A prolific Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, Barry Oreck is known for evocative storytelling, rhythmic and stylistic variety, and songs that move and motivate. He explores a range of topics from the personal to the political, touching on societal and ecological issues as well as the perils of aging and long-forgotten love. His affecting voice and soulful guitar- playing bring listeners along on a musical ride of intriguing ideas, disarming humor, and deep feeling.
In addition to songwriting, Barry is a dancer-choreographer who creates multi-disciplinary dance theater pieces with Nicoll+Oreck Dance Theatre https://nicollandoreck.com/videos.

We Were Wood

I am thrilled to announce the upcoming release of a new record with 10 new original songs. This will be my 5th album, all recorded with the remarkable producer, musician engineer Bob Harris and the 4th with my stellar band of Rima Fand, Jesse Miller and Adam Armstrong along with some special guests. We Were Wood covers a lot of ground stylistically and thematically. There are historical ballads and commentaries on living in our confusing current moment, blind love and all-too-aware love, and celebrations of nature, highlighting the circle of life and humans’ part in it. Power and powerlessness are central themes of a number of the tunes on the record. Families are moved off their land in rural Tennessee and New York City. jilted lovers have a moment of reckoning, people face the anxiety and powerlessness of climate change.

 Merchandise

> About the designer, Mitch McNeil

Follow Me

Reviews

"Barry Oreck's 'Leap Year' is an album of hope and humanity that questions and answers, played and sung with a beguiling simplicity and a deep heart."

- Mike Davies / Fatea Magazine

“Barry Oreck has a talent for memorable tunes, all the time you think ‘but I know this song’, but it really was written by him, and simply is unforgettable.”
Gabriele Haefs / Folk World EU

"Barry Oreck's 'Leap Year' is simple and stripped back, but the lyrics are strong and relatable, and the producton allows them the space they need to land with the listener."

- Zoe Hodges / Maverick Magazine -

"Brooklyn based folkie Barry Oreck brings the roots spirit with contemporary songs, softly framed with rhythm guitar, mandolin and weeping violin."

- Marino Serdons / Keys & Chords

"Storytelling folk songs are the subject of the 4th album, 'Leap Year', from American singer songwriter Barry Oreck from Brooklyn, New York. Most of these tracks were written during the far too long lockdown period, caused by the corona pandemic, but they want to give the listeners an injection of positivity and hope.“

- Valére Sampermans / Rootstime

press and news