Out chanteuse Patricia Barber is one of the most compelling jazz singers around. Her ninth ( and latest ) CD is entitled Mythologies, because it is based on Ovid's Metamorphoses—which incorporates characters from Greek mythology. ( This development became possible when Barber won a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003—the first popular songwriter to do so. )
Windy City Times conducted an e-mail interview with the Chicago-based Barber, who will appear at the Symphony Center's Buntrock Hall, 220 S. Michigan, on Sept. 16, at 7 and 9 p.m. ( Note: Seating is free and is first-come, first-served. ) She discussed issues ranging from her new CD to musical idols.
Windy City Times: In putting together this latest CD, you have said that 'art inspired art.' Could you expand upon that?
Patricia Barber: Yes. Mary Zimmerman's theatrical adaptation of Ovid's Metamorphoses inspired me to read [ him ] . I loved it; it's smart, tragic and funny. His characters are richly conceived but skeletally drawn and, so, are perfect fodder for composers and poets.
WCT: Metamorphoses is certainly an adventurous CD. Are you thinking of exploring other literary themes on future albums?
PB: I have no idea at this point what I will do on future albums. Most of the time I have stayed away from themes, but you never know.
WCT: How did you meet other members of your quartet?
PB: I met them the way musicians usually meet musicians—by recommendations from other musicians. I initially hired them as a kind of audition; then I hired them [ for real ] .
WCT: On your site, you stated ( after a recent Green Mill performance ) that 'after a set I need to get away fast.' Why do you think that is?
PB: A lot of performers need some quiet time after a set. You've just given blood and you're weak. This is compounded for me by claustrophobic tendencies and people trap you onstage by coming up and blocking your exit.
WCT: How does it feel to be in the company of past Guggenheim fellowship winners such as e.e. cummings, Kurt Vonnegut, Gwendolyn Brooks and Henry Kissinger?
PB: Wonderful. Winning a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation has solidified a confidence I had been building painstakingly. It gave me permission to continue writing the slightly odd combination of jazz/pop/contemporary classical music that I had formed. Success comes in different forms, but success is important.
WCT: Who were your musical idols growing up?
PB: I had a lot of them: Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Chick Corea, Bill Evans, Diana Ross and all the Motown stuff. Strangely, I didn't care much for the Beatles or most of the rock and roll. I've never owned a Rolling Stones recording.
WCT: What's the most surprising CD in your collection?
PB: It's perhaps the Henry Mancini collection. I want to be like Henry Mancini. Everything he touched—any form of music, and there were many—always sounded like him.
WCT: I'm interested in your opinion of shows such as American Idol. What do you think of them—and could you ever put up with a judge like Simon Cowell if you auditioned?
PB: Honestly, I've never seen American Idol. However, wouldn't it be fun to see them debating the meaning of the lyrics to [ Mythologies song ] Narcissus instead? Would they know the myth of Narcissus? Do they understand that he fell in love with his reflection? Would they care that most secondary literature calls homosexual love pejoratively 'narcissistic?'
Would they understand that I turned that nasty moral judgment on its head for this song and embraced the idea of self-love in more than one way—the exact way which remains seductively unclear. Would a song like this—sung by a woman—win? Or would they throw tomatoes or show thumbs down?
WCT: What is your favorite hangout in Chicago?
PB: There's a lovely and small outdoor French bistro called La Tache in my neighborhood. I'm freaky about outdoor cafes; all over the world, I look for them. La Tache has very few tables, but excellent wine, food and service.
WCT: To you, what is the essence of good music?
PB: The essence of good music is a combination of rhythm, harmony, melody and lyrics. I love many of the classic American songbook writers like Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Johnny Mandel and Henry Mancini. These are my idols and my abiding inspiration. Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder now rank among them, too.
In addition to the free Buntrock Hall performances, Patricia Barber plays most Monday evenings at the Green Mill, 4802 N. Broadway, when she is not on the road. Call the club to confirm she will be playing at 773-878-5552.