TARA MINTON - The Tides Of Love
www.taraminton.com
Tara Minton - harp, vocals; Ed Babar - bass; Tom Early - drums; Duncan Menzies - violin; Phil Merriman - hammond organ; Filippo Dall’Asta - guitar; Lilia Ioncheva - percussion
Tim Boniface -horns, keys
Plus string quartet arranged by Graham Foote
The harp has played a relatively minor role in jazz - notable exceptions being provided by Dorothy Ashby’s bop-to-groove exploits in the 60s, and of course by Alice Coltrane who deployed it’s facility for sweeping glissandos to utterly cosmic effect in her seminal series of 70s recordings for Impulse! records. Of late there’s been a revival of interest in the cosmic jazz sounds of Coltrane and the harp has re-appeared in the self-avowedly tribute paying bands of Matthew Halsall and Alina Bzhezhinska. Minton’s music however works from a very different set of influences - opener and title track ‘Tides Of Love’ showcases her impressive vocal power and emotive songwriting in a sweepingly, grandiosely romantic performance that is more reminiscent of Kate Bush or that other noted harpist/vocalist, Joanna Newsome, than it is of the jazz tradition.
Songs like ‘Play With Me’ and ‘Smitten’ work within the tried and tested formula of tin pan alley songwriting as practiced by the Brill Building songwriters of the early 60s like Goffin and King. Minton’s voice is clear, strong and pure and conveys a great deal of sincerity - ‘February Forever’’s verse has a tumbling flow of confessional lyrics that clearly owe a debt to Joni Mitchell, whose influence can also be seen in the swooping multi-register melody and the carefully thought out complexity of the arrangement. There’s a high standard of playing by the excellent band, which features several well-respected players from the London jazz scene, and the quality of the arrangements is outstanding, with the harp taking on the role usually given to the piano, adding an attractive space and lightness.
However it’s questionable whether there will be much here to appeal to those looking for jazz content - the song title ‘Rock And Roll Romance” is a pretty clear indicator of the music’s primary influences - while those in search of confessional songwriting may already have pledged their allegiance elsewhere in this crowded field, where there are a host of other artists who, while Minton can match the best of them in emotional sincerity and musical skill, may have the edge when it comes to originality.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
www.taraminton.com
Tara Minton - harp, vocals; Ed Babar - bass; Tom Early - drums; Duncan Menzies - violin; Phil Merriman - hammond organ; Filippo Dall’Asta - guitar; Lilia Ioncheva - percussion
Tim Boniface -horns, keys
Plus string quartet arranged by Graham Foote
The harp has played a relatively minor role in jazz - notable exceptions being provided by Dorothy Ashby’s bop-to-groove exploits in the 60s, and of course by Alice Coltrane who deployed it’s facility for sweeping glissandos to utterly cosmic effect in her seminal series of 70s recordings for Impulse! records. Of late there’s been a revival of interest in the cosmic jazz sounds of Coltrane and the harp has re-appeared in the self-avowedly tribute paying bands of Matthew Halsall and Alina Bzhezhinska. Minton’s music however works from a very different set of influences - opener and title track ‘Tides Of Love’ showcases her impressive vocal power and emotive songwriting in a sweepingly, grandiosely romantic performance that is more reminiscent of Kate Bush or that other noted harpist/vocalist, Joanna Newsome, than it is of the jazz tradition.
Songs like ‘Play With Me’ and ‘Smitten’ work within the tried and tested formula of tin pan alley songwriting as practiced by the Brill Building songwriters of the early 60s like Goffin and King. Minton’s voice is clear, strong and pure and conveys a great deal of sincerity - ‘February Forever’’s verse has a tumbling flow of confessional lyrics that clearly owe a debt to Joni Mitchell, whose influence can also be seen in the swooping multi-register melody and the carefully thought out complexity of the arrangement. There’s a high standard of playing by the excellent band, which features several well-respected players from the London jazz scene, and the quality of the arrangements is outstanding, with the harp taking on the role usually given to the piano, adding an attractive space and lightness.
However it’s questionable whether there will be much here to appeal to those looking for jazz content - the song title ‘Rock And Roll Romance” is a pretty clear indicator of the music’s primary influences - while those in search of confessional songwriting may already have pledged their allegiance elsewhere in this crowded field, where there are a host of other artists who, while Minton can match the best of them in emotional sincerity and musical skill, may have the edge when it comes to originality.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
