Wednesday, 15 June 2016

Australia I love you

Since the 1st June I've been touring in Australia with shows in Brisbane, Byron Bay, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne, from where I an writing on the sofa on this rainy afternoon.

the view from my Melbourne high rise

My Melbourne high rise balcony is 32 floors up in the sky. I find heights a challenge, always have. Vertigo is a weird condition, and perhaps a lizard brain throwback. Certainly terra firma works well for me. I took a few flying lessons a few years ago to combat my fear of turbulence and heights and found myself rather enjoying the exercise. Circus professor John Paul Zaccarini and I went to a climbing wall, and that was fascinating and I managed to get much higher than I expected. So I'm pleased to say that I managed last night to walk to the edge of my balcony and look over the bar, and to make sure it wasn't a fluke I did it again this morning. That aside, the shows, 2 of them, are at Bird's Basement tonight and tomorrow in Melbourne with the astonishingly good Mark Fitzgibbon on piano.  Then its back to the UK for shows in Greenham, Maidstone and a week at Crazy Coqs with the lovely John McDaniel. I won't let too much grass grow!

Starting from the beginning Brisbane was wonderful. I worked with acclaimed Australian arranger and accompanist John Thorn (we met at Adelaide Festival 3 years ago) and played at the Brisbane Festival at a beautiful venue in an old Powerhouse called, unsurprisingly, The PowerHouse which is right on the river in a lovely location and area. I met up with my old friend the painter and performance artist Luke Roberts and on a late night walk through the city saw his extraordinary sculpture, called PoinsettiaRiverFire, in the park, lighting the sky for all to see.



3 views of Luke Robert's PoinsettiaRiverFire public sculpture and Luke and I in front of it.
There was a rainbow over Brisbane and the city was in a state of growth and change. It was a joyous show, and there was a lovely review. And then the storm came!

And that storm is coming 
The storm arrived Saturday morning and we drove our little trusty hire car through it all the way to Byron Bay with rain coming so thick and fast the wipers going on fast couldn't clear it away. By Byron it was clear that things were bad. Rivers were flooding and the wind was wild, with trees down across roads and fields filling with water all around us. The Byron Bay Theatre was warm and welcoming and fortified with their vegetarian gluten free sandwiches we did a terrific gig to the audience who were able to get there, brave souls! And the next morning dawned as though no storm had happened! With a blue sky and bright gorgeous sun, and only the broken branches strewn about gave any clue as to what had happened overnight, we walked to the Byron lighthouse in the warm sunshine and handsome surfers rode the huge waves that formed in that idyllic bay. Byron Bay gets my vote for paradise on earth. It is absolutely beautiful. It was wonderful to be back there and I very much hope I can play there again, soon. Here are a bunch of views from the walk.





Byron Bay from the walk to the lighthouse.
Then it was off to Sydney. Played at The Basement there, rehearsing with Mark Fitzgibbon first. He's a jazz player of the great skill and talent, and well known in Australia. We had a terrific first show and I managed an 8 mile walk around the city spotting some beautiful birds in the harbour. Here are some....









Birds on the walk and some plaques commemorating terrific Australian authors.

From Sydney we hurtled to Canberra, which was gloomy and surpassingly cold, But it was lovely to be back at The Street Theatre there, and a great crowd and a lovely review (thank you Bill). And a rainbow over the airport as we left!

Rainbow over Canberra

And then to Adelaide. The festival was cracking in as we arrived and I was straight into a Gala rehearsal with Mark Ferguson and the band. Ben and Alana on drums and bass and a cracking version of Things Have Changed sprang into being. Friday, Gala rehearsal day, was blustery but we were inside rehearsing and I had the best makeup lady so we were ready for action. She took this before the show in the corridor.

Thank you Deanna for the superb makeup, Gala opening night, Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2016
The Gala was a wonderful opportunity to meet some other performers, Robyn Archer, Amy G, Andrew Strano, Hugh Parhem, Eddie Perfect, Ali McGregor, Mothers Ruin, Astrid and Die Roten Punkte and more and of course Miss Behave from London was there with Harriet who can dance up a storm so we were a motley crew. It was a joy to be in such a supportive and terrific collection of people. The red carpet walk was a scream and Markus Hamence did a lovely interview for Scene TV on it all, the next day, which is here.


