Jo Harrop (vocals); Paul Edis (piano); Ken Marley (double bass)
Jo Harrop and Paul Edis are on a short tour of northern England and their itinerary includes one or two performances with Newcastle-born, west of the Pennines resident, bassist Ken Marley. Following a Thursday evening concert performance at Seven Arts in Leeds, our trio arrived at Leeds University's School of Music for a Friday lunchtime engagement in the historic Clothworkers' Centenary Concert Hall.
In a light and airy cafe/bar members of the audience were enjoying free (free!) pre-concert refreshments, in the concert hall stood a Steinway awaiting P. Edis. At precisely five minutes past one, our trio emerged from the green room to play a set of some fifty minutes. Short Story from the 2022 Harrop/Edis CD When Winter Turns to Spring opened the programme. Harrop, Edis and Marley were, as anticipated, in fine form. The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants, a joyous Red Mary Janes & a Brand New Hat, material drawn from recent (award-winning) albums, those in the audience hearing Harrop and Edis (not forgetting the musically and sartorially immaculate Ken Marley) for the first time became instant fans.*
Umbrellas in the Rain, (comp. Edis/Harrop), a selection from the Leonard Cohen songbook, and a new composition - Love is Like the Wind - set for a 2025 release, the Edis-Harrop partnership continues to flourish. Catch them at a gig near you.
* Post concert, signed merchandise (CDs and vinyl) told a story...the Harrop-Edis story is one of ever-greater success. Russell
1 comment :
Very nice piece - readers may have seen extra info found on the blog marlbank back in March about The Path of a Tear:
Key points: firstly there's another Harrop/Ian Barter co-write on the album which is significant given that Barter gelled so well with Chester-Le-Street's finest on 'Beautiful Fools' - the other song that they worked on is called 'Stay Here Tonight' which is going to be a radio single apparently. Ian played guitar on Amy Winehouse album Frank and wrote the lyrics and co-produced Dermot Kennedy's glorious 'Couldn't Tell.'
The story of the gonna treat-you-so-well lyrics of this ''shall we?'' song goes like this: protagonist speaking directly to wished-for suitor coos ''let's not complicate this'' as starters.
Produced by Larry Klein who has also produced the recent Tutu Puoane album Wrapped in Rhythm Vol 1 reviewed here and who also plays bass guitar on The Path of a Tear - the title track song itself is a Jo & Greg Soussan co-write.
The only other main thing to know about the album is the strength of the input of another jazz musician from Chester-Le-Street, pianist Paul Edis who has worked with Jo extensively.
Check out When Winter Turns to Spring that won a Parly last year. And 2021's What the Heart Wants which won nowt but on which Edis is also significant and featuring Christian McBride on the best track is even better. Quiet man Paul's input to 'Never Lonely in Soho' is one of the best aspects of the whole work. The song scenario there is Jo on a megaphone (sort-of) at the beginning conjuring a persona that feels lost in the countryside but prefers when feeling low, to wander the streets of Soho instead for restorative balm. And this is where erstwhile Diana Krall jazz guitar legend Anthony - son of the great bandleader Gerald - Wilson's guitar (check Collodian released last year) is so perfect. The location of the song, familiar to many habitués of Soho jazz clubs is at the heart of the jazz village on the corner of Old Compton Street and Greek Street.
Champagne for breakfast on a Monday morning… all dressed up in your Sunday best… the cleverness in the lyrics is the commentary that muses on the ''charade'' of the all-consuming bohemian lifestyle because ''nothing is entirely what it seems.''
The album covers are Leonard Cohen's 'Traveling Light' - it's on You Want It Darker; the Elton John Leon Russell gem 'If It Wasn't For Bad' is also a significant presence of the Lateralize release.
And just as well chosen - from 'The Galway Girl' writer Steve Earle - 'Goodbye' from the mid 1990s covered by the likes of Emmylou Harris and Curtis Stigers since makes it on.
The drummer-percussionist on the album is sessioneer Victor Indrizzo, who was on Aimee Mann's The Forgotten Arm & whose rolling 1-2-slam of the cymbal-3 beat fill at the beginning of 'Traveling Light' is super tasty; Jim Cox is on keys and the double bassist is David Piltch who is on a range of notable k. d. lang recordings particularly k. d.'s spinetingling homage to Canada - Hymns of the 49th Parallel.
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