Every session at the Modern Jazz Club at their nearl- new super atmospheric venue is a treat, but the this band set new levels of delight for a packed audience.

The line up was already cool . A player with the brilliant virtuoso command so welcome in any musician but Paul Edis cornered Hidden Rooms’ sassy piano and showed us what It was made of trills of arpeggio- style picked him out for a lyrical jazzer. Paul features as a composer and collaborator for Jo’s songs. Bassist Jihad Darwish, as he brought stylish grounding to the party. Jamie McCreadie, the stand-out guita and lyrical composerr had the audience in his hands alongside Peter Adam Hill - Jo’s longest serving back up member, on reliable drums. The band could have taken us through the evening. They opened with a delicious version of Jerome Kerne’’s ‘All the Things you Are’ so full of easy-going charm, there was the space to settle back and let the star of the show drift into a haze.

And suddenly she was there, dazzling natural relaxed with low- voiced Geordie tones, Jo Harrop had us mesmerized from the offset. Beautiful, personable she conjures a warm erotic world of seductive sound – that miraculously melds into her strong backing band to give us genuine jazz, but not as we know it, Captain. The voice is contralto, unstrained but versatile, her range is blissfully wide, the songs heartfelt.

For a whole gorgeous stretch of timeless delight, we were in Jo Harrop’s wonderful world of love. Yes, some songs took us to the sad side of love, Beautiful Fools to the price those loving arms demand. There is humour and a poignancy in her work all found in the latest album ‘The track of a Tear’ recorded over three thrilling days in Los Angeles with some of the great accompanists around. I loved “ You’ll never be lonely in Soho” with its candid opener ‘ If I had to live in the country, I would lose my mind’

It was still an account of one woman’s warmth of spirit, of courage in the face of disappointment but glory in the deep embrace of someone who loves you- her.

I came away clutching all the CDs on sale. Just off to play them – again.

Apr 23 JO HARROP AND BAND AT HIDDEN ROOMSJamie

Apr 22 NEXT TO NORMAL - ADC THEATRE

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