I first saw Barb Jungr perform on the Edinburgh Fringe some eight or nine years ago and I remember thinking at the time, "good voice but mundane patter" – hearing about her experiences with her hairdresser didn’t match the vocal quality. And hearing her again – "We’ve been to a very good Mauritian restaurant round the corner – so we’re all farting" – nothing has changed.

Barb was singing songs from her latest CD [Linn Records AKD309], Just Like A Woman (Hymn to Nina), her tribute to the late Nina Simone. In two sets, she sang all 11 tracks from the CD plus eight others. They included "Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood," "The Times They Are A-Changin’," "Black Is The Colour," "Feeling Good," as well as the title song, all sung with feeling and competently backed by Jenny Carr (piano) & Jessica Laurent (a variety of instruments including mbira, mellotron & electronic tanpura).

Her audience applauded each song enthusiastically but her pronouncements in between didn’t arouse them. Why couldn’t Barb have told us something about Nina’s tempestuous life, for example? Or she could have focused on the instruments Jessica was playing – what’s an mbira or tanpura? – or some comments on Bob Dylan, whose compositions she was featuring. Barb tours most months of the year and clearly takes care of her voice, which is vibrant, clear and expressive. If only she would just raise the bar(b) on the patter.

Jack Jaffe
Cabaret Scenes
April 20, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org