Barbara Jean
The Latest News

Live Performance on Radio Heartland

Barbara Jean was interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio’s online Americana roots station Radio Heartland. Check out the live session. 

The Current highlights new video

Andrea Swensson of The Current included Barbara Jean’s new live video performance of The River in her Friday Five blog post.

City Pages Interview

Natalie Gallagher sat down with Barbara Jean to talk about her music and Gravel Road Touring. Check out the article.

Gravel Road Touring Showcase at The Cedar

Poster by Noah PrinsenGravel Road Touring, a Minneapolis booking collective, presents a night of indie-roots music featuring rising acts Chastity Brown, Actual Wolf, and Barbara Jean at The Cedar Cultural Center on April 5. What began as an in-house booking agency for Minneapolis-based roots act The Pines in 2007 has evolved into a co-operative, artist-run touring agency known for sharing high caliber music with fans around the country. The folks at Gravel Road believe there is no substitute for live music. It is a personal and social experience that is vital to building community in this digital age. This inaugural event will showcase the force of Minneapolis’ Americana roots acts currently featured on the Gravel Road roster. Doors at 7 p.m. with the music starting at 8 p.m.

Get your tickets!

Phone: 612-338-2674 ext 0 between 12 noon and 4pm ($2 fee per ticket)

In person: From a Cedar volunteer in the front lobby during events (no fee; cash, check, credit card), Depth of Field (no fee; cash or check only), or Electric Fetus (approximately $2 fee)

Online: Ticketweb (typically $2--$3 fee/ticket)
The Cedar is an all ages venue

Students with ID, seniors over 65, and children under 12 may purchase tickets at a discount at the door



"Come Spring Tour" with Chastity Brown

We are pleased to announce the Come Spring Tour with Americana-roots artists Chastity Brown and Barbara Jean. The two performers will cover ground on both Lake Superior’s North and South Shore giving four evening performances in three lakeside communities. Come Spring kicks off on February 28 in Duluth, MN where the two performers will be featured on WDSE Public Television’s The Playlist at 9 p.m. The program will highlight the work of both musicians with live in-studio performances.

Come Spring Tour Performances:


• Friday, March 1: Stagenorth Community Theater
123 Omaha St E.
Washburn, WI 54891
Doors 7 PM, Show 7:30 PM
Tel: (715) 373-1194
Tickets $12 adult/senior/student

• Saturday, March 2: Arrowhead Center for the Arts
51 W. 5th Street Grand Marais, MN 55604
Doors 7 PM, Show 7:30 PM
Tel: (218) 387-2916
Tickets $10/5 adult/student

• Sunday, March 3: The Red Star
600 E. Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802
Doors 6 PM Show 7 PM
Tel: (218) 723-7827
Show sponsored by KUMD
Tickets at door $5

11/20/12

Thanks to everyone who made it out to the CD Release shows for The Great Escape in Minneapolis and Duluth. I had a blast meeting new folks, sharing music and catching up with old friends. So much of my life this last year has gone into releasing this album and it felt good to put it out offcially and celebrate with folks.

The Great Escape has been getting some exciting press the last couple of weeks. Check out the following interviews and articles:

From Paul Whyte of The Duluth Reader: Barbara Jean CD Release: The Great Escape

From Youa Vang of City Pages Gimme Noise: Barbara Jean on the North Shore, her love of the banjo, and moving to the Cities

From Easy Ed at No Depression: Barbara Jean's Great Escape

And, I had a great time playing live as an instudio guest on KUMD's Live From Studio A Sessions. Feel free to give it a listen.

A fall update

I had a blast as a guest on NPR’s Mountain Stage Radio Show September 13. Mountain Stage put on two shows in Grand Marais at the North House Folk School and you can listen to a recording of the show hereTrampled By Turtles, Low, and Peter Himmelman also played that night and it was an honor to share the stage with such an excellent group of musicians. 

Performing on Mountain Stage is part of what has proved to be a very busy and exciting year musically. In January I received a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council to help produce an album of original songs. That is in process right now, thanks to Tom Fabjance, engineer extraordinaire, and
Bernie Larsen, world-class producer. It was recorded at Sacred Heart Recording Studio in Duluth, Minnesota and it is now available for download online and at shows! I will be having an official album release show in Minneapolis on November 16 at Icehouse. Stay tuned for details.

This summer I received honorable mention in the
Telluride Bluegrass Songwriting Contest, which was quite exciting. I also had a fun trip to Lake Superior's South Shore where I played at The Big Top Chautauqua opening for Meg Hutchinson. Last summer I won The Big Top's songwriting contest and they had me back to play. The Big Top also included a song from my performance last year in an episode of their program Tent Show Radio--and you can listen to it online!


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