Press Release_____                                                                     _______

BARB JUNGR               

Walking in the Sun

Linn AKD 283: Hybrid Super Audio multichannel CD

Produced by Calum Malcolm and Barb Jungr

                              

Who do You Love? • Trouble in Mind • Beautiful Life • Drink Me Up • Walking in Memphis •

Walking in the Sun • Rainy Day • Take Out Some Insurance • God Song • Blind Willie McTell •

Many Rivers to Cross • Heading Home • Way Over Yonder

 

Featuring

Barb Jungr – vocals; Jenny Carr – piano; Jessica Lauren – organ, bass piano and harmonicas;

Steve Watts – bass; Roy Dodds – percussion; Gabriella Swallow – cello; Eric Bibb – guitars;

Barb Jungr, Jenny Carr, Jessica Lauren – backing vocals

 

Linn Records is delighted to announce the release of Barb Jungr “Walking in the Sun” – a recording that heralds a new direction for one of Europe’s finest voices.

Drawing on influences from a wide range of musical traditions, Jungr sets her stunning voice at the emotional centre of powerful gospel and blues lyrics. Music lovers will appreciate material by such great writers as Jimmy Reed, Carole King and Randy Newman as well as a new song by Eric Bibb (Heading Home). The album also features some exciting new self-penned material including the positive message of Beautiful Life.

 

The past twelve months have been the most successful to date for Barb Jungr. With sell-out shows from Australia to New York, she has featured several times on BBC Television including an appearance alongside KT Tunstall, Odetta and Billy Bragg in the recent Bob Dylan Tribute concert.

Co-produced by Calum Malcolm and Barb, featured musicians include vintage keyboard and organ virtuoso Jessica Lauren and jazz pianist Jenny Carr.

Following her acclaimed, song-styled workings of Dylan, Jacques Brel and Elvis Presley this new album is a celebration of material Barb has held in her heart since she first fell in love with music. This is perhaps Barb Jungr’s strongest and most accessible outing to date with a strong message, wonderful instrumentation and plenty of groove.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARB JUNGR

With her unique vocal style, critics have compared her to Nina Simone, Peggy Lee and Edith Piaf - Village Voice (New York) declaring that “(Barb Jungr) is one of the best interpreters of Jacques Brel and Bob Dylan anywhere on this angst ridden planet today”.  Since 2000, Jungr’s releases on Linn Records have brought her to the world stage and revealed her to be one of Europe’s most exciting voices.

Rochdale-born and Stockport-bred, she combines a European heritage with an earthy northern English sensibility. Her passionate singing/song styling owes a debt to northern soul, jazz and opera - music that informed her early years.

In the late 1970s she became part of the early “alternative cabaret” circuit performing and recording with cult vocal harmony group The Three Courgettes. Subsequently she enjoyed a fruitful 12 year song-writing and musical partnership with blues guitarist and songwriter Michael Parker with whom she won a Perrier Award.  Writing and performing together they released six albums and worked extensively on tour, radio and television with, among others, Julian Clary and Alexei Sayle.

In the early 1990s Jungr created the award winning harmony shows “Hell Bent Heaven Bound”.

Her solo career began in earnest after she recorded “Durga Rising” (1997), with the Bhangra producer and percussionist Kuljit Bhamra. “Bare” was released in 1999 on Irregular Records bringing Barb to the attention of Glasgow-based Linn Records with whom she has now recorded five albums:

2000: “Chanson: The Space In Between” (Linn AKD 167) - new English translations of classic French chansons.                                                                                                 2002: “Every Grain Of Sand” (Linn AKD 230) - a widely acclaimed collection of inspired arrangements of Bob Dylan songs.                                                                                                                                                           2003: “Waterloo Sunset” (Linn AKD 222) – a collection of eclectic, modern standards on the theme of obsessive love.                                                                                                                                                         2005: “Love Me Tender” (Linn AKD 255) – art song-styled re-workings of material recorded by Elvis Presley.                                                                              2006: “Walking in the Sun” (Linn AKD 283) – powerfully sung gospel and blues in stunning new arrangements.

Her own self-penned material also features on her albums.

In 2002 she won the Backstage Award for Best International Artist and now appears regularly in New York, most recently at the 59E59 Theatre and Joe’s Pub in Manhattan. A sell-out residency at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in Australia, during summer 2006, further underlined her fast-growing global reputation as a leading song-stylist.

With singers and friends Mari Wilson and Claire Martin she co-created the sell-out cabaret show “Girl Talk” whose album (Linn AKD 279) was released and launched at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London in 2006.

In 2005/6 Jungr appeared on BBC TV performing for the Tribute to Bob Dylan Concert alongside Odetta, KT Tunstall and Billy Bragg.  In July 2006, she was featured on a BBC 1 documentary Queens of Heartache – a programme about iconic female singers.

Jungr continues to write extensively, contributing the lyrics to Birmingham Stage Company’s sellout version of The Jungle Book, her own musical, and essays and articles for various books and publications.

In 2007, she will tour the UK, return to Australia and New York and appear at The Queen Elizabeth Hall in collaboration with the composer Mark-Anthony Turnage.

