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A finalist of the BBC Radio 2 Young Tradition Award competition way back in 1993, Bath-based harpist Jennifer Crook has been a stalwart of the traditional British folk scene ever since, with stints in Cythara, Madigan, and world fusion act Elephant Talk, as well as becoming an established session musician for the likes of Eddi Reader, Boo Hewerdine, and Susheela Raman. But following her 2004 release with fiddler Henry Sears (Chasing the Dawn), A Few Small Things is the first time in her accomplished career that she's taken center stage. Largely eschewing the instrument she's renowned for, Crook has instead picked up her Gibson guitar and recorded ten sparse and highly intimate acoustic tracks suggesting that her time in the limelight is well overdue. The minimal arrangements of the Leonard Cohen-esque "Broken Dreams for Sale," the rustic melancholy of "A Bicycle in Need of Repair," and the delicate nostalgia of "Everything Changes" don't exactly leap out of the stereo on first listen, but Crook's light enchanting tones and subtle slow-burning melodies eventually reap their rewards over time, while the smattering of eclectic instrumentation, such as the Armenian duduk on opener "A Stranger in Love," the flamenco guitar on "A Rose in Morning," and Crook's beloved harp on "Penny" ensure that the album never becomes too repetitive. While the majority of the album seems designed to be played during a crowd-silencing folk festival set on a long summer's day, there are also a couple of offerings that might just find their way onto Radio 2 playlists, too. "Jane" is a gentle slice of lilting country-pop not exactly a million miles away from Colbie Caillat, while the gorgeously strummed acoustics, fretless basslines, and flashes of mandolin on "Too Much Rain" echo the Sundays at their most yearning. It might have taken her a while to go it alone, but A Few Small Things' exquisite sound shows that Crook's decision to bide her time has fully paid off.
© Jon O'Brien /TiVo
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Robin Davis, Bass - Tim Turan, Mastering Engineer - Robert Harbron, Other instrument - Josh Clark, Producer, Drums, Engineer - Jennifer Crook, Producer, MainArtist, Singing/Vocals, Guitar (acoustic) - Bethany Porter, Cello, Background Vocals - Alan Burton, Other instrument - Jennifer Josephine Crook, Composer, Lyricist
2022 Transatlantic Roots
Robin Davis, Double Bass - Tim Turan, Mastering Engineer - Josh Clark, Producer, Engineer, Percussion instrument - Maclaine Colston, Other instrument - Jennifer Crook, Producer, Background Vocals, MainArtist, Singing/Vocals, Guitar (acoustic) - Bethany Porter, Cello - Jennifer Josephine Crook, Composer, Lyricist
2022 Transatlantic Roots
Tim Turan, Mastering Engineer - Robert Harbron, Other instrument - Josh Clark, Producer, Engineer - Jennifer Crook, Producer, MainArtist, Singing/Vocals, Guitar (acoustic) - Jennifer Josephine Crook, Composer, Lyricist
2022 Transatlantic Roots
Clive Gregson, Electric organ - Tim Turan, Mastering Engineer - Chris Blanden, Bass guitar (electric) - Josh Clark, Producer, Drums, Engineer - Miranda Sykes, Background Vocals - Maclaine Colston, Other instrument - Jennifer Crook, Producer, MainArtist, Other instrument, Singing/Vocals, Guitar (acoustic) - Jennifer Josephine Crook, Composer, Lyricist - Jane Langley, Background Vocals
2022 Transatlantic Roots
Tim Turan, Mastering Engineer - Josh Clark, Producer, Engineer - Maclaine Colston, Other instrument - Jennifer Crook, Producer, MainArtist, Singing/Vocals, Guitar (acoustic) - Bethany Porter, Cello - Jennifer Josephine Crook, Composer, Lyricist
2022 Transatlantic Roots
Clive Gregson, Guitar (acoustic), Electric organ - Tim Turan, Mastering Engineer - Josh Clark, Producer, Engineer - Andy West, Background Vocals - Jennifer Crook, Producer, MainArtist, Singing/Vocals, Guitar (acoustic) - Jennifer Josephine Crook, Composer, Lyricist
2022 Transatlantic Roots
Tim Turan, Mastering Engineer - Robert Harbron, Other instrument - Josh Clark, Producer, Engineer - Jennifer Crook, Producer, MainArtist, Singing/Vocals, Guitar (acoustic) - Bethany Porter, Cello - Jennifer Josephine Crook, Composer, Lyricist
2022 Transatlantic Roots
Tim Turan, Mastering Engineer - Josh Clark, Producer, Engineer - Miranda Sykes, Double Bass, Background Vocals - Maclaine Colston, Other instrument - Jennifer Crook, Producer, Banjo, MainArtist, Singing/Vocals, Guitar (acoustic) - Bethany Porter, Cello - Jennifer Josephine Crook, Composer, Lyricist
2022 Transatlantic Roots
Tim Turan, Mastering Engineer - Josh Clark, Producer, Engineer - Jennifer Crook, Producer, MainArtist, Singing/Vocals, Guitar (acoustic) - Jennifer Josephine Crook, Composer, Lyricist
2022 Transatlantic Roots
Robin Davis, Double Bass - Tim Turan, Mastering Engineer - Robert Harbron, Other instrument - Josh Clark, Producer, Engineer - Maclaine Colston, Other instrument - Jennifer Crook, Producer, MainArtist, Singing/Vocals, Guitar (acoustic) - Jennifer Josephine Crook, Composer, Lyricist
2022 Transatlantic Roots
Album review
A finalist of the BBC Radio 2 Young Tradition Award competition way back in 1993, Bath-based harpist Jennifer Crook has been a stalwart of the traditional British folk scene ever since, with stints in Cythara, Madigan, and world fusion act Elephant Talk, as well as becoming an established session musician for the likes of Eddi Reader, Boo Hewerdine, and Susheela Raman. But following her 2004 release with fiddler Henry Sears (Chasing the Dawn), A Few Small Things is the first time in her accomplished career that she's taken center stage. Largely eschewing the instrument she's renowned for, Crook has instead picked up her Gibson guitar and recorded ten sparse and highly intimate acoustic tracks suggesting that her time in the limelight is well overdue. The minimal arrangements of the Leonard Cohen-esque "Broken Dreams for Sale," the rustic melancholy of "A Bicycle in Need of Repair," and the delicate nostalgia of "Everything Changes" don't exactly leap out of the stereo on first listen, but Crook's light enchanting tones and subtle slow-burning melodies eventually reap their rewards over time, while the smattering of eclectic instrumentation, such as the Armenian duduk on opener "A Stranger in Love," the flamenco guitar on "A Rose in Morning," and Crook's beloved harp on "Penny" ensure that the album never becomes too repetitive. While the majority of the album seems designed to be played during a crowd-silencing folk festival set on a long summer's day, there are also a couple of offerings that might just find their way onto Radio 2 playlists, too. "Jane" is a gentle slice of lilting country-pop not exactly a million miles away from Colbie Caillat, while the gorgeously strummed acoustics, fretless basslines, and flashes of mandolin on "Too Much Rain" echo the Sundays at their most yearning. It might have taken her a while to go it alone, but A Few Small Things' exquisite sound shows that Crook's decision to bide her time has fully paid off.
© Jon O'Brien /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:44:08
- Main artists: Jennifer Crook
- Composer: Jennifer Josephine Crook
- Label: Transatlantic Roots
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
2022 Transatlantic Roots
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