May 27, 2014To: Listings/Critics/Features
From: Jazz Promo Services
Press Contact: Jim Eigo, jim@jazzpromoservices.com
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Barbara Levy Daniels
Appearing at
The Metropolitan Room
34 W 22nd St
New York, NY 10010
(212) 206-0440
Wed., June 18th 9:30pm
with Special Guests Houston Person
and Musical Director/Pianist John DiMartino
Celebrating The Release of Her New CD
« Love Lost and Found »
New CD Features
Barbara Levy Daniels (Vocals)
John DiMartino (Piano and Music Director)
Warren Vache’ (Coronet)
Shinnosuke Takahashi (Drums)
Paul Meyers (Acoustic Guitar)
Boris Kozlov (Bass)(Bldproductions Inc )
Street Date March 4, 2014) |
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Jack Goodstein Blogcriitics
« …classics from the Great American Songbook…Daniels puts her own personal stamp on them. Her phrasing makes for an imaginatively effective interpretation of the material »
« Her dynamic personal readings of songs like ‘The Nearness of You’, ‘Willow Weep For Me’…breathe revived life into the music.”
Grady Harp Amazon
« Barbara Levy Daniels…not only sings, she mesmerizes…Her voice is mellow and rich, true to pitch, full of expression… »
« The old standards feel so right with Barbara that they seem like old lovers, She is sensationally communicative.”
Dick Metcalf IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION
« When you’re in the mood for great female jazz vocals, you’ll queue up Barbara every time – guaranteed! She’s an expert singer…we-evidenced by her silky sooth…rendition of ‘Say It Isn’t So’…what chops! »
« I give Barbara & crew a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an ‘EQ’ (energy quotient) rating of 4.99 .”
Joe Lang Jersey Jazz
« Daniels has a knowing way with the lyrics, and her voice has traces of experience that lend validity to her reading of the words.”
Mark Tucker Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
« This is Daniels’ third solo disc, and if I were to cite a genre, I’d have to say she’s a straight-ahead jazz singer. »
« My favorite is ‘Moonglow’ and Daniels invokes a lightly saxophonic rendering in various passages, the whole thing sounding a bit like a Rosemary Clooney who was listening to West Coast Cool…”
Vittorio Lo Conte Musicboom
« This is Daniels’ third solo disc, and if I were to cite a genre, I’d have to say she’s a straight-ahead jazz singer. »
« My favorite is ‘Moonglow’ and Daniels invokes a lightly saxophonic rendering in various passages, the whole thing sounding a bit like a Rosemary Clooney who was listening to West Coast Cool… »
At the tender age of 12, young vocalist Barbara Levy Daniels was auditioning for ABC Paramount Records. Its president had invited no less a personage than Ray Charles to listen in and give an opinion. “Sign her right away” was The Genius’ verdict. That was over 50 years ago, followed by a number of singles and a 30 year practice in psychotherapy. Over the past 15 years, Barbara managed to find the time to create two highly acclaimed albums and now offers further testimony to Ray’s endorsement with her new CD Love Lost and Found.
With a voice of liquid gold, Barbara fully demonstrates a quality of all truly great singers – absolute confidence in both her instrument and the manner in which she wields it. On this CD, she takes on 13 classics from the Great American Songbook, and in her early champion’s manner, she makes each of these often-performed pieces entirely her own. Her vocal style here can be comfortably compared to the great saxophone song interpreters – like Hawkins, Webster and Young – in using the lyrics as a launching point for her musical interpretation. They inspire the story she tells, but she’s never confined by them. The storytelling essence of Barbara’s artistry is explained by her statement: « While I listen to life stories by day, I sing about life stories when I perform. »
Full-bodied and resonant, her voice is highly emotive, often marked by the type of cry that is heard in the styles of Johnny Hodges and Gene Ammons, subtly adding to the emotional impact without even a hint of affectation. Never even remotely straining to hit each tone directly in its heart, she roots in there and allows the resonance to expand outward in a powerful aural pastiche.
