Barb Jungr’s voice has established her as a superlative interpreter....

Barb Jungr Biography

Barb Jungr’s voice has established her as a superlative interpreter of the great song-books” Independent Aug 2009

With rave reviews internationally and two New York awards (2008 Nightlife Award for Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist and Best International Artist 2003 Backstage Award), Barb Jungr is renowned for her extraordinary song stylings – combining her unique vocals with radical, minimal arrangements and interpretations. Her acclaimed recordings and live performances have brought her to the world stage and revealed her to be one of Europe's most exciting singers.

Photography By Steve Ullathorne - June 2009

A feature about her work in the New York Times heralded her return to Manhattan in autumn 2008. Stellar reviews led to a three-week season in March 2009 at New York’s most prestigious of supper clubs, The Café Carlyle, where she blew the town apart with songs by Cohen, Dylan, Byrne and Eno, Diamond and Simon. With her collaborator Simon Wallace, Barb recorded this collection, ‘The Men I Love,’ for a Naim Label release in February 2010.

Critics have compared Jungr to Nina Simone and Peggy Lee. She has been called "a British Edith Piaf" and "one of the best interpreters of Jacques Brel and Bob Dylan anywhere on this angst ridden planet today" (Village Voice, New York); “mesmerizing” and “sensational” (The New York Times); and “one of the very best nightclub singers in the world”(Time Out New York). In 2009 Barb brought a collection of anti-war songs to The South Bank as part of the International Voices series. She toured the UK with a collection of Bob Dylan songs that spring, and returned to The South Bank to premier ‘The Men I Love’ in November. In December she appeared in the Festival Hall’s Christmas extravaganza.

In 2008 Jungr released ‘Just Like A Woman – Hymn to Nina’, her 6th CD for Glasgow-based Linn Records. A celebration of Nina Simone’s repertoire, it launched with a sellout season at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club before touring the UK. In 2007 Barb toured the UK, Australia and Ireland, and performed in the USA. She collaborated with the acclaimed contemporary classical composer Mark Anthony Turnage, performing his composition 'About Water' with The London Sinfonietta for the reopening of the The South Bank. Later in that year came sellout concerts at the Almeida Theatre in Islington and The Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh.

Barb Jungr was born and raised in the northwest of England, moving to London in the mid 1970’s to become part of the early alternative cabaret circuit, performing and recording with the cult vocal harmony group The Three Courgettes. She formed a 12-year songwriting and musical partnership with the blues guitarist Michael Parker. Jungr and Parker played all over the world, recording and releasing a number of albums and touring and collaborating with comedians Julian Clary and Arnold Brown (with whom they won a Perrier Award), supporting Alexei Sayle on two national tours, and appearing on radio and television.

In the early 1990’s Jungr created the harmony shows 'Hell Bent Heaven Bound' with Parker, Christine Collister, Ian Shaw and Helen Watson. In 1995 she recorded the CD 'Durga Rising' with Bhangra producer and percussionist Kuljit Bhamra and pianist Russell Churney.

After creating a series of shows and releasing the album ‘Bare’ on Irregular records in 1999, she was invited to record for Glasgow-based Linn Records, releasing a collection of largely new English translations of classic French songs, 'Chanson: The Space In Between' in 2000. She followed up with 'Every Grain Of Sand', her highly acclaimed album of new arrangements of Bob Dylan’s songs, in 2002, and 'Waterloo Sunset' in 2003. In 2005 she released 'Love Me Tender', an album of songs previously recorded by Elvis Presley. 'Walking In The Sun', Jungr’s interpretations of blues and gospel songs, was released in 2006 and launched at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club.

In addition to her solo recordings, performances and tours, Jungr has worked with the Amici multidisciplinary dance troupe, directed and produced the work of other artists and collaborated with composers including Jonathan Cooper. She was featured in the Channel 4 film of Simon Armitage’s millennial poem, directed by Brian Hill (for whom she also worked on the Bafta winning prison docu-musical ‘Feltham Sings’ and the Sundance screened ‘Songbirds’). With her friends, top British singers Mari Wilson and Claire Martin, she created the hugely popular cabaret show ‘Girl Talk’ which toured the UK for 10years and was recorded by Linn Records.

In autumn 2005 Barb appeared alongside Billy Bragg, Odetta and K.T. Tunstall as part of a Tribute to Bob Dylan at The Barbican in London. The concert was filmed and shown on BBC national television. In 2006 Girl Talk appeared at the Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of EuroPride and Barb appeared at The Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June with a sellout run of her Bob Dylan repertoire, followed by a season in New York in the Brits Off Broadway festival with her Elvis Presley tribute, 'Love Me Tender'.

Barb Jungr is a respected lyricist, writer and songwriter for a number of productions and producers including The Birmingham Stage Company and the Newbury Corn Exchange. Currently she is developing a children’s musical with The Little Angel Puppet Theatre which will open in May 2010. In collaboration with composer Jonathan Cooper she is writing the book and lyrics celebrating the circus star ‘Mabel Stark – Tiger Tamer’ (commissioned by Greenwich Theatre and now Royal and Derngate Theatres Northampton).

Program
6 mar 2010 20:45 New York - The Cafe Carlyle - River - Accompanied by Simion Wallace New York, New York
6 mar 2010 22:45 New York - The Cafe Carlyle - River - Accompanied by Simon Wallace New York, New York
27 mar 2010 19:30 London - Pizza Express Jazz Club - 2 shows with Simon Wallace on piano London, London and South East
9 abr 2010 19:30 Newbury - New Greenham Arts - The Men I Love with Simon Wallace on piano Newbury
13 abr 2010 19:30 Margate - Harbour Cafe - The Men I Love, with Simon Wallace on piano Margate, London and South East
24 abr 2010 19:30 Wiltshire - Grittleton Village Hall, with Jenny Carr on piano. Wiltshire
25 abr 2010 19:30 London - 606 Jazz Club - with Simon Wallace on piano London, London and South East
1 mai 2010 19:30 London - The Vortex Jazz Bar - with Simon Wallace on piano London, London and South East
7 mai 2010 19:30 Edmonton - Millfield Theatre - The Men I Love - with Simon Wallace on piano London, London and South East
9 mai 2010 19:30 Wiltshire - Seend Community Centre, with Jenny Carr on piano Wiltshire