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Spotlights [Issue
#
20 ]
Mimi Fox:
Perpetually Hip
By
Scott Yanow
A top jazz guitarist
based in San Francisco, Mimi Fox recently came out with a two-CD set, Perpetually
Hip, on the Favored Nations label. One disc features her fluent, creative
guitar in a quartet with pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Harvie S., and drummer
Billy Hart, while the second CD is a set of unaccompanied guitar solos, some of
which recall the brilliant virtuosity of Joe Pass, one of Ms. Fox’s early
inspirations.
“I have long
felt that I have two different sides to my musical personality,” says the
guitarist, “a solo voice and a group voice. Steve Vai, the president and
CEO of Favored Nations, has been very supportive of my playing. A double-CD
seemed like the logical move at this point. Perpetually Hip came
together pretty fast. One of my friends was kind enough to set me up with
a home studio where I could record my stuff whenever I wanted. I recorded
my solo guitar at home at my leisure but nearly every performance ended up being
the first or second take anyway. The first or second attempts usually have
most of the magic rather than trying to make something ‘perfect’ that
ends up sounding lifeless. For the quartet numbers, I had wanted to record
with Harvie S., who I work with as a duo fairly often even though we live on different
coasts. I’ve admired Billy Hart’s drumming over the years and Harvie
recommended Xavier Davis. I flew to New York, we went in the studio and nailed
the music quickly.”
The quartet performances mix together originals (including the catchy “Perpetually
Hip” which is dedicated to the much-beloved publicist, Merilee Trost) and
standards such as a cooking “The Song Is You,” a samba version of “Alone
Together,” and a sensitive interpretation of “So Many Stars.” Six
standards are explored on the solo half of the twofer including “Caravan,”
“Alone Together,” and “When The Saints Go Marching In.” “It
is ironic that ‘The Saints’ is on the set because I actually recorded
it before Hurricane Katrina happened. It became sadly poignant that this
CD came out after Katrina, so I’m giving a portion of my sales to different
recovery efforts in New Orleans, which seems like the right thing to do.”
Long one of the top guitarists living in Northern California, Mimi Fox was born
and raised in New York, starting off as a drummer. “My dad had all
of these old Dixieland records and I used to play along, also playing drums in
school bands. My mother sang professionally until I was 12 or 13, so I used to
hear the great American songbook as a kid. I started on the guitar when I
was ten, listening to the pop and folk stuff of the era. By a fluke I got
ahold of John Coltrane’s Giant Steps recording when I was 14, which blew
my mind. A few years later, I saw McCoy Tyner play in concert. Those were
transforming experiences. I always felt that jazz was something special,
but it was not until I moved to San Francisco in 1979 and started studying jazz
guitar with Bruce Forman that I became really serious about it.”
She developed quickly and since that time has recorded regularly as a leader,
including for Monarch (Turtle Logic and Kicks), Origin (Standards and as a sideperson
with saxophonist Don Lanphere and singer Greta Matassa) and Favored Nations (She’s
The Woman). She has also worked in a variety of settings including with the
singers of Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra (where she functioned as an orchestra
behind their voices), sharing guitar nights with the late Charlie Byrd, working
with organist Joey DeFrancesco and playing duets with Harvie S.
Although Mimi Fox has performed all over the world, she loves living in San Francisco. “The
weather in San Francisco is very amenable to hiking, biking, and being outdoors. I
also am the chair of the guitar department at the jazz school at Berkeley. I
enjoy teaching and care about my students. I do go back to New York often
for gigs and am also teaching at NYU this summer.”
For the future, the guitarist is particularly interested in developing her compositional
skills. “I have been writing large ensemble works recently including
a sweeping piece about my great experiences in Japan back in 2000. I am getting
more creative harmonically and rhythmically and it’s fun. Of course
I want to also keep on developing as a solo artist in addition to my composing.”
With the release of Perpetually Hip, Mimi Fox has recorded one of her best
all-round sets, a perfect introduction for listeners who should be very much aware
of her distinctive, swinging, and creative guitar playing.
Perpetually Hip
Favored Nations Cool
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