While Barbara does not employ her scatting style on this CD, the music is unquestionably jazz. What sets the non-scatting jazz vocalist apart from a regular singer of songs are an inherent sense of rhythmic creativity and interpretative freedom interacting with a supporting group that provides an environment for expressive development. All of that is in full bloom on Love Lost and Found. The ensemble is comprised of extraordinary musicians who are not only topflight artists, but who also understand the subtleties demanded by their supporting roles and how to bring total creativity to the musical concept. The empathy here is so powerful that they sound like they’ve all been playing with Barbara for many years.
Pianist John di Martino is always fully in sync with Barbara’s vision at each moment, prodding, enhancing and embracing each note and phrase and never falling into the obvious choices that can occur in vocal accompaniment. Bassist Boris Kozlov’s deeply wooded tone provides the heartbeat of the music – his heavily syncopated rhythmic mastery often providing the nucleus around which the track is built. His full-bodied sound contrasts beautifully with Barbara’s voice and his phrasing both propels and supports the music. Drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi blends sublime subtlety with rhythmic dynamism that anchors each piece perfectly. Cornetist Warren Vaché is present on eight tracks, usually muted, and a master of lyricism and impeccable taste whether playing obbligato or soloing. Guitarist Paul Meyers adds zest, sparkle and color to three pieces as well. Vaché and di Martino share all the solos, always succinct and in sharp focus.
The repertoire has been artfully selected from pieces composed between 1927 and 1944, but there is not a wisp of nostalgia or obviousness in the interpretations of these beloved songs. The feeling is highly contemporary and in the moment; immediate and fresh. Also serving as musical director and arranger, di Martino has crafted 13 gems; each cut and designed as a unique piece of music that is also integrated seamlessly into the album’s essence.
Irving Berlin’s delicate ballad I Got Lost in His Arms showcases Barbara’s mastery of time and space as she uses syncopation, lingers tantalizingly behind the beat and slides into rubato time at will, smearing and spreading tones while swirling around the rhythm section. Berlin’s Say It Isn’t So is given a Bossa Nova treatment, with guitar and piano playing off each other nicely over subtle dynamic bass and drums and Barbara’s voice dancing within the joyful setting.
A Brazilian feel is again on tap for Rodgers and Hart’s Where or When, a delicious samba with the guitar-enhanced rhythm section spreading a gossamer blanket for Barbra’s voice and di Martino’s solo. Meyers’ guitar takes a Freddie Green-ish angle on Mills, Hudson and Delange’s infectious Moonglow, a delightfully syncopated, easy bouncer enhanced by Takahashi’s whisk-broom shuffle drumming – respectfully evoking a modern feel for an older era.
A similarly transportive mode is created for It’s the Talk of the Town (Symes, Neilburg and Livingston). A torchy, grooving ballad with gently stride-ish piano and a muted cornet solo. There’s an afterhours feel of musicians playing for each other with the listeners as fortunate bystanders. That late night vibe is also on hand for two other ballads. Carmichael and Washington’s lovely The Nearness of You is a touching piece with voice and piano reminiscent of some of those great Lester Young/Teddy Wilson recordings. Mean to Me (Turk and Ahlert) is a ballad in a bluesy swing groove with Barbara’s sultry vocal prodded by di Martino’s piano and a delightful muted Vaché solo. A deeper blue is the tone for Ann Ronell’s Willow Weep for Me. Wailing cornet with di Martino’s slow barrelhouse left hand and Otis Spann-flavored right sets a flawless blues mood for Barbara’s shout – down home, uptown style.
Rodgers and Hart’s My Heart Stood Still is a smoothly swinging item embellished by mellow cornet. Straightforward swing is the theme for Burke and Van Heusen’s It Could Happen to You with Kozlov’s syncopated walking and Vaché’s obbligato around Barbara’s deeply grooved vocal. Comes Love (Stept, Tobias and Brown) is a jaunty swinger – playful, straightforward and delightfully rhythmic. Warren and Gordon’s There Will Never Be Another You kicks it up a notch, with Barbara in full swing mode, Vaché on open cornet and the band surging on all cylinders. The album closes with Lewis and Coots’ For All We Know, a powerfully evocative piece stoked by Takahashi’s Bolero-like drumming.
