Patricia Barber's 1994 audiophile classic "Cafe Blue" is available for the first time un-mastered, Capitol Studios remix. SACD hybrid that will play on all SACD and CD players

CAFE BLUE

Barber's hushed, sensuous version of Bye Bye Blackbird hasn't been bettered since Miles Davis. - Time "Barber's art is the kind of art we should be on the lookout for." - New York Times "Top 5 Female Vocalists." - Jazz Times

Patricia Barber proves that it's possible in the late 90s to be smart, seductive and swinging - all at the same time. - Denver Post

In our first full collaboration with jazz royalty Patricia Barber, Impex Records is thrilled to announce our premier multichannel audio SACD/Hybrid disc of her elegant new album Higher. Recorded and mixed by long-time collaborator Jim Anderson, this spectacular set contains a unique eight jazz-interpreted art-song cycle that explore the mysteries that bind and illuminate us. Barber says of her six year creation of Higher, "I feel very much that this album is a manifestation of my hard-won harmonic evolution." She continues her blending of classical and modern idioms, both musical and lyrical, into a hybrid that plays to the best of both: classically-oriented with room to improvise and expand. The Impex Records exclusive SACD version contains four additional tracks: jazz standards "Early Autumn", "Secret Love" and "In Your Own Sweet Way", along with an expanded version of "The Opera Song" featuring lyric soprano Katherine Werbiansky. Both 5.1 and 2.0 SACD layers were transferred directly to DSD from original DXD (352.8kHz / 32 bit) files for astonishing reproduction of every living note and subtle expression in this truly seminal work by one of America's finest jazz auteurs. Multi-Channel & Stereo SACD

Patricia Barber's 6th studio album is a fascinating collection of classic cover songs shaped by her inimitable downtempo intimacy into startlingly affective journeys through the human condition. Working with her band of the time (bassist Michael Arnopol and drummer Adam Cruz, augmented by star turns from guitarist Charlie Hunter, bassist Marc Johnson, and drummer Adam Nussbaum), Barber creates an atmosphere of austere trepidation that allows her long-time engineer Jim Anderson to hang her haunted vocals directly over top. Like all great jazz albums, Nightclub puts the highlighted artist front and center while carving out plenty of space for the supporting players to give emphatic support. Impex's 1STEP process provides the perfect showcase for Anderson's peerless audio immersions. Nightclub was originally digitally recorded on a Sony 3348 multi-track and mixed through a Neve analog console to both digital and analog mix-down masters. Bernie Grundman used the analog mix-down tapes to assemble a new analog cutting master exclusively for our 1STEP. Coupled with the incredibly detailed VR-900 vinyl formula, there is instrument detailing to spare, a Mariana Trench noise floor, and incredibly-focused low end. There is simply no better way to enjoy Barber's cool renditions of timeless classics than this one (including the exclusive, never-before-released bonus track "Wild Is the Wind"). Limited to 7,500 pressings, so preorder now before this Club closes for good.

For our first all-new 24K Gold CD releases in eight years, we worked with jazz icon Patricia Barber and Premonition Records to bring you three classics from her catalog: CAFE BLUE, COMPANION, and NIGHTCLUB. Each has been newly remastered from the original analog tapes (CAFE BLUE by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, COMPANION and NIGHTCLUB by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering). They feature our deluxe book-style packaging with booklets that pay homage to the original CDs while updating them to Impex Records' look and feel. The Limited Edition Impex 24K Gold CD Patricia Barber Series are manufactured at Memory-Tech's state-of-the-art facility in Japan.

Impex 1STEP celebrates Patricia Barber's 1999 "return" to The Green Mill, Chicago's fabled jazz club. Conceived as a "companion" to her Grammy-winning studio album Modern Cool, Companion finds Barber and her touring band in inspired form, playfully and energetically performing hits and deep tracks from her celebrated oeuvre. The dynamic interaction between the artist and her reverent audience adds a palpable sense of space and community. At the same time, the fans' hushed attention creates a studio-like sense of precision and detail. The snap and crackle of Barber, her grand piano, and her onstage partners practically leaps off the groove into your listening room! Companion's fan-favorite reputation is enhanced immeasurably by Jim Anderson's jaw-dropping, lifelike recording. Eschewing the crystalline sterility of digital recordings of the time, Anderson's sound is always warm, natural, and lacking unforced "hype." Like Anderson, Impex aims to present great recordings that are as natural as possible. And we couldn't wait to put our favorite Patricia Barber release, using Jim's analog mix-down master tapes, on 180 grams of VR900 Super Vinyl. The deep, inky black backgrounds and absence of surface noise will pull listeners right into those three evenings in 1999, capturing a seminal modern jazz artist at a creative and professional peak and reveling in a perfectly rendered and joyous audio time capsule. Finally, our deluxe Impex Treatment packages the whole party with a lovely outer slipcase, a booklet containing a new note from Patricia, and a dazzling array of photographs from the evenings by frequent Barber collaborator Valerie Booth, exclusive to our 1STEP. Heavy paper stock with spot gloss coating and a faithfully recreated exterior design will satisfy original fans and aesthetes throughout the music-loving world. 2-LP 180 gram, 45 RPM, Limited Edition of 5,000

