Quick Facts
Biography
Patricia Barber (born November 8, 1955) is an American jazz and blues singer, pianist, songwriter, and bandleader.
Biography
Barber's father Floyd was a jazz saxophonist who played with Bud Freeman and Glenn Miller. Patricia Barber learned saxophone and piano in her youth and started singing in high school musicals. She concentrated on piano at the University of Iowa in the early 1970s. After graduating, she performed at bars and clubs in Chicago. Her album Mythologies is based on Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid.
Personal life
Barber is a lesbian; interviews with her suggest she does not try to hide this fact, but she "tires" of the public interest in her sexuality and that it contributes to her fame. In November 2008, she was interviewed by Gregg Shapiro of Gay & Lesbian Times magazine.
Awards and honors
She was given a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003 in the field of Creative Arts – Music Composition.
Discography
An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989* | Split | Floyd | Trio, with Michael Arnopol (bass), Mark Walker (drums) |
| 1991 | A Distortion of Love | Antilles | With Wolfgang Muthspiel (guitar), Marc Johnson (bass), Adam Nussbaum (drums, percussion, finger snaps), Carla White and Big Kahuna (finger snaps) |
| 1994 | Café Blue | Premonition | With John McLean (guitar), Michael Arnopol (bass), Mark Walker (drums, percussion) |
| 1998 | Modern Cool | Premonition | With John McLean (guitar), Michael Arnopol (bass), Mark Walker (drums, percussion), Dave Douglas (trumpet), Jeff Stitely (udu), Choral Thunder Vocal Choir |
| 1999 | Companion | Premonition | With John McLean (guitar), Michael Arnopol (bass), Eric Montzka (drums, percussion), Ruben P. Alvarez (percussion); Jason Narducy (vocals) added on one track |
| 2000* | Nightclub | Premonition/Blue Note | With Marc Johnson and Michael Arnopol (bass; separately), Adam Nussbaum and Adam Cruz (drums; separately), Charlie Hunter (guitar) |
| 2002* | Verse | Premonition/Blue Note | Most tracks quartet, with Dave Douglas (trumpet), Neal Alger (guitar), Michael Arnopol (bass), Joey Baron (drums); one track quartet with Eric Montzka (drums) replacing Baron; one track with Cliff Colnot String Ensemble added |
| 2004* | Live: A Fortnight in France | Blue Note | Quartet, with Neal Alger (guitar), Michael Arnapol (bass), Eric Montzka (drums) |
| 2006* | Mythologies | Blue Note | Most tracks quartet, with Neal Alger (guitar), Michael Arnapol (bass), Eric Montzka (drums); some tracks with Jim Gailloreto (sax) added; some tracks with various vocalists added |
| 2008* | The Cole Porter Mix | Blue Note | Most tracks quartet, with Neal Alger (guitar), Michael Arnopol (bass), Eric Montzka (drums, percussion); some tracks quintet, with Chris Potter (tenor sax) added; some tracks quartet with Alger (guitar), Arnopol (bass), Nate Smith (drums, percussion) |
| 2010 | Live in Concert | Floyd | Duo, with Kenny Werner (piano); in concert |
| 2013* | Smash | Concord Jazz | |
| 2019 | Higher | ArtistShare | Recording of song cycle "Angels, Birds and I…" |
Source: