Fox, Mimi: perpetually hip

There can be no higher critical acclaim for a jazz guitarist than a compliment from the legendary late Joe Pass. Of Fox Pass said, "She plays with tremendous fire. She can do pretty much anything she wants on the guitar." Pass met Fox some fifteen years ago and they remained friends until his passing. Their initial six hour encounter and subsequent mentorship/friendship have left their mark on Mimi and his considerable influence continues in her music 'till this day.

Perpetually Hip is Mimi's seventh solo release, and second on Steve Vai's Favored Nations label, a follow up to her acclaimed debut, She's The Woman. This is a sprawling two disk set. The first disk is a seven song band set, featuring Harvie S on bass, Billy Hart on drums and Xavier Davis on keys. The set includes three of Mimi's original tunes and four standard cover pieces. The second disk is a six song set of jazz standards, an unaccompanied solo jazz guitar extravaganza. The level of technical expertise throughout is staggering indeed but at the end of the day, there is little here that displays any unique character or indeed any of the "fire" Joe Pass mentioned. In the jazz guitar realm it has always been important to establish a personal statement and style, particularly when recording classic jazz standards. To that end, this project, in particular the solo disk, fails to impress. While it has always been easier to establish an identity in the rockier and fusion sides of jazz, proponents like Pats Martino and Metheny and Mike Stern have always found a way to make old standards their own. Perhaps one day Mimi will do the same.

Track Listing

Disc One: Band
01 Perpetually Hip
02 The Song Is You
03 But Beautiful
04 Saluting The Groove
05 Night and Day
06 While Bangkok Sleeps
07 So Many Stars

Disc Two: Solo
01 Caravan
02 Polkadots and Moonbeams
03 On Green Dolphin Street
04 Alone Together
05 Someone To Watch Over Me / Skylark (Medley)
06 When The Saints Go Marching In

Added: June 14th 2006
Reviewer: Mike Blackburn
Score:
Related Link: Artist Website
Hits: 2359
Language: english

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