Barbara Higbie—a Grammy-nominated, Bammy award-winning pianist, composer, violinist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist—has been selected as the first Artist in Residence at Yoshi's Oakland.
“I've been a fan of Barbara for years," says Yoshi's Oakland Artistic Director Peter Williams. “She lives here in the Bay Area, she's a wonderful player, and she has done so many things. She is a natural fit for something like this. When she performed for us recently, it all came together."
Williams echoes what observers have been saying throughout the course of Barbara's multifaceted career. “Barbara Higbie always seems to be discovering a new side of her talent," Larry Kelp wrote in the Oakland Tribune. In the Los Angeles Times, Don Heckman noted that Barbara “generated energy and enthusiasm whenever she was on stage, like a jolt of bright sunlight."
“This is beyond my wildest dreams; an artistic E-ride," says Barbara. “The chance to assemble great musicians in one of the best venues in the country is a huge honor. It's also one of the most exciting things I can imagine. The power of live music still surprises me. With this series, I hope to energize the musical conversation in the Bay Area."
Inaugurating the Yoshi's Artist in Residence program, Barbara will merge her exciting vocal and instrumental gifts with those of her closest musical friends and collaborators in a series of diverse and wide-ranging concert programs.
The schedule, to date, is:
September 13—Barbara Higbie and Peppino D'Agostino
October 20—Hills to Holler with Linda Tillery and Laurie Lewis
December 15—The Women of Windham Hill, Winter Solstice Concert
January 14—Montreux Reunion with Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Todd Philips and Michael Manring
There are February and March dates (possibly more) to be announced as well.
Higbie is a Grammy-nominated, Bammy-awarded composer, pianist, vocalist, and violinist. She has recorded on over 70 CD's, co-founded the group Montreux, worked with Santana, Bonnie Raitt, and Terry Riley among others. A professional musician since age 17, Barbara spent her early years in Indiana, Ghana and Orange County, CA with sojourns in Honduras and France. She now resides in Berkeley, CA with her husband and 9-year-old daughter.
She serves on the board of the Society for the preservation of Traditional Music and as the first ever Artist in Residence at Yoshi's, Oakland.
For more information contact Michael Bloom Media Relations.
