Patricia Barber (born 8 Nov. 1955 in Chicago) is an American jazz singer, pianist, songwriter, and bandleader. She was born to parents who were both professional musicians; her father is Floyd "Shim" Barber, a former member of Glenn Miller's Band. She was raised in South Sioux City, Nebraska.
Her music is centered on her singing, in a fairly low register and a traditional blues-jazz style, and her piano playing, which is technically accomplished. Her repertoire includes original compositions and standards drawn mostly from classic-rock, including "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 2006 album, Mythologies, is a set of songs based on Ovid's Metamorphoses. In September 2008, she released "The Cole Porter Mix," a collection of her unique takes on the classic Cole Porter songbook, as well as three original compositions inspired by Porter.
In 2007, Premonition Records presented The Premonition Years: 1994-2002, a three-CD box set of Barber recordings divided into originals, standards, and pop. The set includes unreleased tracks and selected songs previously released on Cafe Blue, Modern Cool, Companion, Nightclub and Verse.
Discography
Split – 1989
Distortion of Love – 1992
Cafe Blue – 1994
Modern Cool – 1998
Companion – 1999
Nightclub – 2000
Verse – 2002
Live: A Fortnight In France – 2004
Live: France 2004 DVD – 2005
Mythologies - 2006
The Premonition Years: 1994-2002 - 2007
The Cole Porter Mix - 2008
