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Pat LaBarbera

Pat LaBarbera is a Toronto tenor and alto saxophonist, flutist, composer, bandleader, and jazz educator with deep big-band and small-group experience.

Tenor saxophoneAlto saxophoneFluteEducator4 current shows
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Photo source · Official artist media

Career Overview

About Pat LaBarbera

The Canadian Jazz Archive traces LaBarbera from Warsaw, New York, and Berklee College of Music through work with Louis Bellson, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, and Elvin Jones. It dates his move to Toronto to 1974 and documents saxophone, flute, clarinet, composition, and ensemble leadership.[1]

The archive and his Aebersold interview connect that performing history to teaching at Humber College, Skidmore College, and summer jazz programs. His leader and co-leader catalog includes Deep in a Dream, Crossing the Line, duo work with Don Thompson, and the Pat LaBarbera/Kirk MacDonald project.[1][2][3]

Ensembles and Career Threads

Bands & Projects

Leader, saxophonist, and composer

Pat LaBarbera Quartet

The Canadian Jazz Archive identifies LaBarbera as a quartet leader within Toronto's working jazz network.[1]

Saxophonist

Elvin Jones ensembles

The archive documents LaBarbera's recording and touring work with Jones beginning in 1975 and a later return to Time Machine.[1]

Saxophone and ensemble educator

Jazz education

LaBarbera's source record covers Humber and Skidmore teaching and nearly two decades on Jamey Aebersold's summer faculty.[1][2]

Selected, Not Exhaustive

Recordings to Know

1999

Deep in a Dream

Leader and saxophonist

The Canadian Jazz Archive places the album in LaBarbera's leader catalog and records its 2000 recognition in Canada.[1]

Release details

Crossing the Line

Leader and saxophonist

The archive documents a quintet with Brian Dickinson and Neil Swainson plus guests Randy Brecker and Joe LaBarbera.[1]

Release details

2019

Trane of Thought: Live at The Rex

Co-leader and tenor saxophonist

The artist-authorized live release pairs LaBarbera with Kirk MacDonald and a Toronto rhythm section at The Rex.[3]

Release details

Artist-Authorized Destinations

Start Listening

Trane of Thought on Bandcamp

Hear the complete co-led tenor-saxophone session with personnel and live-release details.

Deep in a Dream

Open LaBarbera's leader album through its canonical streaming edition and complete track list.

Live Calendar

Upcoming Jazz DateBook Shows

Fri, Oct 16, 8:30 PM

The Robi Botos/Pat LaBarbera Quartet (Night 1 of 2)

Jazz Bistro · Toronto

Show details

Sat, Oct 17, 8:30 PM

The Robi Botos/Pat LaBarbera Quartet (Night 2 of 2)

Jazz Bistro · Toronto

Show details

Fri, Nov 6, 8:30 PM

Four In One: Celebrating The Music of Thelonious Monk (Night 1 of 2)

Jazz Bistro · Toronto

Show details

Sat, Nov 7, 8:30 PM

Four In One: Celebrating The Music of Thelonious Monk (Night 2 of 2)

Jazz Bistro · Toronto

Show details

Evidence-Based Connections

Related Musician Guides

Connections below come from shared current Jazz DateBook bills or normalized documented performance roles—not subjective similarity.

Ethan ArdelliDrums · Composer2 shared current showsMike DownesAcoustic bass · Electric bass2 shared current showsEwen FarncombePiano · Hammond organ1 shared current showAndré LerouxTenor saxophone · ClarinetShared documented roles: Saxophonist · Flutist · EducatorBob SheppardSaxophones · FluteShared documented roles: Saxophonist · Flutist · EducatorChris ByarsSaxophones · Clarinet and fluteShared documented roles: Saxophonist · Flutist · Educator

Sources

Career copy is original synthesis from the artist, label, and project sources below. Current dates come from Jazz DateBook event inventory.

  1. [1] Canadian Jazz Archive biography

    Canadian Jazz Archive

  2. [2] Jazz education interview

    Jamey Aebersold Jazz

  3. [3] Trane of Thought release and audio

    Pat LaBarbera and Kirk MacDonald