Patricia Barber - Clique! 180gram VINYL

Side A:

1. This Town
2. Trouble Is a Man
3. Mashup
4. Samba de Una Nota Só (One Note Samba)
5. I Could Have Danced All Night

Side B:

1. The In Crowd
2. Shall We Dance?
3. Straight No Chaser
4. All In Love Is Fair

Similar in concept to her earlier classic NIGHTCLUB, CLIQUE! gives Patricia and her long-time band (Jon Deitemyer, drums; Patrick Mulcahy, bass; Neal Alger, guitar; Jim Gailloreto, tenor sax) a stellar showcase for their telepathic musical communication and consummate jazz chops. Barber said of recording an all-standards album:

"The harmonic language of jazz, as well as that of the Great American Songbook, is certainly rich - look how much has come out of it - but it's circumscribed. I started wanting to hear something else."

These are relaxed, communal sessions. Her core trio ride up and down, in and out of Barber's complex, sensitive playing and singing. Their support allows 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.

Impex Records, Patricia Barber, and Jim Anderson invite you to experience the music, revel in the mastery, and join the Clique!

The HQ180 pressing of Patricia Barber's Clique! is a shining example of what can happen when seemingly divergent technologies (that some feel are completely at odds with each other) come together to produce results that are supremely musical. And isn't listening to great music what it's all about, anyway? Patricia Barber's Clique! is a superb album of sometimes offbeat but always inspired performances that demand to be heard, and if you're into analog, you can't go wrong with this outstanding LP. Congrats to Abey Fonn and everyone involved at Impex Records for yet another reference quality album. Very highly recommended!

These time-honored songs, lovingly curated, arranged, and performed by pianist/vocalist Patricia Barber and her band, are at last seeing the light of day when the world needs them more than ever. Pristinely recorded, Clique! assembles what began as encores to live performances into an experience all its own.

Patricia Barber - piano, vocal, table knives on strings
Michael Arnopol - bass
John McLean - guitar
Mark Walker - drums, percussion, prepared drum kit, tin can-o-phone
Dave Douglas - trumpet
Jeff Stitely - udu ("Constantinople")
Choral Thunder Vocal Choir ("Love Put On Your Faces")

(Premonition Records - 1998 / 2024 Impex Records)

Recorded and mixed at
Chicago Recording Company
Studio 5, Chicago, IL on
January 6th-9th and February 26th, 1998

Produced By Patricia Barber
Executive Producer: Michael Friedman