Word on what to expect on singer Jo Harrop's latest album this summer:

Hearing the only track publicly available so far - 'Beautiful Fools' - made us very keen to hear the rest of The Path of a Tear. The very good news is that having heard it several times today it is something to very much look forward to given that quality albums such as The Path of a Tear only come along once in a blue moon.

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 in the north east of England's County Durham, 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.

Jo Harrop plays the Hotel du Vin during the 2024 Cheltenham Jazz Festival on 4 May in the run-up to release - The Path of A Tear is to be launched at the Django in New York on 5 June

'Traveling Light' audio added on 12 April