Barney Wilen

Barney Wilen (March 4, 1937–May 25, 1996) was a French jazz saxophonist who played tenor saxophone. Wilen was born in Nice; his father was an American dentist turned inventor, and his mother was French.

He began performing in clubs in Nice after being encouraged by Blaise Cendrars who was a friend of his mother. His career was boosted in 1957 when he worked with Miles Davis on the soundtrack Ascenseur pour l’Échafaud.

He wrote a soundtrack for Roger Vadim’s film Les Liaisons Dangeureuse two years later, working with Thelonious Monk. Wilen returned to composing for French films in the 1980s and 1990s. In the mid to late 1960s he became interested in rock, and recorded an album dedicated to Timothy Leary. He also worked with punk rockers before returning to jazz in the 1990s.