Barbara Lea

Barbara Lea was a sophisticated jazz and cabaret vocalist celebrated for her crisp, emotive interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Born Barbara Ann LeCocq in 1929, she blended her Wellesley College theater training with a love for jazz, earning praise for her precise phrasing and warm, intimate delivery. Lea carved a niche in the 1950s New York scene, collaborating with legends like pianist Dick Hyman and earning comparisons to Lee Wiley for her devotion to classic tunes. Her career spanned decades, marked by gems like *The Devil Is Afraid of Music* (a Cole Porter tribute) and *Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans*, showcasing her knack for storytelling through jazz standards and theater composers like Noel Coward. Though she stepped back from music briefly, late-career albums like *Barbara Lea* (2001) proved her timeless charm. She passed away in 2011, leaving a legacy as a “singer’s singer” who treated every lyric with wit and reverence.

Genres

Vocal Jazz

Soul

Jazz

Blues

Easy Listening

Broadway

Cabaret

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Jane Monheit

Jeri Southern

Helen Merrill

Karrin Allyson

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Michael Bublé

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Peggy Lee

Mel Tormé

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Sarah Vaughan

Latest Release

Lea's Gold

Barbara Lea

Album - 9 Tracks - Released December 1, 2023