Over the last five years in has been my privilege to review several albums made by a woman whom I regard as the finest contemporary female jazz performer in the world today. During a period spanning some fifteen years, Patricia Barber has released several studio albums on the audiophile Premonition label, and it was one in particular (MODERN COOL) that generated my initial interest in her. Whether Barber performs her own compositions or interprets the work of others, she communicates in a way that demands attention. Barber possesses a distinctive, expressive and compelling voice, and is a wonderful jazz pianist. She also possesses a deep respect of the American standard while writing some quite startling original music. Add the fact that she works with some of the finest, hand-picked, instrumentalists and producers around and you have an artist who is a cut above most other jazz performers (male or female). I also owe a major debt of gratitude to Barber for turning me on to the contemporary jazz genre with music that is both accessible and inspirational.

LIVE – A FORTNIGHT IN FRANCE is her second live album and, as the title suggests, was recorded during a French tour at venues in La Rochelle, Metz and Paris. Playing with her are Neal Alger (guitar), Michael Arnopol (bass), and Eric Montzka (drums). As a photographer, I love live performances and the ability to not only ‘add meat to the bones’ of a studio album but also to record the personal nuances of the most talented artists. I eagerly await Barber’s visit to the UK so I can indulge myself, but for now this live recording will have to do – AND HOW! The album offers up the full spectrum of talents and musical diversity from this very special musician and her band. It’s therefore an ideal ‘stepping-on’ point for music lovers not acquainted with her work, or interested in progressing from listening to more mainstream ‘easy listening’ jazz talent such as Buble or Krall.

The album opens with an MC announcement and then the downbeat ambience of Gotcha. Barber’s mellow, almost casual, voice communicates an interesting set of her own poetic lyrics (“I gotcha comin’, I gotcha goin’, the IRS, is on your tail, a private dick, is in your mail, your edifice is starting, to crack and peel, your girlfriend is starting, to panic and steal…”) interspersed with lyrical guitar, brushed cymbals, and razor-sharp percussion. Immediately, one gets the impression that Barber thrives on live performance along with her instrumental team. Then for her audience Dansons La Gigue! is sung in French and it’s a gorgeous, smouldering ballad. Applause is then heard before one of the album’s great highlights breaks cover. Crash is an instrumental composition where Barber leads the charge with truly inspirational, intuitive and exciting piano playing. Montzka on drums and percussion is omnipresent and matches Barber note for note. As the song progresses the pace changes repeatedly from a raging torrent to slowly meandering stream, while the instrumental adventure increases from all players. Underpinned by a characteristically strong melody this is one of the most vibrant live performances I’ve heard, and the audience respond with claps during and after several of the instrumental passages. Superb! The familiar Pieces arrives with some more lyrical magic from Barber (“There’s a piece on the door, a piece in the hall, a nice piece on me, stuck to the wall, divide and conquer, the jigsaw in you, has left me asunder, all over the room.”). Barber’s voice is sultry, seductive, low and mocking; irresistible. The mournful and deeply expressive guitar work from Neal Alger adds ambience and drama to the song. At one point the guitar soars and screeches to supersonic levels before crashing back down. The audience applause is plentiful and genuine.

The first half of the album consists of some of Barber’s best self-penned compositions, while the second half is full of covers delivered with feeling and respect. Blue Prelude is given a contemplative, glacial and haunting treatment where Barber almost whispers the lyrics over the most subtle instrumentals. At one point her voice climbs to extremely high octave levels before sinking back to complete the song. Witchcraft is given a bright, upbeat instrumental treatment with a wistful display of piano against a solid Arnopol bass backdrop, while the middle-eight boasts a wonderfully expressive Alger guitar passage. This segment of the album also includes a stupendous cover of Lennon and McCartney’s Norwegian Wood that opens with Barber’s beautiful vocal before the bass comes in, then the piano, and then the whole band takes this song to another exciting place – parked firmly in the contemporary jazz park. It is an astonishingly good track and another highlight on the album.

This album gets to the heart of the matter and confirms that Barber and band are in the very highest echelon of musical performers. The album recording is also of the highest quality with instruments and voice beautifully defined, and it’s certainly one of the best live recordings I’ve heard. If you like modern jazz, you need this album, and I can promise you that you’ll find every opportunity to play it. LIVE - A FORTNIGHT IN FRANCE is masterful, exhilarating, accessible and deeply inspirational.

5/5