Jo Harrop @ the 606 - Oct. 5

Jo Harrop (vocals); Sam Watts (piano); Artie Zaitz (guitar); Jihad Darwish (bass); Darren Beckett (drums).

© Glenn Wright

There’s something about the 606 Club that feels immune to time. Tucked away on Lots Road in Chelsea, it has been a haven for musicians and devoted listeners since 1976 — a place where the lights stay low, the food hearty, and the music real. On a balmy autumn evening, the packed basement crowd welcomed Jo Harrop for what she billed as her final full-band London show of 2025, joined by the outstanding ensemble listed above.

Harrop’s reputation as one of Britain’s finest jazz vocalists has been steadily cemented over the past few years, her voice equal parts velvet and grit, capable of moving from late-night intimacy to widescreen emotion in a heartbeat. This set reaffirmed her standing, drawing from a career spanning five albums — with a sixth, intriguingly, already “in the can”.

Standards by Duke Ellington and Henry Mancini nestled easily alongside Harrop’s own material, but it was the live debut of Love Now, Pay Later that stole the show. The song’s northern soul-inspired pulse hinted at a new direction — a more rhythm-driven, soulful sound that still carried Harrop’s hallmark warmth and storytelling grace. Zaitz’s guitar shimmered with vintage finesse, Beckett and Darwish laid down supple grooves, and Watts’ understated lyricism tied it all together.

Harrop’s between-song patter was easy and unforced, peppered with dry humour and genuine affection for both band and audience. As she led the room through tales of Soho streets, forbidden liaisons and the bittersweet cost of love, you could feel the quiet attention of an audience completely in her thrall.

By the final encore, the 606 felt like one of those rare spaces where every note matters. If Love Now, Pay Later is a taste of what’s next, Harrop’s next chapter promises to be her most exciting yet. Glenn Wright