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CDS - $25.00 (includes postage within Australia).

To purchase direct, please contact Jo Jo for account details on [email protected] or the contact page!

Jojosmithsoul.com

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CD Review - David Bentley (Musician)

Jo Jo Smith’s rich and soulful voice has long been an inspiration to her fans and the musicians lucky enough to work with her.

This album captures a remarkable vocalist at the height of her powers: a diverse musical cocktail of 11 tracks that moves effortlessly through rhythm n blues, L.A. grooves, heartfelt ballads and contemporary country.

Jo Jo is that rare singer who covers a diversity of genres with consummate ease.

The album's leading track, Smooth Ride, delivers a no-nonsense groove. Pick It Up, which follows, offers a paean of praise to the power of dreams. Track three, Sneakin’ Out The Back Door showcases Jo Jo’s impeccable vocals and also pays homage to Greg Lyon’s brilliant bass playing.

Then there’s Before The Cold, an emotional lament that underlines Jo Jo’s ability to plumb the essence of a ballad. The inclusion of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon brings a pleasing change of pace with Michel Rose providing both strummed guitars and pedal steel.

Here’s To You references 50s doo wop, and is both a resonance of more innocent times and a powerful expression of love, sung with feeling plus plus.

Chinese Whispers, co-written by Greg and Rick Fenn, places Jo Jo in L.A.funk territory, a zone in which she is totally at home. Dig the interplay between Jo Jo’s scat vocal and Brendan St Ledger’s Moog.

Jo Jo continues in funky groove mode with It’s A Jungle Out There, a song ideally suited to her gritty rhythm n blues delivery. The band sounds great, with quirky solos from guitarist Aaron West and keyboardist Brendan St Ledger.

Carl Pannuzzo’s anthem, Nothing Stronger Than The Sun, finds Jo Jo in gently reflective mode, followed by Until We Meet Again, a cool L.A. influenced song by guitarist Paul Cheeseman (who performs on the track) and Rick Fenn.

Closing track, Sun’s Gonna Shine Again, co-written by Jo Jo and Greg Lyon makes a romping, uplifting finale to a beautifully produced album that has been a long time coming - but has been well worth the wait.

CD REVIEW - BILLY PINNELL (MELBOURNE-BASED RADIO PRESENTER AND MUSIC JOURNALIST)

WHAT A PLEASURE IT IS FOR ME TO DRAW TO YOUR ATTENTION THE RELEASE OF A NEW ALBUM FROM ONE OF OUR GREAT FEMALE SINGERS, JO JO SMITH.

RECORDED IN THE BYRON BAY STUDIO OF MUSICIAN/PRODUCER GREG LYON WHO ASSEMBLED AN ALL STAR LINE UP OF NORTH COAST SONGWRITER/MUSICIANS, JO JO'S SOULFUL, EXPRESSIVE VOCALS BRING TO LIFE SONGS THAT REFERENCE FUNK, GOSPEL, SOUL, COUNTRY, THE SPIRIT OF STEELY DAN AND A COVER OF NEIL YOUNG'S 'HARVEST MOON'.

JO JO'S NEW ALBUM IS APPROPRIATELY TITLED 'HERE'S TO YOU', SEEK IT OUT VIA THE USUAL ON LINE OUTLETS AND EXPERIENCE THE TALENTS OF THIS GREAT ARTIST.

"STANDING IN THE
LOVE LIGHT"

This CD, recorded at Jim Kelly's
Tone Ranger Studio, features 8 original songs and 4 covers.
A big, funky and very groovy production recorded with some of the country's finest musicians.

Rhythms Magazine Review:
"JoJo Smith is a true soul singer. She sings soul music. She sings with and through her soul. Continuing to make music under her own steam (and terms), Smith turned to crowdfunding for the first time in order to complete her latest album, Standing In The Lovelight. Her Pozible campaign enabled her to pay Jim Kelly to engineer the record, and to secure a crack band including Kelly, Greg Lyon, Dave Sanders and Steve Russell.

For those who have witnessed the guts and passion of Smith’s performances, Standing In The Lovelight is a far more considered and produced affair in comparison; a true studio album. Indeed, as the articulate and restrained funk of ’20 Hail Marys’ slinks through the speakers, you can’t help but be reminded of those studio gurus Steely Dan.
Though Smith has an almighty weapon in her voice, she reserves its power, striking only when necessary. She clearly enjoys being able to explore its gentler ranges in the studio. Her version of Donny Hathaway’s ‘Someday We’ll All Be Free’ here for evidence of that range.

The four cover songs chosen for this record – Sting’s ‘Fragile’, Daniel Lanois’ ‘The Maker’ and The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ on top of the Hathaway song – demonstrate the diversity of Smith’s tastes. And also her uncanny ability to make a song her own – the darker blues drive on ‘Blackbird’ is particularly striking.
Smith’s own material ruminates on love and mortality, her uplifting ‘This Is All There Is’ particularly revealing of her own positive attitude to life."

Martin Jones, Rythms Magazine

HERE's To YOU