Jill Barber Shares Classic, Multilingual Songbook at the Arden

“It's a kind of mysterious quality, what makes a song timeless,” Jill Barber says. “It's something I've always chased, and I think it's the ultimate test of time when it comes to music: can it transcend generations? Can it transcend styles and still be as alive as it was when it was first written?”

Barber’s songs don’t glance at the clock: her music dances through eras and styles, from jazz to pop to folk, all while evoking an imperishable quality regardless of the sound. Or the language: Encore!, Barber’s most recent release, is the second album of french-language covers she’s crafted.

Not that she ever thought her career would carry into both official languages, but a brief moment of singing in French for a Montreal Jazz Fest crowd sparked unusual resonance. Barber started earnestly learning the language, and eventually released her first French cover album, Chansons, in 2013, to international acclaim.

“To use a French expression, it was my coup de cœur—it was a little part of my heart to sing in French.  It made me happy,” she says. “It took me to another place … And then what I started to find is that when I sing in French, other people also might also have that experience, where they can be transported to another time and place … The more I did it, the more I discovered new audiences internationally through my French music.

“For an anglophone from Mississauga, I'm still shocked and delighted by the fact that I’m becoming more known for singing in French,” Barber continues. “It's weird and it's wonderful. I love it. So I'm kind of leaning into that.”

Now Barber works in both languages, while still exploring styles: her last English album, 2023’s Homemaker, was a beautiful, gold-tinged collection of folk. Her showcase at the Arden will pull from across her catalogue, with Barber and her band playing a multilingual set of songs for the crowd.

And that, more than anything, is the time Barber likes to occupy herself with: the moments spent in direct connection with her audience.

“It's how I find meaning,” Barber says. “I'm not even afraid to say that anymore … this is what I do. Writing songs, playing them for other people, and then hoping that they hit someone else in a way that I can feel connected to that person, and they can feel connected to me. That's what I'm constantly seeking—this feeling that I'm not alone. That's what I think all of us ultimately are seeking. And live music is a really powerful way to feel less alone.”

Article written by: Paul Blinov

Jill Barber will play the Arden on November 9th. Tickets are available at https://stalbert.ca/exp/arden/

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