Found A Place – Extended version Double EP

2 reviews for Found A Place – Extended version Double EP

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   BiG i AM – 12th December 2018

   ‘FOUND A PLACE’ JO HARMAN

   Jo Harman, who recently opened BluesFest at the O2 Arena, reports that she will be releasing an extended ‘album’ version of her (otherwise now unavailable physical only limited edition) 2015 ‘Found A Place’ EP, with 5 additional tracks very much in the stripped back, acoustic nature of the original recording.

   The official release date is slated for March 2019 although ‘pre-release’ copies are likely to be available to fans from early December.

   Says Jo ….

   ‘I was taking a long time writing and recording my (somewhat epic production, statement piece) second album and recorded this project as something of an artistic relief to the pressures involved in that. Because of the second album expectations I felt I could only put this out as a low key limited edition physical ‘fans release’ which, in the event, quickly sold out. However I actually consider it amongst my best work, and now that my second album ‘People We Become’ has been out a while – and happily achieved some artistic and commercial success – I feel I can release these recordings properly, finally giving them the profile they deserve. As ever this record is a very personal statement; many tracks have a piano, voice and string quartet set up and it’s an avenue I want to continue to explore more in a live environment too. Artistically it’s very fulfilling, perhaps because in such an ‘exposed’, acoustic, setting there really is nowhere for me or the songs to hide’.

   Taster track ‘Worthy Of Love’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxrx30GqUJQ

   ‘Found A Place – extended edition’ is out 1st March 2019, pre-order physical copies available from http://joharman.com/product/found-a-place-extended/.

   Worthy of Love (Harman/Davies) I remember Mike and Jo writing this song in her Mum’s garden on a glorious Summers day in picturesque Devon. This 2012 version was recorded by multi award winning producer Al Scott, back in Brighton, appearing as the title track on a low key EP release which pre-dates the rootsier feel of the ‘Dirt On My Tongue’ recording. But this version is certainly worthy of fresh attention and it somewhat pre-dates the recent fashion for merging soul and ‘Nashville fuelled Americana’ which was always Jo and Al’s vision of how the song should sound.

   Cloudy (Stuart/Gorrie) Average White Band were one of Jo’s late fathers favourite bands and Jo herself has also both admired and been inspired by former AWB frontman James ‘Hamish’ Stuart’s work, gigging as he does at times, in and around London. She always introduces ‘Cloudy’ as a ‘song she’d wished she’d written’ and she certainly brings her own interpretation to this AWB classic, revealing a close particularly affinity with the lyric. Hamish himself has been kind enough to say some generous public comments about this version, not least that ‘he believes it, when she sings it’ and who could argue with that?.

   Changing of the Guard (Harman/Davies) This is a the big, epic, ‘Beatlesque’ tune on ‘People We Become’ (as play-listed on some National European radio stations) which here is given an entirely different sensibility, and increased poignancy perhaps, by stripping it back to it’s piano and voice basics (and lowering the key slightly, indeed, to find a darker tone in the voice). Jo first performed it live this way in New York and it’s since become the arrangement in concert, giving something of a double win, bearing in mind the ‘kitchen sink’ nature of the ‘People We Become’ version would be so hard to replicate live.

   Lend Me Your Love (Harman) Jo often writes on piano but this song she composed on guitar, with a very much ‘Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’ feel, complete with lush harmonies, and folk-rock sensibilities. I’m sure one day she’ll re-visit that idea too. On ‘People We Become’ the song evolved into a huge piano led epic soul ballad and this rootsy EP recording is something of a half way house, perhaps. An organic, arrangement, done pretty much live in the moment but with Mark Edwards and Terry Lewis overdubbing Hammond Organ and Electric guitar to their respective piano and acoustic guitar foundations.

   Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (King/Goffin) A long time admirer of Carole King, I guess it was only a matter of time before Jo added her own take to the very long list of people who have covered this most classic of classics. As ever, Jo seems to find her main emotional connection via the lyric – a connection which, in turn, translates to the listener. Never one to force emotion or use theatrical device, it’s the understated pathos and sincerity that makes her interpretation so utterly compelling.

   Found A Place (Harman/Hudson) originally written in a more jazz-tinged soul style, Jo asked pianist Mark Edwards to take it to a ‘darker, straighter’ place and Edwards almost neo classical ‘off the cuff’ arrangement and associated (real) string arrangement certainly takes this intriguing lyric into a more mystical place. Possibly the first song ever Jo wrote as part of her artistic journey proper, it remains one of her best and certainly one of her most enigmatic.

   Father and Son (Stevens) I can’t exactly recall where, when or why this song crept into the set other than for the fact that the song reminds Jo of her late Father, a big Cat Stevens fan. Apparently originally conceived by Stevens for a musical about the Cold War, Jo, as ever, seems to suggest autobiographical content in her performance – more ‘Mother to Son’ or ‘Father to Daughter’ perhaps?

   Sideways (Greenwood) This Citizen Cope tune became something of a signature song in Jo’s early concerts, albeit performed in a much different way to the performance here. This time Jo takes the tune to a more intimate, acoustic, place recorded entirely live, with no instrument or vocal separation whatsoever, by producer Andy Strange featuring Chris Newland and Melvin Duffy on guitar and dobro respectively. One of Jo’s best ever recorded vocals, in my opinion.

   Two Shades of Hope (Vance) Jo is a huge fan of Foy Vance ever since she opened for him as her first ever show as part of the BiG I AM management team. As ever, she finds her own interpretation and arrangement, horns and all, to proceedings and certainly finds her own story somewhere in amongst Foy’s powerfully emotive words.

   I Can Let Go Now (McDonald) A recording that pretty much speaks for itself, albeit Michael McDonald commented ‘hearing Jo’s performance was an almost spiritual experience for me’. The words resonate so much with Jo’s own story this cover was originally considered for inclusion in her very personal ‘People We Become’ album, although in the end Jo went for all original compositions. When singing it live Jo often refers to this tune as ‘one of the greatest songs ever written’. It’s hard to disagree.

   upcoming tour dates (with more to be added) http://www.joharman.com/tour-dates

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Mark Roberts – 20th February 2019

   Authentic, real music. Straight from the heart, overflowing with pathos, soul, and emotion. You connect with the music, Jo’s voice, Jo, and the community surrounding Jo. In an age of cynicism and auto tune, Jo’s latest offering brings you real music with no pretension. The artistic integrity Jo and her musical compadres pour wholeheartedly into your ears ought to be…ought to be…the industry standard. As mark Ede writes in the liner notes…”Jo Harman is no ordinary artist.” Wryly understated my good sir. Thank You Jo for your gift to us – your music, your voice, you passion, your integrity. Music in its purest form.