Great song stylists inevitably choose great songwriters, great lyrics and great melodies, which is exactly what Barb Jungr brings to the table in her totally enthralling San Francisco debut. In The Men I Love Jungr deconstructs and tweaks familiar songs by the finest of modern American songwriters, reinterpreting and embellishing the essence into something new and fresh.

Using the original as a starting base, Jungr transforms the material using tempo shifts and vocal inflections to bring the lyric forward.  Todd Rundgren’s first love song “I Saw the Light” and the Monkees’ hit “I’m a Believer” become lush romantic odes rather than light pop hits.  Her version of The Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime”’ bridges the worlds of rock and cabaret seamlessly.  Jungr has a clear, bell-like quality to her tones and a slight warble when she extends a note, lending a dramatic emphasis to the anguish of Leonard Cohen’s masterpiece “Night Comes On,” the blue-collar economic hardship of Bruce Springsteen’s “The River” and the restless urge to escape one’s stifling hometown in Paul Simon’s “My Little Town.”

Jungr is a dramatic storyteller with a wry, charming sense of humor that creates a sublime balance and ease.  She’s a rare bird indeed—a Northwestern Brit from a small mill town advocating American pop, soul and rock music in a cabaret setting.  With minimal, exquisite piano accompaniment by collaborator Simon Wallace, Jungr painted a lovely landscape of the American musical experience.  With previous compilations of works by Dylan, Presley and Nina Simone, I eagerly anticipate her next project.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
December 7, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org