Ken Colyer's Jazzmen were formed in 1953 after Colyer returned from New Orleans and was invited by Chris Barber, Monty Sunshine and the rest of the band to take on the leadership and trumpet chair. The band played together for about a year but the five original members split from Colyer in the Spring of 1954. You can listen to Chris tell the story of this early stage in the band's evolution in some audio clips on the In His Own Words page (Concert Introduction, 50th Anniversary Tour). 　　After the split with Ken Colyer, Pat Halcox, who had briefly played with the band, replaced him on cornet and trumpet. This line-up became the original and "classic" Chris Barber's Jazz Band, which played its first date on 31 May 1954 and which recorded dozens of tracks both in the studio and in concert. The line-up lasted until July 1955, when Jim Bray left the band. 　　January 1955 to July 1955 　　Ottilie Patterson joins the band on January 1, 1955 　　Strictly speaking this was not a new line-up, as Ottilie Patterson, the great blues singer, joined the pre-existing band on 1 January 1955. She sang with many variations of the personnel over the next decade and a half, after which she had to retire because of poor health. 　　July 1955 to April 1956 　　Chris Barber's Jazz Band with Ottilie Patterson 　　Jim Bray was the first member of the original Chris Barber's Jazz Band to leave the band. His replacement, Micky Ashman, had played and recorded with one of Chris's amateur bands, Chris Barber's New Orleans Jazzband, in 1951. Micky Ashman played on just two Barber LPs, but both were outstanding and influential: Chris Barber Plays, Volume 2, and Echoes Of Harlem. 　　April 1956 to 24 November 1956 　　Chris Barber's Jazz Band with Ottilie Patterson 　　Dick Bishop had been a member of the Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group (a "band within the band") since as early as January 1956. He took over the banjo chair for a brief seventh-month period after Lonnie left in April 1956. Micky Ashman left at the same time as Lonnie, and was replaced by Dick Smith. 　　25 November 1956 to December 1957 　　Chris Barber's Jazz Band with Ottilie Patterson 　　Eddie Smith replaces Dick Bishop. 　　December 1957 to December 1960 　　Chris Barber's Jazz Band with Ottilie Patterson 　　Graham Burbidge replaces Ron Bowden. 　　January 1961 to 11 July 1964 　　Chris Barber's Jazz Band with Ottilie Patterson (occasionally "The Chris Barber Band") 　　Ian Wheeler replaces Monty Sunshine. 　　11 July 1964 to 26 November 1964 　　The Chris Barber Band 　　John Slaughter joins the band. 　　26 November 1964 to March 1966 　　The Chris Barber Band 　　Stu Morrison replaces Eddie Smith. 　　March 1966 to 15 May 1967 　　The Chris Barber Band 　　Dick Smith leaves the band and is replaced for about a year by Micky Ashman. Several sessions were recorded with Kenneth Washington, but most were private recordings. However, on 9 June 1966, the front line of Barber, Halcox and Wheeler recorded an LP (subsequently reissued on CD) with the Barry Martyn Band, entitled Collaboration. 　　15 May 1967 to June 1968 　　The Chris Barber Band 　　Jackie Flavelle begins his ten-year tenure with the band, replacing Micky Ashman on string bass and electirc bass, and also contributing occasional vocals. 　　June 1968 to January 1971 　　Chris Barber & His Band / Chris Barber's Travelling Band / Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　John Crocker replaces Ian Wheeler. 　　January to March 1971 　　Dick Bishop briefly re-joins the band as a replacement for Stu Morrison. 　　March 1971 to 14 March 1973 　　The Chris Barber Band 　　Steve Hammond joins the band on banjo. 　　14 March 1973 to 20 May 1976 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　Johnny McCallum replaces Steve Hammond. (This period also saw the first reunion of the original Chris Barber's Jazz Band of 1954-55 and the Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group; recordings from a concert on 5 June 1975 were released on The Great Reunion Concert.) 　　20 May 1976 to July 18 1977 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　Pete York replaces Graham Burbidge 　　July 1977 to 30 December 1977 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　Vic Pitt replaces Jackie Flavelle. 　　30 December 1977 to End of March 1978 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　Sammy Rimington joins the band, marking the beginning of the eight-piece band. [There were no recordings by this line-up.] 　　10 April 1978 to 26 February 1979 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　Roger Hill replaces John Slaughter. 　　5 March 1979 to July 1986 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　Ian Wheeler returns to the band, replacing Sammy Rimington; Norman Emberson replaces Pete York. 　　24 August 1986 to December 1988 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　John Slaughter returns to the band, replacing Roger Hill. 　　December 1988 to 21 May 1990 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　Alan "Sticky" Wickett replaces Norman Emberson. 　　21 May 1990 to end of July 1994 　　The Chris Barber Jazz And Blues Band 　　Russell Gilbrook replaces Alan "Sticky" Wickett 　　[In 1994 and 1995 the 1954 Chris Barber Band reunited once again, this time for a 40th Jubilee Tour.] 　　End of July 1994 to November 1998 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　Alan "Sticky" Wickett returns to the band, replacing Russell Gilbrook; Johnny McCallum leaves the band, and Paul Sealey joins. 　　November 1998 to November 27 2001 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band 　　Alan "Sticky" Wickett leaves and is replaced by Colin Miller; Ian Wheeler leaves and is replaced by John Defferary. 　　2000 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band with Bob Hunt's Ellingtonians 　　Chris Barber's Jazz & Blues Band was originally intended as a temproary expansion of the band, and consisted of the previously-listed members of the regular band, plus Bob Hunt, Mike Henry, and Nick Payton from Bob Hunt's Ellingtonians. 　　November 27 2001 to February 2003 　　The Big Chris Barber Band 　　Bob Hunt, Mike Henry, and Tony Carter become permanent members of the new 11-piece band. 　　February 2003 to June 2004 　　The Big Chris Barber Band 　　John Crocker leaves after 35 years with the band and is replaced by Trevor Whiting. 　　July 2004 to 23 March 2005 　　The Big Chris Barber Band 　　Richard Exall replaces Trevor Whiting on reeds, and Andy Kuc replaces Paul Sealey on banjo and guitar. 　　23 March 2005 to September 2006 　　The Big Chris Barber Band 　　Colin Miller is replaced by John Sutton on drums. 　　September 2006 to November 2006 　　The Big Chris Barber Band 　　Joe Farler replaces Andy Kuc on banjo and guitar. 　　November 2006 to January 2007 　　The Big Chris Barber Band 　　Mike Snelling replaces John Defferary on reeds. 　　January 2007 to January 2008 　　The Big Chris Barber Band 　　Dave Green replaces Vic Pitt on bass. 　　February 2008 to July 2008 　　The Big Chris Barber Band 　　John Service replaces Bob Hunt on trombone. 　　July 2008 to the End 2009 　　The Big Chris Barber Band 　　Zoltan Sagi replaces Tony Carter on reeds, and Peter Rudeforth replaces Pat Halcox on trumpet.