Live: A Fortnight in France
Recorded in the spring of 2004,Live: A Fortnight in Francepresents Barber in ideal conditions, playing to responsive audiences with musicians she's toured with steadily since 2002'sVerse. It's a typical Barber program, split between her own songs--there are two new ones here, the opening "Gotcha" and "Whiteworld," with a mordant irony all their own--and covers that add fresh dimension to the familiar, like "Blue Prelude" and the languid "Call Me." There's a riveting presence to Barber's voice, an emotional directness that resonates with the playful creativity of her lyrics--"call me a doctor, or a structural engineer," she sings on "Pieces"; "your edifice is starting to crack and peel," on "Gotcha." As a pianist, Barber fuses with guitarist Neil Alger, bassist Michael Arnapol, and drummer Eric Montzka into a tight-knit band that can stretch from the dissonant "Crash" to the consummate swing of "Witchcraft."--Stuart Broomer