Mood Music

Lawrence Barth writes melodies that
inspire dinners by candlelight.

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... John Tanasychuk, Detroit Free Press

LINDA BACHRACK
Special to the Jewish News

IV

The son of artist Ronald Barris,
Lawrence comes by his creative talents
naturally. "The whole family is cre-
ative," he says. "My sister paints and
my dad just won an award for his
series of paintings of homeless peo-
ple." Though Barris can only manage
to draw stick people, his art is his
music.
While experience has been his best
teacher, Barris was schooled in music
theory at the prestigious Berklee
School of Music in Boston.
"You know," he says, "there's only
good and bad music. Music is subjec-
tive. If you think it's good, it's good."

ith song titles like
"Loveland," "Our
Midnight Dance" and
"I Miss You Madly,"
Lawrence Barris' new CD evokes a
definite return to the romance of the
sultry jazz era.
Barris, whose debut album bears his
name, has performed, toured and
recorded with such legends as th
Supremes, George Benson, the Fifth
Dimension, Joe Sa;iple and Earl
Klugh. His music conveys an amalga-
mation of their styles,
along with a huge dose
of his own, which he
coins "contemporary
cool."
In fact, one track,
titled "Mr. Wineman,"
is dedicated to an old
family friend, "an origi-
nal, hipster kind of
guy," says Barris. "The
music just reminded
me of him."
"Lawrence's CD is
excellent," says Lynn
Koretz, owner of Street
Corner Music in
Birmingham. "He- has
such a unique sound
--- nice for background
music, dinner music or
ust when you neec' to
Lawrence Barris: "Contemporary coot"
kick back and relax."
pretz adds that she's
been playing the CD
often in the store. "And every time I
With that in mind, he hesitates
play it, someone buys it," she says.
pigeon-holing his style. "Most people
Barris, a Royal Oak resident who
call it smooth jazz, but that seems too
grew up in Huntington Woods, cele-
watered down to me," he says.
brated his bar mitzvah at
If it's smooth jazz to your ears,
Congregation B'nai Moshe and
though, that's fine by Barris. He's just
attended Berkley High School, has
happy to be pursuing his art, and grat-
"made music all of my life," but this is
ified that 62 radio stations around the
his first solo project. He wrote, pro-
country are playing his record. ❑
duced and arranged all of the tracks in
his home, dedicating himself to his
Lawrence Barth is available
art, while supplementing his income
locally at Harmony House and
with a sales job.
Street Corner Music. For the
"I believe you have to do what you
musician's performance sched-
really want to do," he says. "Don't
ule, call (248) 545-1811.
waste your life working at something
meaningless to you."

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J

7/6
2001

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