Jessica Lauren

Jessica is a pianist, keyboard and harmonica player, composer and producer with a love of analog instruments and effects. A cult figure on the London scene for over a decade, she has released singles and albums in her own right for Soul Jazz Records, MELT 2000 and People Records while appearing on many nu-jazz 12”s and albums for diverse artists such as Japan's United Future Organisation and South Africa's Pops Mohamed. She was regular keyboard player for UK soul-jazz diva Juliet Roberts, Marque Gilmore's Drum FM and with many rare-groove legends such as Jean Carne, Dexter Wansel, Tom Browne and James Mason. She has worked extensively with producers including Joey Negro / The Sunburst Band, Alex Attias (Catalyst, Mustang, Beatless), Duncan Forbes (Spooky, Animated), Simone Serritella (Big Bang) and Justin Morey (Love and Salt). 

 

Jenny Carr

Classically trained, Australian pianist Jenny Carr arrived in England in 1990, playing keyboards and singing backing vocals for Jason Donovan. Since then, she has carved out a diverse career, touring and recording with many pop artists including Julia Fordham, Beverley Craven, Yazz and Billy Ocean.  She has played on three albums by country-soul singer/songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols and in 2005 she backed artists from the legendary Muscle Shoals stable. She works regularly with vocalists Victoria Newton, Rachael Calladine and Nina Ferro as well as with numerous jazz and swing bands including Blue Harlem. She first worked with Barb Jungr in 2002, when she toured the Dylan “Every Grain of Sand” show.

Barb Jungr

Live Dates

 

Friday 29th September - Newbury, The Blue Hours Cabaret, New Greenham Arts, 113 Lindenmuth Way, New Greenham Park, Newbury, Berkshire RG19 6H, 01635 522733                                                                             Sat 7th October - Sudbury, Walking in the Sun, Quay Theatre, 01787 374745 www.quaytheatre.org.uk                                                                                                         Wednesday 11th October - London, Pizza Express, 10 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1V 5RL. 020 7439 8722 events@pizzaexpress.com                                                                                                                              Friday 13th October - Gainsborough, Walking In The Sun, Trinity Arts Centre, Gainsborough, Gainsborough 01427 676655 www.west-lindsey.gov.uk                                                                                                  Saturday 14th October - London, The Vortex Jazz Bar, The Vortex, 11 Gillett Street, London N16, 020 7254 4097                                                                                                                                                           Friday 20th October - Newbury, Walking in the Sun, The Blue Hours Cabaret, New Greenham Arts, 113 Lindenmuth Way, New Greenham Park, Newbury, Berkshire RG19 6H, 01635 522733                                    Thursday 26th October - Croydon, Walking in the Sun, The Clocktower Arts Centre, 020 8253 1030 www.croydon.gov.uk.                                                                                                                                          Tuesday 31st October - Brighton, Walking in the Sun, Komedia, Gardner Street, Brighton, 01273 647100, www.komedia.co.uk                                                                                                                                    Friday 17th November - St Albans, Walking in the Sun, The Maltings, St Albans 01727 844222, www.stalbans.gov.uk                                                                                                                                     Saturday 18th November - Newbury, The Blue Hours Cabaret, New Greenham Arts. 

Thursday 23rd – Saturday 25th November - London, Walking in the Sun LAUNCH,

Ronnie Scotts, 47 Frith Street, London W1D 4HT, 020 7439 0747 www.ronniescotts.co.uk

Sunday 3rd December - London, 606 Jazz Club, Lots Road, Chelsea, 0207 352 5953                                                                                                        Sunday 10th December - Devon, Walking in the Sun, The Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington 01805 624624 www.plough-arts.org.

Also: Monday 15th – Saturday 20th January – London, Barb Jungr and Ian Shaw’s New York Stories, Pizza on the Park, Knightsbridge, 020 7235 5273

Thursday 25th – Saturday 27th  January and Monday 1st – Saturday 3rd  February – New York, The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22

Friday 9th February – London, Walking in the Sun, The Purcell Rooms, Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre    

 

 

                                                                                                                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barb Jungr

Press Coverage and Quotes

 

 

The kind of voice that many more should get around to hearing.

Fred Dellar -  MOJO

(“Love Me Tender”) A must-have. ****
Marcus Dunk, The Daily Express

With Jungr's pure, quirky, powerful voice to guide you, you'll find a depth in these songs never previously imagined.
Kerstan Mackness, Time Out

If you've ever wondered how an artist can transform your view of a song, catch Jungr in concert.
David Benedict , Bloomberg News

One of Europe's most intriguing and intelligent interpreters of the contemporary song.
Jazz at Ronnie Scott's

Barb Jungr is widely regarded as Britain’s most gifted song stylist…she leaves the listener hanging pensively on her every utterance.
HMV Choice

An art-song sensibility tinged with cultured R&B. ****Clive Davis, Sunday Times

Every show she presents is an impromptu journey into the unknown. Jungr could teach Madonna a thing or two about how to convey sensuality through words alone. Clive Davis, The Times

Another exquisite, at times astonishing, album from Miss Jungr.

****1/2 Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide

 

Jungr is obviously a star and had me weeping by the time she delved into the regrets of Always On My Mind. Her linking chat, which verges on stand-up is disconcertingly honest, local and funny.  

Jan Fairley – The Scotsman

a voice that can shake the rafters or make one lean forward to catch every note. She's joyful, ironic, contemplative.
New York Theatre Wire

Dylan's music is great - Barb Jungr frankly makes it greater.
www. blazemedia.com - Australia