2. Rock’n
Jazz
a
t the center of rock music lies
the use of heavy electric guitar
chords. Lyrically though, like
pop, rock often gravitates towards
themes of romantic love and,
similar to the protest songs associated with
American folk, has been used as a vehicle
of social, cultural and/or political activism;
challenging the status quo. Both are evident
in Barber’s work. “I am certainly aware of
what a guitar can do, for example, the use of
distortion to capture rebellion and violence”,
which was prevalent in rock music in Barber’s
earlier years. “The influence of the rock
music of those days has carried through and
is reflected in my musical style. In Too Rich
for My Blood (“Café Bleu”, Blue Note), during
the phrase ‘I can’t find guitars that scream
like you,’ the wailing guitar is used to express
that pain”. The guitar, for Barber, is the
fundamental expression of those emotions
in her approach to jazz. “As a jazz vocalist,
I need an instrument that can delineate
harmony for me. I like to take my hands off
the piano, so it’s very common for a pianist/
singer to have a guitarist.”
Who has influenced Patricia Barber? Crash
Test Dummies (a folk rock/alternative rock
band), Heart (hard rock), Morphine (a rock
group which combines Blues and jazz), Poi
Dog Pondering (an alternative rock/acoustic
Patricia Barber’s shrieking, wailing,
yelling, spectrum use of guitar
distortion, lyrical depth and even
being banned are all identifiable
elements of rock and are subtly or
overtly recognized throughout her
work. Barber is not a rock fanatic,
although she believes, “we are
all a product of our time no matter
how marginal our choices may be,
the time period seeps into us.” This,
Patricia believes, partly explains the
rock edge to much of her music.
3. folk band), and of course Joni Mitchell,
whom she highlights, as having “the biggest
and most obvious influence”. Many of
Barber’s songs sound like hers intentionally,
a homage to Mitchell’s style, including the
way she uses her band. Her use of written
jazz harmonies; sometimes in unusual
meters 5, 4, 7, 8 could be seen as reflection
of Mitchell’s musical persona. As Barber
states “at the time Mitchell recorded her
influential songs, no other prominent
artist was using irregular meters. It was all
4/4 or 3/3… Joni was very sophisticated
musically.” Surprisingly, Barber has
never been to a rock concert. As a singer/
songwriter she digs pop, but loves Motown.
“I was definitely into Diana Ross, Marvin
Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson.
I’ve been described as grabbing for the brass
ring, an ecstatic kind of thing, similar to
when you hear Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder.
There’s an ‘everything is great’ sound,
which I sometimes go for”.
Barber takes inspirational from such musical
leaders as Stevie Wonder for his actual
harmonic writing, Sting for his ballad-
writing , Seal for his sophisticated pop
songs in odd meters and of course Michael
Jackson (“King of Pop”) who has so many
elements of a jazz musician. “The way he
breathes, the way you can hear it, the way
he articulates the phrasing with
the breath, everything.”
Barber’s envelope pushing songwriting has
seen backlash. At one time, Clear Channel
considered her music “too liberal,” and for
the Indianapolis Jazz Festival; which
they sponsored removed her from the
festival program. Barber continues to
challenge and question the actions of
the establishment through her jazz. As
Patricia continues to explore, integrate
and layer her signature intellectualism and
sophistication to her music, the influences
of rock (and pop) allows her to creatively
stretch each project with her unique
identifiable sound and quintessential edge.
Rock
was not
something i
went out to
buy, it was
eveRy wheRe
