Lori Andrews - Bossame Mucho (1994)

Jazz harpists are a real rarity but, even if they were plentiful, Lori Andrews would rank near the top of her field. On this set of unaccompanied solos, Andrews performs selections from the likes of Kenny Dorham ("Blue Bossa"), Sting, Grover Washington, Jr., Jobim, Clare Fischer ("Morning"), and Michael Franks, among others. No matter the source, she turns all of the music into swinging and sometimes funky jazz. Her playing is very self-sufficient with often two independent lines and rhythm being heard, yet there was no overdubbing on this date. Listeners who think of the harp as only capable of producing pretty background music are in for a surprise, particularly when hearing the harder-swinging performances.