Barb Jungr - Biography

Biography

Barb Jungr was born in in Rochdale, Lancashire, England. Her father was Miroslav Jungr, a Czech scientist; her mother was Ingrid Jungr, a German nurse. She grew up in Stockport, Cheshire, where she attended Stockport Convent School for Girls before gaining a BSc from Leeds University. She moved to London in the mid 1970s and became part of the early alternative cabaret circuit, performing and recording with the cult vocal harmony group The Three Courgettes after which she formed a song writing and musical partnership with Michael Parker. Together they toured, recorded and released a number of albums, worked with comedians Julian Clary (on his Channel 4 television show Sticky Moments), and Arnold Brown, supported Alexei Sayle on tour and appeared on radio and television.

After going solo in the 1990s, Jungr created the harmony shows Hell Bent Heaven Bound with Parker, Christine Collister, Ian Shaw and Helen Watson. They toured the UK and played the Edinburgh Festival and were invited to the Vancouver and Winnipeg festivals in Canada. After creating a series of shows and releasing the album Bare on Irregular Records she was invited to record for Glasgow based Linn Records, releasing Chanson: The Space In Between in 2000, centred around a series of new English translations of classic French chansons. In 2002, she released Every Grain Of Sand, an album of new arrangements of Bob Dylan’s songs, followed by Waterloo Sunset in 2003. In 2004 she recorded Love Me Tender, an album of songs recorded by Elvis Presley for release in March 2005.

In 2002 the British Council supported Jungr’s three week run at New York’s Flea Theatre. Jungr has also worked with the Amici multi disciplinary dance troupe, directed and produced the work of other artists and collaborated with composer Jonathan Cooper on his "Moon Behind The Clouds" song cycle. She was featured in Simon Armitage's millennial poem Channel 4 film, directed by Brian Hill and she created the cabaret show "Girl Talk" with Mari Wilson and Claire Martin. She appeared at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2006 and toured Australia in 2007.

Jungr was awarded a Nightlife Award in New York in 2008 for "Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist". She appears regularly in New York. In 2007 Jungr collaborated with British composer Mark Anthony Turnage, appearing with The London Sinfonietta in a commissioned piece About Water at Queen Elizabeth Hall to celebrate the reopening of The Festival Hall. Her most recent releases for Glasgow based Linn Records include Walking In The Sun, 2006 featuring guitarist Eric Bibb, and Just Like a Woman - Hymn to Nina featuring the repertoire of Nina Simone in 2008. In March 2010 NaimLabel released The Men I Love - The New American Songbook. Jungr performed a second season at the Cafe Carlyle in the Carlyle Hotel, New York in spring 2010. Jungr released a follow up to her cult Dylan album in May 2011 on Linn Records - Man In The Long Black Coat: Barb Jungr Sings Bob Dylan and will be touring the UK throughout 2011. Jungr is known for her outstanding performances and "Communicating real, heart-felt emotion is what this cabaret singer is all about."

Jungr's writing credits include contributions for Birmingham Stage Company, Corn Exchange, Newbury and the Little Angel Theatre.