Sunday and Monday I had my shows with Mark,we had a wonderful crew and team so sound and lights were superb, they were total sellouts which was beautiful, with great audiences, and there were some lovely reviews.


and there was a lot of fun with the backstage gals and Peta at the late night club  hosted by Miss Behave and Amy G. Check the eyelashes!




And every morning I managed to get a long walk along the Torrens River and check out some fantastic birds who came out to say "hello"

sunshine morning outside the Festival Centre

The Festival Centre is getting a facelift!

















On Monday we did a revue of Kurt Weill songs. Zac Taylor put together a wonderful collection with legendary Brecht and Weimar performer Robyn Archer singing and MC ing.  Eddie Perfect and Ali McGregor, Hugh Parhem and Die Roten Punkte and I sang, and there was a stunning band with arrangements by John Thorn. It was a privilege to be part of that show in the lovely Dunstan playhouse.


And then we were off, and here we are, were this blog began, in Melbourne. I'm off to put on my makeup and get my glad rags and harmonica together and head down to sound check. I hope I'll see you at a show here tonight or tomorrow, and facing that, there are these coming up in the UK, with John McDaniel on the piano and other microphone!

Friday 24th June - 



Saturday 25th June -


and from tuesday June 28th through saturday June 3rd


See you there! Till then, have a great rest of the week. 




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Monday, 30 May 2016

A few nice things from New York.....


The 4 night May run at Joe's Pub to launch the new CD Shelter From the Storm were terrific. We had Laurence of course, on piano, Matt Clohesy on bass and Wilson Torres on percussion, and they blew it out of the water. So many friends and fans came down, and some people who's seen The Kate TV show, which has been airing all over the US. You can stream that if you haven't seen it yet, here

 http://thekate.tv/full-episodes/

 I stayed in the East Village with my great friends Jane and Luka, and laughed a lot. Ate at Shanghai Joe's soup dumplings, cycled along the East River and generally had a fab time. I sang at Jim Gavin's celebration and caught up with a ton of old friends and rehearsed for the Connecticut show where Lennie Watts - my co-master teacher, and I are sharing a stage on the Sunday night in August with Tracy Stark on the keys, and hung out with lots of terrific performer friends, and saw Kiki and Herb on my last night give one of their incredible shows. All in all, had a blast.

So here's the cast photo from the Jim Gavin celebration.

With Molly Pop, Carol Lipnik, Tammy Faye, Baby Jane Dexter, Jim Gavin, Christine Andreas, Gaye Marshall, Bernie and Joanna, and Penny Arcade.


Brian Pace came down to Joe's and made a film and interview there, which is here - we talked about singing, and jazz, cabaret and Dylan, Brel and the terrific arrangers working with me, from Laurence Hobgood, through Simon Wallace, Jenny Carr and Adrian York. 



There were some nice photographs too.


With my wonderful friend, Dr Thelma Reyes
 There was a terrific review in the New York Times, here

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/arts/music/barb-jungrs-jazzy-songs-for-troubled-times.html?_r=0

at Joe's Pub, photo taken by Jane on the first night.

With Brian Pace after the last night's show at Joe's

In mid sing at Joe's photo by Brian Pace.
And then it was back home for a week and a trip up north where I managed to catch the last of the bluebells in Lyme Park, with Mum and Mirek.

Mum and Mirek in the Lyme Park bluebell woods late May 2016.

Mum and I photo by Mirek enjoying the last of the bluebells.

And now another run of dates begins. This time inn Australia, where I'll be - as well as the dates on this poster, in Canberra and at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Some press her come out already and its all here - hope to see you at a show somewhere, soon.

The Byron Echo - here

http://www.echo.net.au/2016/05/barb-dylan-and-cohen/

The Brisbane Times, here -

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/jazz-singer-barb-jungr-delivers-bob-dylan-and-leonard-cohen-in-a-whole-new-light-20160523-gp1hnb

The Byron interview, here

http://www.echo.net.au/2016/05/from-dylan-to-cohen-the-music-of-barb-jungr/

Arts Review, here -

http://artsreview.com.au/on-the-couch-with-barb-jungr/

The Canberra Times, here

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/jazz-singer-barb-jungr-delivers-bob-dylan-and-leonard-cohen-in-a-whole-new-light-20160523-gp1hnb.html

And here's the tour except for Canberra and Adelaide for which please go to their sites, here

http://www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au -

http://www.thestreet.org.au/shows/barb-jungr




Till then, enjoy spring and summer, which is coming - unless you are in Australia, where its autumn!




