Tree

Keith Barry (born ) known professionally as Tree, is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as a past touring member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and for having appeared on several albums released by the band. He is also a member of the funk band Mandrill. He has collaborated with groups including Gov't Mule and Thelonious Monster. Tree is the co-founder and former dean of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music.

Early life Tree was a native of New York City. He lived with his mother and sister in Far Rockaway before the family relocated to rural New Jersey. At the age of 12, Tree moved in with his father who lived in Los Angeles.

Tree attended Bancroft Middle School and Fairfax High School. In junior high, he met Flea, and the two remained friends throughout high school.

Tree was a prodigious music student. He was drawn to the viola after meeting Novi Novog, and was later taught by Norman Botnick. Although viola was his preferred instrument, he sought to learn a new instrument each semester of band. He dropped out to move back to New York City. He is credited with playing viola and arranging horns on their first album, The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tree returned to the band in 1989, playing tenor saxophone on the album Mother's Milk. Tree joined on the Mother's Milk Tour and the band played as a quintet.

Tree worked as a music teacher. In 2001, Flea and Tree co founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, where Tree served as the Conservatory's dean. Tree, a noted instrumentalist, taught many of the classes himself. In 2004, the Los Angeles Times called him "a master of nearly every instrument". In 2020, he retired from teaching at Silverlake.

Partial discography Solo Blew Year's Proposition (1995 album)

Collaborations Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984 album), selected tracks Mother's Milk (1989 album): tenor saxophone on "Subway to Venus" and "Sexy Mexican Maid" One Hot Minute (1995 album): violin on "Tearjerker" Thelonius Monster Baby...You're Bummin' My Life out in a Supreme Fashion (1986 album), selected tracks Next Saturday Afternoon (1987 album), selected tracks Stormy Weather, (1989 album), selected tracks Other The Deep End, Volume 1, Gov't Mule (2001 album): tenor sax on "Down and Out in New York City" Helen Burns, Flea (2012 EP): harmonica on "Lovelovelove" Back In Town, Mandrill (2019)