[2] In that year he left to join the hard-bop band of Tommy Chase, where he attracted attention on the UK jazz scene for the first time.

[3] During 1997–99, Barnes began to record a large number of sessions with pianist Brian Lemon on the Zephyr label, including albums with Warren Vache, Ken Peplowski, Tony Coe, Roy Williams and his own octet and nonet.

That November Barnes featured on baritone at the Blue Note Clubs in New York and Tokyo with the Charlie Watts Tentet and followed this with a stay in South Africa as a solo artist.

Other bands he has toured and recorded with include the Gary Potter quartet, playing the music of Django Reinhardt, the Tina May Trio with Nikki Iles, Bill LeSage's Genetically Modified Quintet, and Spike Robinson's Tenor Madness.

Barnes has also appeared as a session musician on albums by Selina Jones, Björk, Van Morrison, Bryan Ferry and can also be found on film and television soundtracks and jingles such as the Tetley Bitter series of adverts featuring his solo baritone.