Customer Reviews

Night Club

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Since her debut recording Patricia Barber has grown by leaps and bounds with each recording, reaching a recent peak with the masterful Modern Cool and the companion live album (appropriately called Companion). As a composer and lyricist she has few if any peers among contemporary jazz singers. This makes Nightclub all the more interesting, since all of the compositions are standards. In covering such classics as "Autumn Leaves" and "Bye Bye Blackbird" Ms. Barber wonderfullly balances respect for jazz tradition with a uniquely personal take on each tune. The accompaniment, from members of her superb regular touring group and more famous soloists (particularly the superb bassist Marc Johnson), has the sort of near-telepathic empathy on many tracks that makes a jazz record memorable. As fine a pianist as she is a singer, Ms. Barber truly makes these tunes her own.

This is an extraordinary recording. It is one of those all too rare occurrences where the height of recording art serves the height of musical art. Patricia Barber just keeps getting better and better. While her notoriety and popularity may be relatively recent, one can tell that she has spent many years pouring her heart and soul into refining her art. Patricia is truly a master of her craft, but that does not go far enough. She is in that elite group of jazz originals who add dimensions to songs that one never suspected, who have their own unique signature. Whether Patricia is singing, or playing the piano, or choosing her band, or selecting her recording engineer, or crafting the sound, there is simply the quality of genius. Part of this genius is her paradoxical style. By being "cool" rather than aggressive, she disarms you, relaxes you, and opens you up. The next thing you know you have walked into her world. Or has she reached into your heart?

The recording itself deserves special attention. Jim Anderson did the engineering on this CD as he has on Patricia's most recent efforts. Just like the music itself, his contribution is integral. On a car stereo this CD sounds like nothing really special. But put it on a fine audio system and a depth of intimacy is revealed that is astounding. One is brought face to face with the music, with the soul propelling the music. It is magnetic. The sound doesn't bowl you over with being spectacular, it gracefully draws you in like a magnet. And the further one goes in, the more subtlety there is to hear. I find myself riveted by each new song, becoming completely absorbed in the spell that is woven, compelled to give it my full attention.

I have had the privilege of listening to Patricia work her magic at the Green Mill Lounge in Chicago. On one occasion I leaned over to my friend and said, "Patricia doesn't just play music, she IS music."

The title alone says it: "Nightclub." From the first chord, to the last stunning chord, Barber demonstrates her great talent. While she definitely dominates as a pianist, her voice is nothing to laugh at either. True, she comes in under pitch now and then, but from what I can tell, it's more of a stylistic choice than an "amateur" quality. If you're in the mood for some dark, sultry, and cool jazz, this is an excellent choice.

Regarding the above "Goldgar" view of Barber's "off key" singing:

Barber will sometimes change the color of a chord by singing a pitch close to the expected one. This adds some artistic interest to my listening. For example: She could sing a C melody note, while playing a C triad chord as harmony. However, she will lower the C melody note by 1/2 step, and in so doing she creates a C Maj7 chord. This is subtle, but it adds interest if you are open to this artistic approach. You are not hearing the exact melody note which you expected, but in its place you are hearing a slight variation of the harmony.

Barber sings with a lot of emotion. Her piano work is just O.K., in my opinion. The other musicians create a mellow background for her singing. "Invitation" is an excellent cut on this CD. Enjoy.

Patricia Barber is a wonderful artist, one who uses a rather limited, smoky contralto to its maximum effect in a highly creative way. Like her singing, her piano is spare, yet never wastes a note. This album is her nod to the Mainstream, and as such, it's worth a listen. The highlight is the first cut, or a very creative cover of "Bye Bye Blackbird." I appreciate anyone who covers the theme song from "A Man and a Woman" because it's actually a very nice tune and done so seldomly. If you like this, it's a good intro to Ms. Barber's more advenurous and ultimately more satisfying efforts.

Well, pursuant to the ... reviews before me, I can only add that I found this CD to be a pleasant surprise. I grew up with these songs in all their original incarnations. I've probably played instrumentals of "invitation" and the score to "Un Homme et une Femme (A Man and a Woman)" close to three thousand times, and I found Ms. Barber's treatments very satisfying. I like the smokey vibe here, and "Just for a Thrill" and "Autumn Leaves" provoked new interest in songs I had not paid extreme attention to heretofore.

Barber's approach is more subtle and less flashy than, say, Diana Krall, and it's a great late night disc, and a good introduction to the younger below-30s crowds to the premier songwriting that was happening in the fifties and sixties. Plus it's great to hear the rarely sung lyrics to "Invitation" and "Summer Samba (So Nice)" - I was a bit tired of Astrud Gilberto's breathiness.

Anyone who loves sad and melancholy jazz standards and smokey female voices will love this. Barber is the perfect companion to a night alone and lonely and the backup and arrangments are very good. Her voice has strength, personality and experience and she sings the songs cleanly without affectation and jazzy cuteness. A wonderful album. A note to lovers of this album: the other Barber albums are good but lack the song quality of these old standards and are generally more artistic and less standard jazz vocals.

This is the first album from Barber where one can really enjoy the sensuous quality of her voice. Her ability to move around the pitch of a note, to shade it low or high, is amazing. (No, it is not singing off key, it's purposeful.) The atmosphere she creates with well-known tunes is entrancing, and while I thoroughly enjoyed her other cds, I didn't feel with Nightclub the need to be constantly adjusting the volume controls because of switches in style between tracks. (This is also the first Barber album I can get my wife to listen to.)

Anybody knows Chicago's weather? It can be miserable but it can be absolutely gorgeous when the sun is out. Patricia Barber is one of the few artists in the entire world, along with Horowitz and Richter, that can bring sunshine with her voice, her music and i bet, her presence. Ironically, jazz is supposed to be the lunar product that transcends the night unifying the breathing rhythm of the late night jazzbar. It's not the Apollo thing. But, Barber is the magician who brings Apollo's kisses to Mad. Lunar. She has the talent to control every audio nerve of mine with the utterly simple touch on the piano. The brightness of the song 'you don't know me' is an absolute marvel, trapping the sunshine of Chicago in this 3'45 of sheer music. Stunningly touching! Her voice? Bold, daringly bare without any vibrato in any mocking way to be romantically expressive. And yet, this bare sound works well, deconstructing all those cheap 'chicks' voice' selling their musicality with those miserable vibratos. It took me a week to get used to it, to taste it, to love it, to treasure it, to imitate it. An absolute treasure of the human race. A soul so kind to keep the Chicago sun shining forever through her humanistic touch. How can one love Barber less?

With Nightclub, Patricia Barber shows why she may be the best female jazz vocalist around. She has chosen a collection of standards as well as some newer favorites. Whether "Bye Bye Blackbird" or "You Don't Know Me", her interpretation breathes new life into each song. On Nightclub, Barber renders every song beautifully. This is a studio CD recorded with piano (Barber), bass, drums, and guitar. The sound is first rate and the performance is exemplary. This may be one of the best CD's so far this year - not to be missed.