ALBUM REVIEW: Dorothy Ashby with Frank Wess, 'Hip Harp' (1958, Prestige)

Breaking boundaries with a bold vision for jazz harp.

Dorothy Ashby was a pioneering multi-instrumentalist, renowned for establishing a unique space for the harp in jazz—a genre not typically associated with the instrument. Her second album, Hip Harp, underscores her serious ambitions and showcases her ongoing evolution as an improviser, featuring solos that are bolder than those on her 1957 debut, The Jazz Harpist.

To solidify Ashby's status as an authoritative new voice in jazz, the record predominantly features lively bop tunes rather than veering towards more romantic ballads. Three of these are her own compositions, including "Jollity," where she challenges herself to play a catchy melodic line with the rapid-fire pace typical of a saxophonist or a trumpeter.

Of course, Hip Harp also thrives on Ashby's interplay with the virtuoso flautist Frank Wess, who fronts the quartet alongside her. Their chemistry is exemplified in the call-and-response structure of "Back Chat," and they find fascinating ways to interact on more ambitious tracks, including the bluesy opener "Pawky" and the swinging closer "There's a Small Hotel." The latter is one of the few moments on the record where Ashby uses her harp’s celestial twinkling to great emotional effect, further demonstrating her intent to break free from the instrument's more familiar conventions.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Top Tracks: "Pawky," "Jollity," "There's a Small Hotel"

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