Harping on...
My guide to the harp in contemporary jazz and improvised music with Rhodri Davies, plus the Mid-Year Jazz Critics Poll.
My latest piece for Bandcamp Daily is a guide to the harp in contemporary jazz and improvised music, built around an interview with the great Rhodri Davies. There are also blurbs on Zeena Parkins, Brandee Younger, Helene Breschand and more. Since publishing the piece, I’ve had some excellent recommendations of harpists to check out.
Bass maestro Damon Smith hipped me to Stephan Haluska’s recent album with multi-instrumental Robert Dick, Crop Circles, on the always on-point Infrequent Seams label: prepared harp, vocal mutations, flute, jaws harp and all that good stuff.
Over on X, Alec Holt sung the praises of Miriam Afedris, an Austrian-Ethiopian harpist based in London. She’s yet to release a solo recording, but has collaborated with the likes of Shabaka Hutchings and Shake Stew, and performed in improv settings with Valentina Magaletti. One to watch!
Worth adding how fantastic the illustration by Aaron Lowell Denton is: a real honour to have such luscious imagery accompanying my writing.
The Art Fuse Mid-Year Jazz Critics Poll is out and it’s fantastic to see so many great albums on there, including [Ahmed]’s Giant Beauty, which was top of my ballot, alongside other favourites by Fay Victor, Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers, Tomeka Reid Quartet and James Brandon Lewis Quartet in the top ten. Thanks to Tom Hull for putting all this together and inviting me to participate.