“Conspicuously literate and restlessly inventive.”
- The New Yorker
“As a pianist and vocalist, she is a force to be reckoned with. As a songwriter, she is pure devastation.”
- Jazz Police
Patricia Barber has earned international acclaim as a dazzling and uncompromising jazz artist. Long known for her sultry vocals, compelling pianism, and sophisticated songwriting, she has come to be regarded as a significant American composer as well–a deeply visionary artist who blurs the lines between poetry, jazz, and art music.
“Vocalist/pianist Patricia Barber’s 25-year career has been brilliantly marked by a complete unwillingness to compromise her approach to music. She exists in that uncharted creative realm where she successfully defies classification as a purveyor of any particular musical movement or genre. These characteristics spotlight Barber’s role as an innovator and catalyst for musical evolution, a musician performing from the front edge rather than the middle of the creative muse.”
- All About Jazz
Barber has toured the globe with her bands, performing in everything from stunning large venues to her favorite intimate club venues while long continuing to hold court and hone her craft at the Green Mill. Barber famously turns down touring offers and has walked away from lucrative opportunities, opting to live life and make art. Her “slow lane,” one soon finds out, brims with activity. Out of the public eye, she focuses on an array of projects believing that education can only help, never hurt, her musicianship.