One sly and sophisticated wit salutes another as singer/pianist Barber performs a 21st-century take on the Cole Porter songbook. Williams, called “the finest pianist of our time” (All About Jazz), re-imagines standards in a solo set.
Part of the appeal of jazz standards is the thrill of hearing
the familiar transformed. It takes a singular artist to reimagine
the classics: tonight’s performance is a rare chance to
see two such musicians, Patricia Barber and Jessica Williams,
tackle the Great American Songbook.
The daughter of Floyd Barber, a former Glenn Miller saxophonist,
Barber studied classical piano at the University of
Iowa before deciding to pursue a career as a jazz pianist. Adding
vocals to her arsenal when she moved to Chicago, she soon
developed a unique repertoire that mixed standards, contemporary
pop songs, and urbane originals,
Her songwriting continued to develop on her last album,
2006’s Mythologies (Blue Note), the recorded result of her work
following a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003. As on her new
Blue Note album The Cole Porter Mix, Barber will perform selections
from Porter’s songbook alongside her own new works
inspired by the witty American songwriter.
Praised by peers such as McCoy Tyner and Dave Brubeck,
Jessica Williams could rest on her laurels. But her insatiable
pianistic explorations demonstrate a boundless creative energy,
particularly when playing solo.
The Baltimore native trained at the Peabody Conservatory
before first moving to Philadelphia to study with Philly Joe
Jones. She settled in San Francisco in 1977, working as house
pianist for the famed Keystone Korner jazz club. Whether
playing with tenor saxophonist Stan Getz and drummer Tony
Williams, or leading her own group, Williams has always
matched her formidable technique with a innate understanding
of the music.
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