PATRICIA BARBER – “Live: A Fortnight In France”

For the un-initiated, the cover’s deceptive – it conceals a treasure of artistic sophistication and innovative eloquence.

Patricia Barber comes from the new school of cutting edge jazz singer/songwriters, who explore improvisation with varying degrees of intrigue. So she’s hardcore, but the beauty is that she’s accessible to even the untrained ear.

She plays the piano with uncontained passion and adventure that’s freed by mastery, but it’s the intense purity of her liquid honey voice that strikes first.

While few have managed to consistently win audiences with concerts and recordings, for the past decade her critical acclaim has never wavered.

Her eighth release, “Live: A Fortnight In France”, was recorded in March and April 2004 at clubs in three French cities, and features five originals and five covers.

Rendered with romance, edginess, ease and intensity, its best described by Barber herself: “This recording is a concert…What you hear is what we play…. on any given night….”

So treat yourself to an endless performance at no extra cost.