Joe La Barbera

Once Upon a Lifetime (Jazz Times 2010)

“I was working with a piano player named Pat Smythe and quite often we'd open for groups at Ronnie Scott's,” recalls Holdsworth. “Chuck Mangione was headlining there with Pat La Barbera on sax, Joe La Barbera on drums and Alphonso Johnson on bass. Chuck got really sick during this engagement, so there were a couple of nights that he wasn't able to be there and they asked Pat Smythe if he would help out. Pat mentioned to the guys that he knew this guitar player and asked would they let him sit in on one set. So I did.”