Barry studied classical and jazz piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and now plays regularly in jazz venues all over the UK, including Ronnie Scotts, Pizza Express Dean Street, the 606 Club, The Wigmore hall, The purcell room and The Vortex. He has also played internationally in clubs and festivals in Germany, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Croatia, Turkey, Italy and France. He has headlined at the Cork jazz festival with the Charles McPherson qrt, the Berlin jazz festival with Ingrid laubrock and in 2014 appeared at the North Sea Jazz festival with the Ian Shaw qrt.
Some musicians with whom he has performed and recorded with include: Dave Friesen, Bobby Watson, Perico Sambeat, Charles McPherson, Deborah Brown, Ben Street, Drew Gress, Chris Cheek, Martin Speake, Bobby Wellins, Ian Shaw, Anita Wardell, Tina May, Jean Toussaint, Tom Rainey, Christine Tobin, Adam Kolker, Marc Miralta, Gerald Cleaver, Anders Christiansson, Ingrid Laubrock, Richie Cole, Jim Snidero, Jeff Williams, Stan Sulzmann, Us3, Henry Lowther, Julian Argeulles and Bill McHenry
Barry has toured the Uk, France, Germany as a member of Ingrid Laubrock’s quintet, Laubrock’s two-piano nonet (featuring Tom Rainey and Liam Noble)also performed at Cheltenham Jazz festival and Berlin Jazz Festival. Barry has also headlined the Cheltenham jazz festival as part of bassist Larry Bartley’s trio (with Winston Clifford), and Larry's Octet. He has toured Spain with the Pete King qrt, and the Charles McPerson qrt. And extensively toured Sweden with Emila Martensson.
Barry has extensively toured the Uk almost every year from 1998. With, amongst others, Bobby Wellins, Ian Shaw, Anita Wardell, Martin Speake and most recently the MJQ project (featuring Jim Hart, Steve Brown and Matt Ridley)
Barry is aprofessor of jazz piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Moletone records is Barry's record label. The first release was the trio record "The Music of Chance" featuring Ben Street and Jeff Williams, this recieved glowing reviews.
This was followed by a duo record with the great bass player Dave Green, "Turn Left at Monday". Performing rare songs by Alec Wilder and Ornette Coleman. Dave is possibly the only musician in the world to have performed with Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Roland Kirk, Evan Parker, Elton Dean, Tony Oxley and Scott Hamilton. Barry and Dave and performed at clubs and festivals all over the UK, often with special guest Henry Lowther.
Barry's third release on Moletone records is "Babelfish" (you put it in your ear!). This project documents an almost 13 year working relationship with vocalist Brigitte Beraha, and features Chris Laurence and Paul Clarvis.
In January 2014 Barry recorded two trio albums in Systems Two studios, Brooklyn. One with Chris Cheek and Gerald Cleaver (called "Great News") and the other with Drew Gress and Tom Rainey (called "Almost There"). Great news is released on Moletone in early 2015 follwed by a UK and internationlal tour with Chris and Gerald.