Photo: KSMF Webmaster / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Pat LaBarbera is the kind of name jazz heads light up over while the wider public shrugs, and that is exactly why I find him compelling. Surviving as a featured soloist in Buddy Rich's bands from 1967 to 1973 is a credential earned under fire, not handed out. What moves me more is the second act: moving to Toronto in 1974 and teaching at Humber College, passing the craft forward instead of chasing the spotlight. A Berklee-trained reedman who spent half a century serving the music and the next generation feels, to me, like the quiet backbone every great scene actually runs on.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Pat LaBarbera
- Name (Japanese)
- パット・ラバーベラ
- Reading
- ぱっと・らばーべら
- Born
- April 7, 1944 (age 82)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Monkey
- Origin
- Mount Morris, New York, United States
- Occupation
- clarinetist / jazz musician / saxophonist
2. Background
- University
- Berklee College of Music
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Pat LaBarbera born?
Born April 7, 1944 (age 82).
Where is Pat LaBarbera from?
Pat LaBarbera is from Mount Morris, New York, United States.
What does Pat LaBarbera do?
Pat LaBarbera works as clarinetist, jazz musician, saxophonist.
Clarinetist — see all → · Jazz musician — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.