, featuring legendary tunesmiths Sammy Cahn (Come Fly With Me), Bobby Troup (Route 66), Johnny Green (Body And Soul), Jay Livingston & Ray Evans (Que Sera Sera), George David Weiss (What A Wonderful World), Harry Warren (Chatanooga Choo-Choo) and Jack Segal (When Sunny Gets Blue) , along with up and coming songwriting talent.

LA was great for session work and Baz spent much of the 1980s in recording studios with some of LA's finest songwriters including American Song Festival and Music City Song Fest champions and finalists. Baz was a quarter-finalist in the ASF himself. An accomplished backup singer, he has 'oohed' and 'aahed' behind many singers, including folk legend, Joan Baez, along side members of Poco and Alice Cooper.

A founding member of Tag Team Productions (early 1980s Hollywood), Baz wore producer/arranger/musician hats for many up-and-coming singers and songwriters. LA guitarists were a dime a dozen, and good bassists were hard to find, so Baz took up bass in the studio doing hundreds of sessions, and along the way became an ace arranger and rhythm chart writer, too. He placed many songs with publishers as a songwriter and as a producer of other songwriters.

THEN


Gigging with TK Malaco artist James Bradley Cocablanc in 1978 in Osh Kosh, Wisconsin

NOW


Teaching at Felix's University of Rock in London in 2007

LA TO LONDON

A chance to spend 6 months in London in 1992 has brought Baz to his latest and longest home, where he has had opportunities to perform, record and teach guitar, bass, theory, arranging, and 'bandsmanship'. A one time member of the Blackheath Conservatoire Jazz Ensemble, Baz has performed at BC Kaleidoscope Festival, accompanying both the jazz ensemble and the jazz singers' workshop. He's a regular contributor to Felix's School of Rock, having taught over 25 4-day sessions at the FSOR School, Academy and University and in 2007 co-founded Felix's Rock Choir. The Rock Choir has performed at The Hob, The IvyHouse, The Dirty South, Lewisham People's Day, The Brockley Max Festival, Manor House Gardens Party In The Park and at all the Felix's University of Rock showcase events.


Baz & Felix warming up the Rock Choir
at The Hob in Forest Hill, London

As an axeman-for-hire, he's a regular dep for guitarists in the Roadrunners and frequent acoustic duo partner with one of the best singers in London, Gordon Mark Webber. Baz has performed at pubs and clubs around London, from the Dover Street Wine Bar and Quaglinos, to the Greenwich Jazz Festival and Lewisham People's Day.

KEEPING THE GOOD LICKS ALIVE

Stealing licks from one guitarist is plagerism - stealing from everyone is keeping the good licks alive. That is essentially Baz's approach to teaching music to adults and kids. Some are gifted and need the occasional push. Some are enthusiasts, who's efforts often surpass gifted students. Some are readers, some play by ear. Some understand the rudiments of music theory, and some are simply terrified of those 2 words. Have fun, practice, listen, and take the next musical challenge, one song, one lick at a time.

Baz is available for all kinds of pop, rock, blues, soul, jazz, show, and acoustic music on guitar or bass guitar.