Patricia Barber

Jazz and blues singer and pianist Patricia Barber – born November 8, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois - was raised a musical household. Both of her parents were professional musicians - her father was Floyd 'Shim' Barber, a former member of Glenn Miller's band. She has become known for singing in a traditional jazz / blues style characterized by a low register and augmented by her strong skills on the piano. During her live performances, Patricia Barber's repertoire of original material is supported by a selection of classics drawn from the rock genre and features songs by Bobbie Gentry and Santana. She began recording late in her professional career, releasing her debut album, Split, in 1989. That debut was followed with well-received albums such as A Distortion of Love (1991), Café Blue (1994), Modern Cool (1998), Verse (2002), and Mythologies (2006). Patricia Barber’s best-known album is The Cole Porter Mix (2008), a selection of songs based on the Cole Porter songbook performed in Barber's distinctive style. Her 2010 album, Live In Concert, was a duo album recorded with pianist Kenny Werner. Briefly signing with the Concord Jazz label, she released the album Smash in 2013. After leaving Concord Jazz, she took her time in putting together her next release. During a six-year break, Patricia Barber had recorded enough material to be spread over two releases: Higher (2019) and Clique! (2021).