DERBY: The Flowerpot

FRI 6TH SEP, 2013 8.00pm

Jo Harman is rated by very many good judges as potentially the best blues, roots and soul infused artist to come out of the UK. Jo’s evocative voice, compelling stagecraft and bone deep song writing have marked her out as a very special talent indeed; a reputation underlined by an increasingly impressive gig roster which has already seen her, in very short time, sell out some of the UK’s most prestigious club and arts centre venues, alongside some truly attention demanding performances on the UK festival circuit. 2013 looks like being an even more exciting year in the progress of this young artist, with a number of high profile European festivals already in the book, having secured a prestigious agent who has described her as ‘a superstar in the making’. A debut studio album set for early spring release, which threatens to fuse intimate ballads, driving rock, soul, blues, acoustic, gospel and roots influences in a way that pulls off the unique trick of sounding both classic and timeless yet still fresh and contemporary. The overriding emotion mostly associated with Harman, though, is ‘heartfelt’; all of which helps to explain the current buzz for this remarkable performer.

“I want to make a classic album” says Jo Harman, “one that sounds just as good in ten years time” she explains. “ I’ve had producers, managers, boyfriends, whoever, all telling me to follow the main chance and they are all well meaning and stuff, but really, I know what kind of record I want to make and I’m just gonna go ahead and make it!”.
So, Jo and her band take to the best studios around, to do just that. And based on the live shows, a very interesting record it promises to be with, amongst other things, soul, gospel, country blues and rootsy rock and roll being thrown into the mix. If nothing else, it promises to be a deeply sincere record, which is exactly the way Jo wants it.