Barb Jungr - Man in the Long Black Coat - Liverpool Echo

A FEW weeks ago a CD landed on my desk that I just couldn't stop playing - Man In The Long Black Coat, Barb's new album celebrating the 70th birthday of Bob Dylan.

Dubbed ‘The British Edith Piaf', Rochdale-born Jungr has a fabulously unique vocal style.

She is a brilliant interpreter of contemporary songs, in particular Dylan and she plays to packed houses in New York.

Now, Barb has announced she'll be bringing her Bob Dylan show to the The Rodewald Suite at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall for two nights on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1.

"I've performed in Liverpool a few times over recent years, and the audiences are great," she says. "Maybe it's because I come from the north west myself, and there's something about the humour, and the friendliness. You don't find that anywhere else in the world. Not like in the north west. You can take the girl out of Rochdale but you can't take Rochdale out of the girl!"

After Eight is the Phil's popular series of select roots, jazz and unplugged gigs in the Rodewald Suite.

It has informal cabaret seating, a bar, rooftop terrace and the opportunity to meet the artists and other guests after the performance.

"The Rodewald suite is fabulous," says Barb.

"There's a superb piano, it makes my musicians happy and they love playing. The sound is great there and you're really nicely looked after so it makes the whole process of performing and singing there an absolute joy."

Barb worked with comedians and performers on the alternative cabaret circuit, including Julian Clary, Alexei Sayle and Arnold Brown.

"I first played in Liverpool as The Three Courgettes, years ago, at a festival thing, and met one of my best friends there who's still my friend now - the legendary Jane Buchanan, now resident in New York," she says. "And Russell Churney, my old songwriting partner, and co-Julian Clary musician, came from Liverpool. So I feel I have some small roots there.

"I've been singing Bob Dylan's songs now for 12 years or so, and I will never ever tire of singing them. I find new ones I love all the time. There's something about the songs, they're on fire, and they grow and change, so they're different every night.

"Recently a lot of people have been coming along to hear me sing the Dylan songs, and they queue up afterwards to suggest other ones I could sing - which is really, really lovely of them. People are bl***y wonderful, I think."