From the celestial choir over which he undoubtedly presides, Ray Charles is smiling down upon Love Lost and Found, saying…. “You see?……What’d I Say!”
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May 27, 2014To: Listings/Critics/Features
From: Jazz Promo Services
Press Contact: Jim Eigo, jim@jazzpromoservices.com
www.jazzpromoservices.com |
Barb Jungr « Hard Rain »
The songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard CohenUS Release Today
May 27, 2014
Vocals: Barb Jungr
Bass: Neville Malcolm, Bass on tracks 1, 3, 8 + 10: Steve Watts, Percussion: Gary Hammond, Shakuhachi: Clive Bell, Talking drum and additional percussion: Richard Oletunde Baker, Piano, hammond organ and synthesisers: Simon Wallace
International Acclaim For « Hard Rain »
The songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen
5 stars The Independent Hard Rain Live Review
4 stars The Times Hard Rain Live Review
4 stars The Daily Mirror Hard Rain album review
4 stars The Independent Hard Rain album review
4 stars I Paper Hard Rain album review
4 stars Jazzwise Hard Rain album review
4 stars R2 album review
8/10 Uncut Hard Rain album review
9/10 Peterborough Today
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 Track listing, track times and composer:
1. Blowin’ In The Wind (Bob Dylan)
2. Everybody Knows (Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson)
3. Who By Fire (Leonard Cohen)
4. Hard Rain (Bob Dylan)
5. First We Take Manhattan (Leonard Cohen)
6. Masters Of War (Bob Dylan)
7. It’s Alright Ma (Bob Dylan)
8. 1000 Kisses Deep (Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson)
9. Gotta Serve Somebody (Bob Dylan)
10. Land Of Plenty (Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson)
11. Chimes Of Freedom (Bob Dylan)
Musicians: Vocal: Barb Jungr, Bass: Neville Malcolm, Bass on tracks 1, 3, 8
+10 Steve Watts, Percussion: Gary Hammond, Shakuhachi: Clive Bell
Talking drum and additional percussion: Richard Oletunde Baker
Piano, Hammond organ and synthesisers: Simon Wallace
Arranged by: Simon Wallace and Barb Jungr Produced by: Simon Wallace Executive Produer: Independent Voices
Recorded and mixed at Underhill Studios by Simon Wallace Tracks 4 + 7 mixed by Simon Wallace and Richie Stevens
Mastered by: Dick Beetham at 3670 Mastering Artwork photography and design: Steve Ullathorne Hair: Jason Welch at Eleven
The UK’s finest interpreter of song, Barb Jungr erturns to the songs of Bob Dylan and Leonadr Cohen with the release of Hard Rain. Oft referred to as “the politicised chansonnier” and cited as one of the worlds’ best performers of Dylans’ material, Barb turns to six of his most politically hadr-hitting songs along with five of Leonadr Cohen’s most impassioned songs of conscience. Barbs’ selection for Hard Rain reflects her despair with the political times that we live in an dshe has deliberately chosen songs that resonate as strongly today as they did when they weer originally written: Blowin’ In The Wind is now 51 years old nad its sentiments are as relevant today as they ever weer.
“The space in between has always been my default position. Between song and singer, lyric and music, arrangement and performance. So I am amazed to be so clear about this collection. I knew right from the start it was all the tougher songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen that I wanted to sing. I knew there was somehow a through thread to them – that the world they described and the actions they rejected and celebrated were of as much importance today as the day those songs were penned. There’s something in both writers that transcends the material itself, as though the words and music have powers beyond the paper and the groove, beyond the voice and the piano. So I’m entering a new decade with singing a clutch of special songs that have moved and shaken, caressed and struck me. I hope you’ll love the glorious music of both of these writers as much as I do….if that’s possible…. and let’s watch the dawn of the new day together.” —Barb Jungr
The album comes complete with insightful liner notes by writer Liz Thomson, who as Elizabeth Thomson prepared “the director’s cut” of No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan (2014). She was also the co-editor of The Dylan Companion. As a young journalist, her first ever interview was with Leonadr Cohen.
