Playing Northern Ireland for the first time singer Jo Harrop opened last night’s appearance at former BBC Radio Ulster music editor Maggie Doyle and jazz trumpeter Linley Hamilton‘s bucolic County Down venue Magy’s Farm with 1963 movie song ‘Charade.’
The London singer who, like her pianist for the evening Paul Edis, hails from Chester-Le-Street, County Durham, was the 93rd act to appear at this gem of a tiny venue which was established in the rolling Dromara hills just over 5 years ago.
They were joined by guitarist Mark Williams who lives in the north-east of England and hails from Northern Ireland. He was taught by Linley at the beginning of his teaching career.
Maggie before the gig said that “I first heard Jo one afternoon washing dishes listening to Jazz FM.”
The gig was scheduled to run for an hour-and-10 minutes straight through. The style of the evening is the audience has a drink in the kitchen beforehand and on this occasion was invited back afterwards for pizza and a chance to chat to the artists.
An intimate evening, Magy’s Farm doesn’t have many vocalists, mused Maggie herself earlier, and certainly the response was enthusiastic.
Into the room then and with minimal build up after the audience filed in someone called out good naturedly “where are you from?” which wasn’t really a heckle, more a question that required no put down from the singer only a smile.
Softly accompanied by the twin harmonic support of both piano, Edis playing on an upright, and guitar the sound was largely unamplified.
Jo held a microphone – the house sound was human and clear but she asked for a bit more in her monitor early on and the levels imperceptibly settled – and later Linley joined unmiked from right of stage for Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn’s ‘Time After Time’ once sung by ol’ blue eyes himself and later Tony Bennett, a favourite of Jo’s who as a girl went with her dad to hear the singer when the great New Yorker played in England. I was hoping she’d sing the Steve Earle song ‘Goodbye‘ she does so well when going more Americana.
But you say, goodbye and I say hello and as an introduction to the Magy’s Farm faithful these sad little serenades to borrow from Johnny Mercer’s lyrics set to Henry Mancini’s ‘Charade’ melody, described a lot of the songs, mostly originals and co-writes. Edis wrote some of the songs and Jo explained how during Lockdown she would send the pianist words and he’d set them to melody. Their rapport on the stand was essential to the success of the show.
Linley Hamilton guested on ‘Time After Time’ and returned for ‘Fine and Mellow’ the let your hair down selection heard right at the end.
The lights weren’t too bright in the room as the audience entered the singer’s world. There’s also space up a small staircase that a few clambered up to perch from. The acoustics in the room helped by suitable wall panels to muffle a bit of extra natural reverb allowed for clarity. It wasn’t a cold night and the room was warm with the heat of the audience, something you only noticed when a side door was momentarily opened. But the high ceiling alleviated stuffiness. Sightlines are fine – there aren’t pillars in the way.
Williams, whose modern jazz trio album Long Way Out came out last year, took interesting solos throughout and was good at doing dragging tempo and went a bit trad (teeteringly towards gypsy swing counterintuitively) when he needed to.
Jo in her audience chat extolled her enthusiasm for the setting – as an animal lover she mentioned the local donkeys and sheep. She explained the evening was about “escapism” and “sharing love and laughter.”
So it proved. When Winter Turns to Spring songs ‘Short Story’ and ‘Umbrellas in the Rain’ were among the more grown up relationship selections.
Romance, loss, whisk(e)y and wine Jo says are what her songs are about. There was a lot of hope in the sub-text and sense of fun. Her voice is a husky contralto and she can do long notes expressively held way down low very well.
When it was just voice and guitar the emphasis was different – later it was by contrast voice and piano. But the three together were even better for impact.
Twinklingly apologetic about part of the lyrics of ‘You’ll Never Be Lonely in Soho’ – the bit about If I lived out in the countryside I would surely lose my mind – highlights included the song the great bassist Christian McBride and pride of Swansea Ronnie Scott’s trumpeter Andy Davies are on ‘The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants’. I was most moved by a song I didn’t know so well called ‘Life Inside’ a Jo co-write with George Glew, Hannah Vasanth and Jamie McCredie.
Dedicated to Maggie ‘Beautiful Fools’ – that humane song of respect for dreamers – was the one that introduced the promoter to the singer on the radio referred to above that made her want to turn it up and eventually bring the singer to the venue – worked well. It’s from Jo’s Larry Klein produced career peak from the 2024 Lateralize label release The Path of a Tear recorded in Los Angeles.
So a great introduction to a Northern Ireland audience. Let’s hope a classic jazz singer of Jo’s calibre and more of her quality can be tempted over to the province again in the not too distant future.
MORE FROM MARLBANK
Biréli Lagrène, Elegant People, PeeWee! ****
Swinging French guitar icon Biréli Lagrène does not disappoint with his best album in simply years. Its sentimental insouciance and savoir faire are something of a revelation that may cure any lingering feeling, dear reader, you might possess of jadedness. Listening shakes off such languour.
James Kitchman, Floating Sky, No label ***
Pristine pastoralism informs the latest quartet release by English guitarist James Kitchman.
Stacey Kent, A Time For Love, Naïve Records ****
Quiet and reflective from one of the greatest classic jazz singers of our times. The Jim Tomlinson co-write with Cliff Goldmacher ‘What Goodbye Is For’ appeals most to me.
You must be logged in to post a comment.