Barb Jungr - Walking in the Sun - The Age Green Guide

Barb Jungr is an established singer in Europe with a CV that includes a series of albums, plus a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival.  This month Jungr is in Edinburgh, performing her Bob Dylan-themed show, based on her 2004 CD, Every Grain of Sand and on September 18-19 Melburnians can hear her at Manchester Lane.  English-born of Czech and German parents, Jungr possesses a smoothly seductive contralto spanning a formidable musical range from torchy cabaret to blues, jazz and pop.  Past interpretations have included Presley, the Kinks and Jacques Brel, while this most recent effort leans towards blues-gospel from Jimmy Reed and Brownie McGhee to Dylan and the Jeff Barry-penned title number.  But as fast as you try to pigeonhole her, Jungr surprises with a sweetly original ballad such as Beautiful Life, Randy Newman's acerbic God's Song or Marc Cohen's soulful classic, Walking in Memphis.  Her backing trio, led by pianist Jenny Carr, is augmented by blues guitarist Eric Bibb on his own Heading Home.