As a teenager he was inspired by Turk Murphy and the Firehouse Five Plus Two, learning the solos from his uncle's record collection.
Barr began attending shows by Murphy at his San Francisco traditional jazz club, Earthquake McGoon's,[4] and later formed a band in high school which played a few local events, including a standing Saturday gig at Red's Pizza in Vallejo.
[3] Barr matriculated to the University of Oregon where he formed The Emerald City Jazz Band with other students.
Drafted into the Army, he was stationed at Fort Lewis before shipping off to Vietnam, where he formed another band with fellow soldiers called The Hot Rats of Saigon.
The full seven-piece band has a worldwide reputation having performed in Japan, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, and Canada.