Michael Preston Barr

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Michael Barr (born January 2, 1927 in Indiana) is an American composer of traditional pop, who in collaboration with lyricist Dion McGregor, wrote "Try Your Wings" for cabaret singer/pianist Blossom Dearie. "Try Your Wings" was featured in the 2003 film My Life Without Me, starring Sara Polly and Mark Rufallo. Together,Barr and McGregor also wrote "Where Is The Wonder", which was recorded by Barbra Streisand and featured on her 1964 TV special "My Name Is Barbra".

Mr. Barr is also known for having tape-recorded Dion McGregor's surprisingly lucid and humorous "somniloquies", or sleep-talks, in which he would narrate complete stories with beginning, middle and end. These can be heard via recordings released through Torpor Vigil Industries, the first of which being The Further Somniloquies of Dion McGregor. John Zorn's Tzadik label also released a CD--a sequel to the LP, called Dion McGregor Dreams Again. The superb liner notes by compilation co-ordinator Phil Milstein describe details of the meeting of Michael Barr and Dion McGregor and of how these extraordinary recordings came to be.

Mr. Barr is currently working on a movie-musical version of The Dream World Of Dion McGregor which was originally released as an LP through Decca Records in January, 1964. The movie adaptation includes, in addition to the somniliquies songs which comment on them, most of which were written by Mr. Barr and Dion McGregor.

Other songs by Michael Barr included "Kicks", recorded in 1956 by Julie London, "Hello Love", with lyrics by McGregor and recorded by Blossom Dearie in 1960, "Sawdust Dreams", an early unreleased recording by Joel Grey the "Hate Song",originally performed the Upstairs At The Downstairs nightclub in New York City, by Ceil Cabot and Bill Hinnant with William Roy at the piano. It was recorded on MGM Records. "Leaving By Dawn", a commercial torchy version of the earlier "Dion At Dawn", which, in turn, is a rewrite of "Blue Town", and the Gershwinesque "Make Do", were written with lyrics by Patrick "Bas" Ramsey.