Patricia Barber, the performer known for boldly blurring the lines between poetry, jazz, and art song, has announced the forthcoming release of a new all-standards album, Clique, due out August 2021 in breathtaking hi-fi. The long-awaited successor to Nightclub, her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite first all-standards album, Clique features a tracklist of tunes that Barber has frequently performed as encores throughout her illustrious career, including classics by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stevie Wonder, Lee Hazlewood, Lerner & Loewe, Thelonious Monk and more. These are relaxed, communal sessions. Her long-time core duo of bassist Patrick Mulcahy and drummer Jon Deitemyer ride up and down, in and out of Barber's complex, sensitive playing and reflective singing. The support of her long-term players, along with guitarist Neal Alger and saxophonist Jim Gailloreto allow 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. Audiophile 180g 33rpm Vinyl LP! Recorded & Mixed by Jim Anderson in DXD Ultra-High Resolution! Mastered by Bob Ludwig & Lacquers Cut by Scott Hull at Masterdisk! Pressed at RTI!

For our first all-new 24K Gold CD releases in eight years, we worked with jazz icon Patricia Barber and Premonition Records to bring you three classics from her catalog: CAFE BLUE, COMPANION, and NIGHTCLUB. Each has been newly remastered from the original analog tapes (CAFE BLUE by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, COMPANION and NIGHTCLUB by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering). They feature our deluxe book-style packaging with booklets that pay homage to the original CDs while updating them to Impex Records' look and feel. The Limited Edition Impex 24K Gold CD Patricia Barber Series are manufactured at Memory-Tech's state-of-the-art facility in Japan.

Patricia Barber's Modern Cool brought her mainstream success, propelled by her classic version of the Doors' "Light My Fire." Touring for this album, Barber played selections from it during a four-night stand at The Jazz Standard in New York. There she was heard by Bruce Lundvall of Blue Note Records, which led to a string of popular Barber recordings for both Premonition and Blue Note, worldwide touring and the unapologetic critical acclaim from which Barber never looked back. It quickly became an audiophile classic through Jim Anderson's stunningly-detailed naturalistic recording. The deluxe new package updates the stylish original design with a booklet and includes new notes from Jim Anderson and many exclusive session and tour photos from Barber photographer Valerie Booth. For a perfectly immersive experience, the 5.1 SACD layer features the same Grammy-winning surround mix master, plus a Bernie Grundman stereo remaster using Jim Anderson's original analog stereo mix master in both full-DSD and CD format.

Rec. In London, great neo-Dixie 1966-92.

There is only one way to enhance one's performance and that is to practice until there is a level of confidence in act, and pride in the outcomes. Guitarist and composer Diego Barber seeks new challenges relentlessly. His pursuit of excellence in all his endeavors has led him to the extreme heights of classical guitar technique, contemporary composition and long-distance running, all of these requiring grueling regimens of focused study. // For his new recording, Drago, Barber departs from his recent focus on blending contemporary classical music and jazz to focus on electronic music, utilizing elements from both the classical and dancefloor models. A two-year long study of Logic music programming has led the fleet fingered string specialist to eschew the guitar for the most part to focus on composing pieces in a new and highly personal way. // The incredible music on Diego Barber's Drago is a departure from his typical output but it also shows the development of an artist who accepts musical challenges and finds exhilaration in chasing the unknown.

2017 release. Barber's work utilizes his dual affinities for classical music and jazz. Having come from a strict classical guitar background, Barber's jazz playing has really blossomed since moving to New York. His composing bears witness to passions, as he writes in a classical style with jazz elements, creating a poetic blend of highly composed lyrical pieces that open up for the expressionism of jazz improvisation. For One Minute Later, Barber recruited an incredible rhythm section in bassist Ben Williams and drummer Eric Harland. Both musicians are incredible technicians and fantastic accompanists. Harland has made a name for himself as one of the most exciting and expressive drummers in jazz, while Williams has become a force because of his ultra clean tone and incredible groove. It was Barber's discovery of wunderkind percussionist Alejandro Coello that drove Barber to make this recording. Barber was introduced to Coello by friend and virtuoso classical guitarist Ricardo Gall�n. Barber was astounded by the proficiency of the 25 year old from Salamanca, who had just begun to teach at Hochschule f�r Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar, Germany (the youngest person to have done so).

TALES

CHOICE

This recording consists of three of my early compositions produced at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford University. The first two of them, especially "Dreamsong", became very well-known and influential in the filed of electroacoustic music and have received many honors. In those early days of computer music my colleagues and I were pioneering the development and use of many of the techniques of digital synthesis, recording, and sound processing that are now commonplace. Due to the almost fanatical emphasis on sound quality that was then a part of the CCRMA atmosphere, these works continue to stand on a par with the best that current instruments can produce. I hope that you will experience some of the excitement and inspiration that I felt in bringing this unusual music to life. (Michael McNabb)

Classical Music