Barb Jungr – Every Grain of Sand – Jazz Review

I'm not sure who among JR's readers this will appeal to. The material (Bob Dylan classics) means it has little to do with jazz. Yet the cabaret-style treatment of the great man's tunes will be anathema to fans of His Bobness. Sure, Barb has a deliciously expressive voice – think theatre song – that would work well with a composer such as Weill. She projects the lyric, has great diction and a polished tone.

But applying such a refined technique to surreal folk rock that is indelibly associated with a uniquely rasping voice is a mistake. As when Dame Kiri Te Kanawa does Gershwin, you are left wondering who has come off the worst. It is easy to imagine (if like me you haven't had the pleasure) that Barb puts on a fine live show. She has been on the UK circuit since the 70s. She clearly knows her way around the charts too, as Simon Wallace's and JohnTomalin's arrangements, incorporating a pocket string section, do have some unexpected twists. But, again, what's the point in pepping up a masterclass in melancholy like "Tangled Up In Blue" so that it comes out like a sea shanty?