Barb Jungr – Chanson: The Space In Between
Released by Linn in 2000, Chanson: The Space In Between finds Barb Jungr exploring French chanson through a contemporary cabaret perspective. Recorded in London in December 1999, the album combines songs associated with Jacques Brel and other writers with intimate arrangements built around voice, piano, accordion, acoustic bass and percussion.
TRACK LIST
- LabelLinn
- CountryUK
- Release date2000
- GenreJazz
- FormatSACD-ISO 2ch & Flac 16bit/44.1kHz
Sound Quality
The recording favors intimacy and texture over a large, spectacular soundstage. Jungr’s voice should have a strong center image with enough surrounding air to reveal the room. Piano and accordion add distinctive harmonic colors, while acoustic bass provides a warm foundation. The upper midrange is especially important: too much brightness can make the voice hard, while excessive warmth can obscure the detail in her phrasing and consonants.
Audiophile Listening Experience
This album rewards close listening. Jungr changes vocal intensity constantly, moving from conversational delivery to more dramatic passages, and a transparent system should reproduce those changes without compression or exaggeration. Listen to the decay of piano notes, the texture of the accordion and the small acoustic cues around the vocal. The soundstage should remain intimate but three-dimensional, giving the music the feeling of a small room rather than a studio construction.
Reference Tracks
“Ne Me Quitte Pas” is a natural starting point for vocal presence and emotional nuance. “I Love Paris” provides a brighter tonal contrast, while “La Chanson des Vieux Amants” is useful for voice, piano and spatial depth. The title track, “The Space In Between,” is especially revealing of the album’s subtle atmosphere and low-level detail.
Audiophile Verdict
Chanson: The Space In Between is an intimate vocal recording with considerable audiophile value. Its strength lies in the believable relationship between voice, instruments and room rather than in exaggerated effects. Linn’s recording approach allows a good system to reveal vocal texture, acoustic decay and micro-dynamics while preserving the emotional directness that makes Jungr’s performance so compelling.
