Barry Charles and Peter Wells

“Barry Charles is a unique singer from a blues and rock background renowned for his exceptional vocal range and technique. He performs with spontaneity, emotion and originality to which he adds the magic ingredients of soulfulness, humour and a great repertoire.” Born into a family of singers, his grandfather had a bass baritone voice and his father was a tenor. He can incorporate in a performance innovative scatting, interwoven with the unmistakable sounds of Tuva singing with influences here from (the late) Paul Pena. Barry can explore the technique of split harmonics and his phrasing is quite unique.

With inspirational inflections from the likes of Tom Waits, Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, Tim Buckley and Al Green evident in the emotional colour of his delivery. He has performed in the UK including an invitation to perform at the world renowned Glastonbury Festival on the Avalon Field, as well as the World Expo in Hanover, Germany, and at the Eden Project in Cornwall. He has also performed at festivals in Australia from Woodford and Caloundra Music Festivals and the Bay of Islands Jazz & Blues Festival in New Zealand. Barry has recorded four albums of his original songs, and an album of songs of Tom Waits. In August last year he released a new album titled “A Cordial Collision", - a collaboration with an exceptonal kiwi harmonica player, Haggis Maguiness and launched at the Bay of Islands Jazz & Blues Festival.

His song writing touches the soul with observations of life, love, the environment, indigenous causes, fantasy, humor - darkness and light. Sometimes referred to as an ‘extreme vocalist’, his performances showcase his song-writing skills, incorporating some very innovative scatting that has its roots in the blues, soul and jazz idioms. Barry is a popular and well respected member of the music industry in south east Queensland for his role in the development of the music industry, where he is renowned for staging and performing at special musical events. Please book your bistro table on 5370 1718. Please call 0488 956671 to catch our courtesy bus.