| Patricia Barber | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Patricia Barber |
| Born | c. 1956 |
| Origin |  Chicago, Illinois
|
| Genre(s) | Contemporary jazz Post bop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer Pianist Bandleader |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals Piano |
Patricia Barber, born in 1956, is an American jazz singer, pianist, and bandleader. She was born in Chicago to parents who were both professional musicians (her father is Floyd "Shim" Barber, a former member of Glenn Miller's Band). She was raised and educated in South Sioux City, Nebraska, and completed high school there. Her music is centered on her singing, in a fairly low register and a traditional bluesy-jazz style, and her piano playing, which is technically accomplished. Her repertoire includes many of her own compositions, but also a selection of standards drawn mostly from the classic-rock genre; examples include "Ode to Billie Joe," "A Taste of Honey," and "Black Magic Woman." She is known for imbuing her songs with intelligence and a wide and unusual vocabulary, which results in complex and witty lyrics. Her latest album, Mythologies, is a set of songs based on Ovid's Metamorphoses. Patricia Barber is a lesbian; interviews with her suggest that she does not try to hide this fact, but that she 'tires' of the public interest in her sexuality and dislikes the fact that it contributes to her fame. Her albums Cafe Blue, Modern Cool, Companion, Nightclub, and Verse have been reissued by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on SACD and limited edition 45 rpm half speed mastered, 180 gram audiophile vinyl.
Discography
- Split – 1989
- Distortion of Love – 1992
- Cafe Blue – 1994
- Modern Cool – 1998
- Companion – 1999
- Nightclub – 2000
- Verse – 2002
- – 2004
- DVD – 2005
- Mythologies - 2006
External links
- Patricia Barber's Official Website: http://www.patriciabarber.com/
- Interview: Patricia Barber: Complete; Not Complacent, R.J. DeLuke (August, 2002)
- Interview: San Diego Gay and Lesbian Times
- Review: Patricia Barber’s Mythologies: An Ovid for the New Millennium Jazz Police
- Patricia Barber collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
- Review of Mythologies by JazzChicago.net
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Barber, Patricia |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American singer-pianist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1956 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chicago, Illinois |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
