Patricia Barber - Clique! (2021) [DXD & Hi-Res]

Patricia Barber, the performer known for boldly blurring the lines between poetry, jazz, and art song, has released Clique! a new all-standards album in breathtaking DXD and DSD sound.

The long-awaited successor to Nightclub, her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite first all standards album, Clique! features a track list of tunes that Barber has frequently performed as encores throughout her illustrious career, including classics by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stevie Wonder, Lee Hazlewood, Lerner & Loewe, Thelonious Monk and more. Each track renders every inflection of Barber’s voice with astounding presence and clarity, perfectly complementing her nuance in ways that continue to redefine the standards of sound.

After growing an international cult following, earning the first-ever Guggenheim Fellowship awarded to a non-classical songwriter, and becoming an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Patricia Barber is back with a “silk, velvet, languid, warm” journey through music history as she “respects traditions, bends them to make her own points, and freshens them into something new,” as noted in the album liner notes by NPR’s Susan Stamberg.

These are relaxed, communal sessions. Her long-time core duo of bassist Patrick Mulcahy and drummer Jon Deitemyer ride up and down, in and out of Barber’s complex, sensitive playing and reflective singing. The support of her long-term players, along with guitarist Neal Alger and saxophonist Jim Gailloretto allow her to shine brightly while digging out striking moments for their own unique contributions. The chemistry is palpable, all-encompassing. This group’s long-developed synergy—painstakingly curated by these musicians for years—provides both a metaphor and the perfect title for her new album.

Clique! was produced by Patricia Barber and Jim Anderson and recorded at Chicago Recording Company’s Studio 5 by Grammy-winning Recording Engineer and Producer Jim Anderson in Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound DXD. The album was mixed by Anderson at Skywalker Sound and mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering. The album’s Technical Producer is Ulrike Schwarz at Anderson Audio New York. The recording was made using a Merging + Clock U, Horus Analog to Digital Converter and Pyramix Workstation software, all from Merging Technologies.

Patricia Barber says “The harmonic language of Jazz, as well as that of The Great American Songbook, is certainly rich. Look how much has come of out of it. But it’s circumscribed. I started wanting to hear something else.”

Co Producer Jim Anderson writes “To Patricia Barber fans, One of Patricia Barber’s talents loved by her audience has been not only her compositions and piano playing, but her reinterpretation of well-known standard tunes. In her new release Clique! Patricia reimagines eight classic tunes with her working trio and a couple of her favorite soloists. It is available in Stereo and 5.1 high definition DSD & DXD Surround Sound audio. Enjoy!”