Review: Jo Harman, Blakeney Harbour Room

Jo Harman at Blakeney. Picture: RICHARD BATSON (Image: Archant)

Blakeney Harbour Room

Outside this coastal village venue, the gusting wind was blowing leaves off the trees like seeds off a dandelion clock.

Inside the voice of Jo Harman veered from Force Eight blues rock to an almost inaudible emotion-filled whisper enthralling a hushed audience.

Not bad for a girl who trained as a classical bassoon player.

After a dabble with pop she has gravitated to soulful, sometimes rocking, sometimes balladic blues - influenced by the soundtrack of her youth in the record collection of her late father.

She launched, on a wave of rave reviews, into the blues and jazz festival and club scene - playing to the Albert Hall and big crowds in Holland. .

A return visit to Blakeney's intimate clubroom venue was her last gig of the year - and she bowed out in fine style, despite confessing to a cheese and wine hangover from the previous night.

Think Joss Stone with traces of Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin and you will have an idea if how this talented 29-year-old singer songwriter sounds.

Highlights among her own tunes were including the funky Through the Night, and gospel-influenced Sweet Man Moses from her debut album Dirt On My Tongue.

But her covers also brought a new take on classics by the Beatles, Isleys and Stephen Stills and well as the lesser-known Citizen Cope song Sideways, a confection iced with some dazzling guitar work by Terry Lewis.

Listen to Jo on Paul Jones' Radio 2 blues show on Monday night. And if she makes another return to Norfolk next year, make sure you see and hear her.