Happy New Year, 2026! It was an amazingly busy year being in New York and also playing a lot in Ohio with Jack Schantz and His Jazz Unit;  Featuring ME! It’s an octet with players from The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra with whom I’ve played many times. The musicians include my beloved pianist Rock Wehrmann and good friend Bassist Aidan Plank. I’m also singing with a Big band called The Northcoast Big Band in Northeast Ohio. We play at WW2 reenactments and rehearse at my childhood church. It’s a band filled with NE Ohio musicians, who are just lovely to me, and it is so much fun to have another big band to work with. In December of 2025 I was at The Red Dot Art Fair at Art Basel, Miami, with The George Billis Gallery.  In 2025, I played a few times at Spike Wilner’s perfect jazz club, Mezzrow, and will again in January of 2026. In New York I can be found with my buddy, Jon Davis on piano or my dear old friend Ray Macchiarolla on guitar, at many different venues. I’ve also been playing with guitarist Glenn Crytzer, and his New Yorkers.  It’s a wonderful 1930s group with incredible musicians. I will continue to tour with The Harry James Orchestra, which is the most fortunate gig a vocalist could ever have. So stay tuned for more performances and art. Thank you for your support and interest. Oops and I just discovered this cool article about me and my paintings! https://syncopatedtimes.com/barbara-rosene-a-portait-of-the-musician-as-an-artist/

And this Cool Cleveland article from 2024: https://coolcleveland.com/2024/03/jack-schantz-jazz-unit-singer-barbara-rosene-do-the-great-american-songbook-at-bop-stop/

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Barbara brings so much deeply-felt music to a record date that it’s a wonder it can all be captured on a little silver disc.  But it can.  She has a beautiful voice, an understated delivery, and a fine dramatic sense, which enables her to bring more out of a song than the lyrics and notes would suggest.  When the material requires it, she can be warmly affectionate, coy, witty, low-down, heartbreakingly wistful, and a thousand shadings in between.  Unlike some singers who attempt to go boldly back into the past, Barbara doesn’t approach her songs at an ironic distance.  Rather, she has worked hard to become one with her material.  Every song she chooses has an emotional connection to her life, and each one becomes a finely-crafted playlet.

Barbara’s romantic hopefulness is balanced by a clear-eyed view of modern life, so IF YOU WANT THE RAINBOW is a statement of belief to her.  She can also enact deep sadness without overacting.  When she begins, the room becomes quiet, as audiences feel the deep yearning she creates.  To me, her understanding of musical pathos is as deep as Connee Boswell’s — and I do not write those words casually.

Listen to Barbara interviewed by Judy Carmichael on NPR’s Jazz Inspired program.

• Listen to Part 1
• Listen to Part 2
• Listen to Part 3

It’s 2026 and here is what is going on!

Barbara Rosene continues her long term association with The Harry James Orchestra,led by Fred Radke. Together, they have performed all over America and Canada including The Montreal Jazz Festival, which is happening again in 2027.  Barbara also works with the wonderful pianists Conal Fowkes, Jon Davis, Theron Brown, Rock Wehrmann, guitar masters James Chirillo, John Merrill, and Ray Macchiarola, legendary violinist Andy Stein and many other world class musicians regularly.

2026 will bring more performances at the much revered Mezzrow Jazz Club in NYC, and at the fabulous club BLU Jazz in Akron, Ohio.  2026 continues a collaboration with Jack Schantz and His Jazz Unit in North East Ohio, and with guitarist Glenn Crytzer’s great group in NYC.

Barbara’s painting career will be took her to Miami for Art Basel, in December 2025  with her New York Gallery; George Billis. Barbara is still in plans with her long time friend and mentor, Vince Giordano for a special recording. Stay tuned for details about all performances, and Art events.

Thank you for caring and for supporting all of Barbara’s art forms.