Biography
Born Anna-Ottilie Patterson on 31 January 1932 in Comber, Co. Down, Northern Ireland, she forged her strongest public identity through an extended partnership with Chris Barber—her husband at the time—spanning the 1950s and 1960s. Alongside Barber she performed jazz and blues, yet she had also mastered the folk repertoire. Beyond those commercial idioms she set poetry to original music. Ill health forced an extended withdrawal from performing, after which she reappeared on stage to the great pleasure of longstanding listeners. Her voice combined directness and earthiness ideally suited to blues material and selected corners of the jazz catalogue, while her folk interpretations adopted a quieter, more reflective tone. Outgoing and vivacious by nature, she thrived most in front of an audience, a quality preserved across several concert recordings made with Barber’s ensemble.
Albums
