Lateralize Records are delighted to announce that Jo Harrop will be playing a series of live shows, including a performance at Peggy’s Skylight on 21st May, to support the recent release of her critically acclaimed solo debut, The Heart Wants.
Written and recorded over the last year when the world came to a sudden standstill in the wake of the pandemic, The Heart Wants is an album about love and life, about losing and then finding oneself in the silence after the applause has faded away.
‘A voice that would give a goosebump goosebumps – deep, warm and deliciously intimate.’ The Mirror
Although she has built a reputation as an intuitive interpreter of other people’s songs, Jo Harrop would be the first to admit that she always lacked the confidence to reveal her own songs to the world. With no shows in her diary, she started working on what would eventually turn out to be her first album of original material with producers Hannah Vasanth (known for her work with everyone from Stormzy to JP Cooper) and Jamie McCredie alongside a guest list of world-class musicians including Christian McBride, Jason Rebello and Troy Miller.
“We wrote and recorded the songs for The Heart Wants before we had a chance for people to hear them live, which is the ultimate litmus test,” Harrop explains. “Songs don’t really come alive until you play them to an audience, so I’m incredibly excited to finally be able to bring them to life on stage for the first time. Music has always had the power to transport me and to move me deep inside, and I want to create the same emotional connection with people who hear my songs.”
“An extraordinary talent” – Jo Whiley – BBC Radio 2
Born in Durham, and raised on a heady musical diet of Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin, Jo Harrop cut her teeth as a session singer, working with a host of iconic artists including Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Enrique Iglesias and Gloria Gaynor. After moving to London, she quickly established herself as one of the most unmistakable voices in British jazz, performing everywhere from the Royal Albert Hall to the Sunset Sunside Jazz Club in Paris.
‘A rare mix of delicacy and boldness. Sheer perfection.’ Dave Gelly – The Guardian
Having signed to London-based jazz label, Lateralize Records, she recently received a raft of rapturous reviews for Weathering The Storm, her debut with guitarist, Jamie McCredie. The Guardian dubbed it ‘a little gem of an album: simple, modest and perfect,’ whilst BBC 6 Music’s Iggy Pop fell in love with her voice, calling her “a very fine jazz singer.”
The Heart Wants 2022 Tour Dates
12th February – Hampstead Jazz Club, London
19th February – The Bear Club, Luton
25th April – Ronnie Scott’s, London
12th May – Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle
14th May – Hexham Jazz Festival, Hexham
17th May – Hare and Hounds, Birmingham
19th May – Matt & Phreds Jazz Club, Manchester
21st May – Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham
22nd May – Watford Jazz Junction Festival, London
29th June – Pizza Express (Soho), London
10th July – Swanage Jazz Festival, Swanage
Tickets are available from Jo Harrop’s official website – https://www.joharrop.com/shows
