There are moments in an
artist’s life when a song, long associated with another era or another voice,
becomes entirely reborn—claimed, reshaped, and inhabited so completely that it
feels as though it always belonged to them. Jo Harrop’s new live single, If Ever I Would Leave You (from the musical Camelot), is one of those rare, alchemical transformations.
Harrop has made a career of taking well-worn material and revealing the emotional architecture beneath it—her critics have praised her “late-night hush,” “smoky intensity,” and “Ella-meets-Peggy Lee phrasing”—but nothing quite prepares you for the sheer depth she brings to this Robert Goulet classic. Recorded live in London, the performance captures what she does best: bending time, caressing lyrics until they glow, and honouring the song while gently rewriting its emotional grammar.
At the
centre of this spellbinding rendition is her long-serving musical partner, Paul Edis, whose intuitive playing
feels less like accompaniment and more like an extension of Harrop’s breath.
Together, they move with the fluid precision of artists who have spent years
reading—not just each other’s cues—but each other’s souls. Edis seems to
anticipate every nuance: when she holds a note a fraction longer, he widens the
harmonic palette; when she darkens the tone, he follows her into the shadows
with quiet, breathtaking restraint.
The
result is a masterclass in duo performance: subtle, spacious, and unhurried.
Harrop does not simply sing this song; she lives inside it.
Crucial
to the single’s impact is the sonic clarity shaped by producer Jamie McCredie, whose fingerprints
have graced several of Harrop’s finest recordings. His work here captures the
warmth of the room, the tension of breath between phrases, the unmistakable
electricity of a London audience leaning into every syllable. McCredie once
again proves himself a producer who knows how to frame Harrop’s voice—never
over-polished, never over-lit, always achingly intimate.
As the
first release from her forthcoming Live in London EP—issued via Wolf Star Records—this beautifully
produced single feels both like a summation of where Harrop is artistically and
a thrilling signpost to what comes next. It is independent music-making at its
most authentic: fearless, tender, and delivered with emotional truth.
A timeless song, reclaimed with
authority.
A vocalist at the height of her powers.
A pianist in perfect synchrony.
A producer who understands the art of capturing lightning.
If ever she would leave you?
On the strength of this performance, not a chance. Glenn Wright
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