Artist: Mandy Fox & Hara
Title: First Time Ever
Cat Number: SLAMCD220
Year released: 1996
Format: CD & all digital platforms
Barcode: 5028386022022
“An interesting mixture of folk music and jazz” from vocalist Mandy Fox alongside her band, Hara.
Mandy Fox: voice
Hara:
Meredith White: piano, keyboards
Penrose Feast: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, percussion
Trevor Lines: double and electric bass
Sean Randle: drums, percussion
Special guests:
Dave Jones: electric bass (on track 6
Ian Smith: percussion (on track 1)
“This is an interesting mixture of folk music and jazz. Mandy Fox is a singer with a cultured, melodic voice who is equally at home with near-Eastern drones, soaring jazz and Celtic harmonies. She has the ability to speed up from conventional singing into a high pitched wait that recalls Flora Purim. This works on the near-Eastern stuff like ‘Invocation’, as well as on successful fusions of British folk music and jazz like ‘First Time Ever’ and ‘She Moved Through The Fair’. Piano and electric bass decorate a simple but moving vocal on the former while the latter slowly rises from a hushed vocal to an elegant jazz waltz and, finally, a climbing, woolley tenor solo by Penrose Feast matched by Fox’s siren vocal. Feast is a strong liberating presence throughout this CD and this robust playing is his finest moment. The entire band’s strength matched with Fox’s gorgeous vocal make this CD compelling listening. Highly recommended.” – Cadence
Recorded, mixed and mastered at Porcupine Studios by Nick Taylor 1995-6.
All compositions by Mandy Fox, except “She Moved Through the Fair”, anon. arranged by Mandy Fox.