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Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Shelter tour, Liverpool, Soho Jazz Club, Videos, Laurence Hobgood, The Kate live show stream and Ernest Hecht celebration

Well its been a while and I'm behind for all kinds of reasons and I'm writing from Palm Springs about which there'll be another blog, pronto. But right now I want to put up sone great photos and videos of the Shelter tour from Liverpool St George's Hall and Dean Street, and also some photos of the fabulous celebration for Ernest Hecht's Souvenir Press 65th Anniversary concert at the Royal College of Music last week.

The St George's photos are gorgeous. Here are a few -St George's was the third night of the tour and we were so well cared for by the wonderful George Seaton, up there. It was a joy.


And here's the team backstage in Corby on the last night of the tour....

Davide, Barb, Oli and Laurence backstage in Corby.

This is Corby - the last night of the tour, taken from up in the stalls, of the whole band working onstage.

On stage Corby with Laurence Hobgood, Davide Mantovani and Oli Savill

and here is the fabulous Steve Ullathorne shot from Dean Street of Laurence Hobgood and I enjoying a moment -


There are tons more photos to come and they'll be going up on the Barbjungr.co.uk site soon when I get a chance to tootle through them properly.

The tour went so wonderfully, it was a joy to get to grips with those songs and arrangements and let them breathe at last and such a massive privilege to work with Oli Savill and Davide Mantovani on percussion and bass. I dearly wish I could afford to take out a trio everywhere, because the sound was just glorious. And we had some fun, too. I do less hanging out after gigs than the guys, because I have to look after the voice and because touring is so tiring. They of course are always out afterwards talking jazz and drinking wine. They are a fab team of lovely guys, and it was a total buzz to work with them. Of course Laurence and I are reunited in New York with Wilson Torres and Matt Clohesy in under a month - dates are below - we are at Joe's Pub for 4 nights and Strathmore AMP in Maryland. And you can see the whole of The Kate show we recorded together last year now online here

http://thekate.tv/artists/barb-jungr/

The show is around an hour long. Its a wonderful thing to have been able to do and now everyone can see it all over the world! 

There's also a video from Dean Street made and edited by Simon Wallace here's the first song of the ones we are making available,





And then it was straight into Bear Hunt rehearsals, the show opens again at The Little Angel now, and is there for all to see. I am so proud of that piece of work, collaborating with such a terrific team of wonderful people brought out the best in us all, I think. There is a video of some of the show, here, and I recommend it for anyone with little kiddies.....




Then it was the concert with Simon Wallace and Davide Mantovani at The Royal College of Music and afterwards the glam gals got together for a photo, so here I am in the bar with Mari Wilson, Marilyn Lowndes, Ros, Ella and Amanda Denton, photographed by another glam gal, Carole Miles.

So here are all the upcoming dates and there's detail of course on

http://www.barbjungr.co.uk

APRIL

28th, Otterton,  Barb sings Elvis, Otterton Mill, bookings 01395 568521

29th, Newbury, NGA, Barb Jungr hosts Robb Johnson and Gentle Men with Jenny Carr on piano.

MAY

1st, London, Chansons, Barb Jungr sings Jacques Brel and more, Crazy Coqs Cabaret, Brasserie Zedel,  20 Sherwood Street, London W1F 7ED, United Kingdom, 020 7734 4888, 8pm http://www.brasseriezedel.com/crazy-coqs

5th, Warkton, Deep Roots Tall Trees celebrate the Warkton Monuments. Warkton Church, Northamptonshire.

6th, Lytham St Annes, Hard Rain: the songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, Lowther Pavilion, Lowther Terrace, Lytham Saint Annes FY8 5QQ, 
tel: 01253 794 221  boxoffice@lowtherpavilion.co.uk

13,14 New York, Barb Jungr with Laurence Hobgood performing Shelter from the Storm, Joe’s Pub, 

Joe's Pub at The Public, 425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place), New York, NY 10003, Taub Box Office: 212.967.7555 http://www.publictheater.org/en/tickets/calendar/playdetailscollection/joes-pub/2016/b/barb-jungr/?SiteTheme=JoesPub








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Sunday, 13 March 2016

Motown, Berry Gordy, Mary Wilson, Laurence Hobgood and Shelter From The Storm.

