Folkie finds her inner chanteuse
Performing regularly with a band has allowed Jill Barber to paint with a broader palette
She’s a sultry singer- songwriter who calls Vancouver home. Jill Barber will dazzle audiences at the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival with two shows June 30 at Granville Island’s performance works. Her latest album, Mischievous Moon, is a collection of lush and elegant songs that bring out her inner chanteuse. The Juno award nominee took some time to talk about how she’s been inspired by the French language, her love of Vancouver and what fans can expect from her performances.
Aamer Haleem: You’ve had quite the musical education while growing up — from Ella Fitzgerald to Andrew Lloyd Webber to Canadian indie rock. The jazz music is obvious, but do your other influences inform your work?
Jill Barber: Absolutely. I’m first and foremost a songwriter. So, what I love are songs. Whether they’re jazz songs or old- time country songs or indie- rock songs — it really doesn’t matter. What I seek and what I love and what inspires me are great songs. From any genre.
AH: What are your earliest memories of music?
JB: You know who was a huge inspiration to me when I was a teenager? It was Holly Cole. She was probably the first Canadian jazz artist that caught my attention. I remember I listened to her record Don’t Smoke in Bed. I would go home and crank it up after school. So, she was a huge inspiration to me. And recently I had a chance to tell her this face- to- face. So, that was pretty neat.
AH: From what I can gather, your parents aren’t musicians and yet they have two kids who are in the ’ biz. I imagine they were very supportive of you and your brother, Matthew.
JB: We had dreams and, of course, our parents encouraged us in all our dreams. However, they did so with caution. Not being musicians or artists themselves, I think they had this idea that if we were to go into music that we would become starving artists. But slowly, over time, they started to see we were able to make it work. They
came to our shows and they saw other people in the audience who weren’t our family members. This was encouraging to them. If, at first, they had reservations, they’ve done a complete switch. Now, they are the first people at all of our shows and they’re hugely supportively and they kind of enjoy watching us from the sidelines.
AH: I like how you refer to Chances as the “courtship phase” of your career. Why does it represent a turning point in your career?
JB: Prior to Chances I performed all of my songs while accompanying myself on the guitar. I think on that record, I let go a bit of the “girlwiththe- guitar … girl- singer/ songwriter” thing and I started collaborating with other musicians. It’s amazing how the guitar can act as protection on stage. And as soon as I let go of the guitar and trusted other musicians, I was able to develop into this “chanteuse.” From folksinger to chanteuse, and it allowed me to paint with a broader palette and imagine bigger songs, songs that I would hear on Ella Fitzgerald albums. So, I started to grow creatively and on the stage. Most of these songs are soundtracks
to my life. Of course, my great hope is that it can be a soundtrack for others as well.
AH: Why did you go to the south of France in service of your music?
JB: I was on the business of crossing off something off my “bucket list.” Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time is learn French. As a young Canadian girl I studied it in school,
but unfortunately I didn’t retain it and get a chance to practise it. My friends would translate my songs into French so I could perform in French. And I love singing in French. It’s a very sensual language. It’s fun for me and almost like learning a new instrument. It’s opened up a new world to me. So, I’ve invested a little amount of time in the south of France in the winter and
I’ve enrolled myself in intense language courses. And it’s been really wonderful. AH: Tell me about Tous Mes Reves. JB: It’s a song called All My Dreams from my previous record, Chances, and a friend of mine kindly translated it for me. And it’s my first song that I attempted to sing in French. I was really nervous, but I worked up the courage to do it. I had two glasses of wine and I sang [ it] to this mostly francophone audience. And even though it was full of mistakes, their reaction was so encouraging that it just ... it was actually that moment. It was a turning point for me. I was inspired by the French language again. I made a promise to them that I would record more songs in French. And I have. I continue to record in French.
AH: I know you moved out here for love, but have you fallen in love with Vancouver?
JB: Ah yes, it was a long, long courtship. Vancouver is a very attractive and complex place, and I’m just peeling back the layers. I absolutely love, love this city, love the surroundings. And I’m still discovering things about the city every day. I’m definitely falling. Absolutely, I’m embracing being a Vancouverite and hopefully it is embracing me in return. Certainly, playing in Vancouver Jazz Festival feels significant in my relationship with Vancouver.
AH: You have two shows for Jazz Fest scheduled for Saturday, June 30 at Performance Works. What can people expect from that show who haven’t seen you perform in a while?
JB: I have a band that I perform with and I’ve had this outfit for over three years now. So, they’re not hired hands. They’re my band. We’re a living organism constantly changing and playing off of each other. There’s a lot of improvising that happens among the musicians in my shows. I’ll be playing a selection from all of my records, but in terms of the energy of the show and what might happen on stage ... it’s always a surprise for me. It’s always cool to do two shows on one night. I guarantee that they will be very different shows. So the audience plays a part in how the show goes. It’s the magic of a live show.