All of the arrangements on the album aer by Barb and her long-standing collaborator and accompanist, hte pianist Simon Wallace, who also produced the album. In addition to Simon (piano, Hammond organ and synthesizers), Barb is also joined by Neville Malcom on bass (with Steve Watts providing bass on tracks 1,3,8 and 10);
Gary Hammond (percussion); Clive Bell (Shakahachi) and Richard Olatunde Baker on talking drum and additional pecrussion. Together with Barb, they inject new life and energy into each song. Hard Rain will be released on Kristalyn Records on 24th March 2014. The album will be supported by an extensive run of liev dates and will be launched with a special premiere performance of this Dylan/Cohen collection at Londons’ Purcell Room on Friday 14th February befoer going on tour throughout the UK.
“In 2002, the British singer Barb Jungr released “Barb Jungr Sings Bob Dylan: Every Grain of Sand”, which is, as far as I’m concerned, the most significant vocal album of the 21st century thus far.” —The Wall Street Journal, 2011
“The only word to describe her dramatic interpretations is revelatory…..I was open mouthed with astonishment.” —New York Times, December 2013
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What The Press Is Saying About
Barb Jungr « Hard Rain »
The songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard CohenThe Daily Mirror 4 stars
« Jungr proved one of the greatest interpreters of Bob Dylan songs with two previous cover albums from his awesome songbook. This time, two towering masters of Jewish American song provide the raw material for Barb’s rich voice and finely details jazzy arrangements. A notable achievement. »
All About Jazz march 14 2014
« The readings of these Dylan songs reaffirm Jungr’s standing as a Dylan interpreter; her loose, easy version of « Chimes of Freedom »—made famous as a hit byThe Byrds—emphasises that Jungr rivals the group as one of the best. In no way does it detract from her abilities as a Dylan interpreter to say that the revelation of Hard Rain is that her versions of the Cohen songs all but steal the album. As an album, it is the equal of Jungr’s two all-Dylan ones but, more importantly, it opens up a rich new seam for her to mine. More!! »
The Independent 4 stars
« It’s a masterclass in the value of interpretive liberty, with songs transform in almost revelatory manner. As with the album generally, its a subtle balance of hot and cold, a work of fiery cool. »
Jazzwise 4 stars
« Investing everything she sings with telling insight, Jungr’s complete affinity with the material lends the collection a galvanising power. There are lyrical jewels a plenty. »
R2 4 stars
« Barb Jungr affirms her reputation as a consummate Dylan interpreter with a collection of Bob’s political and spiritual narratives augmented here by similar matieral from the pen of his contemporary, Leonard Cohen…nourish jazz bues arrangemtns compound her ethereal impressionism. Its quite some achievement to throw new light on these old tableaux. »
Uncut 8/10
« The commanding and rhapsodic singing brings connection and insight while superlative arrangements – majoring in opulent blues jazz noir settings, refresh songs as daunting as « It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) » and « First We Take Manhattan ». To give such standards precious new life is quite an achievement. »
Sunday Times
« Once again, the British singer finds new paths through what, at first glance, might seem familiar material. 1000 Kisses Deep is simply heart-stopping. Jungr’s attention to timbre and nuance brings new depth to every syllable. »
MOJO 3 stars
« As an interpreter, Jungr’s ace in the hole is an ability to personalise even age-old familiars like Blowin’ In The Wind without resorting to deconstruct mode. First We Take Manhattan is beautifully reworked, with Jungr draping a delicate vocal line over Simon Wallace’s piano back-drop of a kind that Gil Evans might have visualised for Miles. Fascinating Fare…it’s more than alright, Ma. » (Fred Dellar)
Folking
« Jungr has the ability to take a well known song and make it her own. This is a knockout album. »
Something Else
Barb Jungr has a powerful tool in the box — and that is her voice. Combine this with the powerful songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, and a group of good musicians, and you have something which has the potential to blow your mind. So, Barb sets high expectations and this album does not disappoint. Hard Rain is a great album, one in which to immerse yourself until you are soaked through.