Its been a week. Preparing for the tour which starts this coming Wednesday, with the extraordinary and brilliant Grammy winning US pianist Laurence Hobgood, who has literally just flown in, Italian double bassist Davide Mantovani, percussionist Oli Savill and I playing at the following - Newbury, Bury St Edmunds, Liverpool, Maidstone, Oldham, and  with 4 nights at Soho Jazz at Pizza Express Dean Street and with 2 more dates at Portsmouth and Corby in early April. Its full on. Here is all the info in case you missed it


And we'll be playing this.....


And this

http://thekate.tv/video/kate-barb-jungr-life-marsspace-oddity/

And all the rest of the album and a couple of new songs.

So last week was a quiet week because of all the learning, but in the middle of it I was invited to the opening night of Motown The Musical by Kathryn Kirton my radio agent, and she and I sat through the show and stood at the end clapping when the most extraordinary thing happened. Berry Gordy himself came on stage and as if that wasn't enough,  he was followed by Smokey Robinson! Everyone cheered for quite a while before we all pulled our coats over our glad rags and traipsed to the party at 100 Wardour Street which was the usual first night affair with red carpet wilting in the rain and disgruntled bouncers standing about looking morose in the cold, Soho damp night air. Inside we went.  Cocktails were clutched by TOWIE look likies and various other swish first night party lovers. "I wonder if Berry Gordy will come to this?" I mused. "If he does he'll be in the VIP area" said Kathryn, knowingly. "So will we" I said and off we marched, into said area, where I found myself standing next to an absolute Goddess of a woman whom I was pretty sure I recognised. "Do you know Jim Gavin?" I asked her. "Yes" she said. "You do his Lena Horne? I just did his Peggy Lee concert" I said, "Barb?" Yes. Hi. Its Mary, isn't it"? I said, and found myself hugging a Supreme! Honestly that could easily have been enough for me. Mary Wilson? You have to be kidding me. I got excited when my old mate from Stockport, Jelly, (now sadly in the great bar in the sky) saw Diana Ross go into McDonalds on the Kings Road with her kids. And here's me, not only standing beside, but chit chatting to, a Supreme! I remember hearing "Where Did Our Love Go" the first time Tony Blackburn played it on Radio 1 in the morning as I was preparing for school in sunny Stockport. You don't forget that intro, ever. Thats one of the great pop intros of all time.

Mary Wilson and I. I'm the one looking mad with joy.
So when Berry Gordy appeared I knew I had to seize the carpe diem moment or regret it forever. Wiggling through the surrounding hordes and bouncers and protectors I managed to get in front of him and have a few minutes of conversation, and a photograph. And he couldn't have been nicer to this crazy woman politely pushing in front of him and besieging him with tales of his music in the Northwest when we were growing up in a little miserable mill town. He hugged me. I was on fire with joy.

With Berry Gordy legendary founder of Tamla Motown, in London
For anyone who grew up when I did, and that includes my great mate Mari Wilson (the other one, the one from Neasden, I've got the full set now, Mari and Mary Wilson) and for all my school friends, and musician mates of my age, Tamla was something else. To have had it as a backdrop to your teenage life, to know why Psychedelic Shack and Ball of Confusion were important, why Marvin went political and the Supremes sang Love Child.....this man brought all those great vocalists and songs to the world, to say nothing of the musicians and the arrangements and the joy of it all. And I'm aware, of course, of course I am, that in order to do that, at that time when America was still segregated and Dr King was leading the Civil rights Movement, he maybe had some problems he maybe solved his own way. And all I say to the criticisms is this. Look what he achieved, look what he gave to this world. Look what he did for African American music across the globe. This man's a legend. And for a minute, we chatted. Because I get to meet a lot of people, some pretty damn famous. But every so often you get to meet one of life's game changers, and thats a privilege beyond compare.

So, off I go now to rehearsal, and how I hope to see you at one of the upcoming shows, because here  I am working alongside some of the best musicians in the western world. Come fly with us. And have a great week.

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