Patricia Barber (born 1956, Chicago, Illinois) 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 and educated in South Sioux City, Nebraska, and completed high school there.
Her music is centered on her singing, in a fairly low register and a traditional bluesy-jazz style, and her piano playing, which is technically accomplished. Her repertoire includes many of her own compositions, but also a selection of standards drawn mostly from the classic-rock genre; examples include "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 Barber originals inspired by Cole Porter.
Barber is a lesbian; interviews with her suggest that she does not try to hide this fact, but that she 'tires' of the public interest in her sexuality and dislikes the fact that it contributes to her fame.[citation needed]
Her albums Cafe Blue, Modern Cool, Companion, Nightclub and Verse have been reissued by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on SACD and limited edition 45 rpm half speed mastered, 180 gram audiophile vinyl.
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http://www.patriciabarber.com/index.html
