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Patricia Barber: Clique
ByThere is indeed an ease that characterizes her vocal delivery of Jobim's "Samba de Uma Nota Só / One Note Samba" and the Rodgers and Hammerstein bon mot "Shall We Dance?" Appearances by Neal Alger (acoustic guitar) on the former and Jim Gailloreto (tenor saxophone) add to the nostalgia of these familiar grounds, though it's her core trio, led by the bandleader's keystrokes, that does much of the heavy lifting. Linked arm in arm with bassist Patrick Mulcahy and drummer Jon Deitemyer, she first croons her way onto the rain-slicked streets of "This Town" as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"In some ways, I'm a control freak," Barber admits of her sound. "These are arrangements. This particular group is one I cherish, so everyone gets time to play. So, while it's stylized, they definitely have an input." Said input is front and center in "The In Crowd," which tracks its nerve impulses outwardly from a spinal bass line. In this and "Trouble Is A Man," Barber shows that her greatest powers as a singer tend to reside in her quietest inflections. From a near whisper, she is able to elicit deep lyrical and emotional conflicts. Chalk this as another victory for Jim Anderson, whose engineering ensures both fine separation and artful blend. "He just gets better," says Barber of the producer with whom she has worked for the better part of three decades. "In my music in general, I value silence as much as I value presence, and he's able to capture that perfectly."
Even when her voice hangs its hat for an instrumental interlude, Barber ensures that the audience, however virtual, is never forgotten. Whether turning the kaleidoscope of her original "Mashup" or navigating the burnished corridors of Monk's "Straight No Chaser," she allows freer energies to occupy the foreground. Notes Barber, "This is a very good representation of what you will hear when you come to see us live. It was true to what this band was playing at the time. We worked very hard on pulling melody away from the rhythm as we know it. It takes a very quiet space and musicians who are listening closely to do that."
Their synergy is especially apparent on "I Could Have Danced All Night," in which the drum kit seems to spread its wings around us as Barber takes a half-lit stage with poise. The sonic whetstone along which she sharpens such tunes is indicative of their somewhat unusual choosing. "When people hear 'standards album,' they're expecting the classic American Songbook of the 30s, but these are from the 50s and 60s, one of my favorite eras. I would call it a covers album." In that spirit, Barber takes the metaphorical connotations of the concept to their fullest, dressing melodies and harmonizing with freshly tailored clothing.
In that respect, one can't help but hear Clique and
Track Listing
This Town, Trouble Is A Man; Mashup; Samba de Uma Nota Só; I Could Have Danced All Night; The In Crowd; Shall We Dance?; Straight No Chaser; All In Love Is Fair.
Personnel
Patricia Barber
pianoPatrick Mulcahy
bassJon Deitemyer
drumsNeal Alger
guitar, acousticJim Gailloreto
saxophoneAlbum information
Title: Clique | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Impex Records
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