For Folk’s Sake
…there’s no questioning the artistry of this rarest of things: a deeply challenging covers album.
British vocalist Barb Jungr has never been known to play it safe. Her previous recordings have revealed an iconoclastic singer with little fear of any material. She has an affinity for Bob Dylan as seen in her two previous collections of Dylan songs, Every Grain of Sand (Linn, 2002) and Man in the Long Black Coat (Linn, 2011). On Hard Rain Jungr adds Leonard Cohen to her Dylan oeuvre, a pairing that contrasts the two different song writers, while, at the same time, demonstrating the social source of their music. A musical vision this refined and challenging comes rarely. Barb Jungr has been and will continue to be a creative force to reckon with, and aren’t we fortunate for it.
Feature –
« what Jungr really is is an exceptional interpreter of popular songs, with a dramatic, sometimes theatrical style and a remarkable technique.
Her interpretive skills are thrillingly apparent on her current album, Hard Rain, on which she sings six songs by Bob Dylan and five by Leonard Cohen. » (Trevor Hodgett)
« She has earned her place at the top table of influential singers, and it is bewildering that an appearance on the only popular music programme on British terrestrial television continues to elude her. If Hard Rain doesn’t earn her a place in the line-up for the current series of Later… With Jools Holland, someone is missing a vital link. »
4 Stars
« Jungr always brings exceptional freshness to her shows, not to mention unexpected harmonica choruses with pianist Simon Wallace and bassist Dudley Philips. Admirably vivacious even at the end of a 19 – date tour, she put total immersion into the songs and kept the audience enrapt. »
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At a time when far too many jazz singers seem addicted to the most tired tunes in the Great American Songbook, London-based Barb Jungr has settled on a very different range of material. She is in love with the often-political works of musical bards Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Hard Rain: The Songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen is a gem. This is excellent.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The performances more than validate Jungr’s reputation as one of Britain’s finest interpretative singers, with particularly impressive versions of Cohen’sFirst We Take Manhattan and Dylan’s Masters of War. There are two remarkable achievements here: Blowin’ in the Wind, which Dylan wrote in 1962 and which opens the album, sounds fresh; the album also offers the second, truly great reinterpretation of Chimes of Freedom.
THE SENSE OF DOUBT – live review The Arts Depot, North London
When an artist like Barb Jungr – an obsessive studious of admirable story tellers – takes the fearless responsibility of reinterpreting “some of the least compassionate songs by Cohen and the most compassionate by Dylan” with a mesmerizing voice; the hymns gain both clarity and depth. The words and vision of our heroes reborn with magnificence and their comprehension, intellect and importance rises. This is Barb Jungr´s mission. A truly touching duty on stage that becomes an experience of intellectual contemplation.
To see Barb Jungr performance at the Arts Depot – a cultural hub in North Finchley – brought me to a state of inexplicable and intangible nostalgia or what in Portuguese called, Saudade. Just think in the greats: Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Sam Cooke, Nina Simone, Roy Orbison, Billie Holiday, Roberta Flack, Ella Fitzgerald and an infinite etcetera. When a true artist stands in front of an audience at its most vulnerable with nothing but the unpredictable possibilities of the voice, something magical happens. When they are truly exposed to the eyes of the public in a small venue with nothing to offer but their vocal chords, is when popular music becomes more valuable.
PETERBOROUGH TODAY
BARB JUNGR Hard Rain (Kristalyn Records) Albums Widely regarded as one of the finest interpreters of other people’s songs, Jungr’s new album features six Dylan and five Leonard Cohen tracks. It is a mesmerising tour de force focusing on some of the most political songs written by the two legends. 9/10
« I guarantee that once you step out of your reverie as the CD ends, you’ll be hunting for more. Hard Rain doesn’t just satisfy the senses and brainworks, it also installs a hunger. » (Mark S Tucker)
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Ph: 845-986-1677 / jim@jazzpromoservices.com
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