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Barney Wilen was a jazz tenor saxophonist born on March 4, 1937, in Nice, France. He passed away on May 25, 1996, in Paris, France, due to a heart attack. The son of an American father and a French mother, Wilen began performing in clubs at a young age, encouraged by writer Blaise Cendrars, a friend of his mother. His career took off in 1957 when he was recruited to create the music for Louis Malle's first feature film, "Ascenseur pour l'échafaud," alongside pianist René Urtreger, bassist Pierre Michelot, and drummer Kenny Clarke. They improvised and recorded the soundtrack in one night. In 1959, he recorded with other musicians and was chosen to interpret the music for the 1960 film "Les liaisons dangereuses," directed by Roger Vadim. That same year, he appeared in the TV show "Jazz Memories," in the episode "Live Club Saint Germain," and played at the Newport Jazz Festival with pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, bassist Tommy Bryant, and drummer Roy Haynes. In the 1960s, Wilen developed an interest in rock music and released a record dedicated to Timothy Leary in 1968. He traveled to Africa in 1969 with Caroline de Bendern, musicians, and a film crew, resulting in the 1972 record "Moshi," which fused
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