Rating:
Genre:
Jazz
Release Date: 04/04/2006
For the uninitiated, it's understandable to assume that the artists on
Steve Vai's record label,
Favored Nations, must be from the same hard-rocking, six-string shredding variety. But this is certainly not the case, as evidenced by the 2006 double-disc release by
Mimi Fox,
Perpetually Hip. A Bay Area-based guitarist,
Fox is a
jazz guitarist through and through -- and not
fusion, either, as her main influences include such
jazz greats as
Joe Pass,
Wes Montgomery, and
Grant Green. On
Perpetually Hip,
Fox follows a guideline for each disc -- the first sees
Fox playing alongside a trio of New York musicians (pianist
Xavier Davis, bassist
Harvie S., and drummer
Billy Hart), as the quartet mixes a few
Fox originals with covers. The second disc, on the other hand, is solo, and comprised solely of interpretations of
jazz standards. No flashy tricks here, just fantastically clean
jazz playing, as evidenced by such disc one standouts as the album-opening title track and
"While Bangkok Sleeps," as well such disc two highlights as
Duke Ellington's
"Caravan" and
George Gershwin's
"Someone to Watch Over Me." The respected
jazz publication
Down Beat has been praising
Fox's talents for years now (named "Rising Star" for three consecutive years), and it all comes together for the guitarist on
Perpetually Hip.
~Greg Prato, All Music Guide
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