Amanda Whiting is a highly-acclaimed Welsh harpist & composer. A virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician has established herself in recent years as an essential player in the UK jazz scene.

Over the past few years, she's had the support of radio stations & tastemakers such as BBC Radio 2 (Jamie Cullum), BBC 6 Music (Cerys Matthews). BBC Radio 3 (Soweto Kinch), Selector Radio (Sian Eleri), NTS Radio (Patrick Forge), FiP (Laurent Garnier), Soho Radio (Tina Edwards) and across Jazz FM, who also nominated her for 'Instrumentalist of the Year'.

Amanda joined the roster of Worldwide Award-winning independent London-based label First Word Records in late 2023, initially via a collaborative project with Don Leisure on 'Beyond The Midnight Sun', as well as a feature on his Welsh Music Prize nominated project 'Shaboo Strikes Back'.

She followed the 'Liminality of Her' record late last year with a divine album of seasonal favourites, from Bill Evans to Vince Guaraldi, on 'A Christmas Cwtch'.

Amanda's 2024 album 'The Liminality of Her' featured in Spotify's 'Best UK Jazz of 2024' and received glowing reviews in Jazzwise, Somewhere Soul, Bandcamp, Clash, AllMusic, Harp Column, Apple Music and HHV, to name a few, along with numerous 'Album of the Year' nods and various other accolades, garnering praise critically and publicly.

Mojo Magazine cites Amanda's compositions as "cinematic, lyrical and lissom by turns".

Amanda has previously performed, toured and collaborated with a wildly eclectic set of artists, including Matthew Halsall, Rebecca Vasmant, DJ Yoda, Gizmo Varillas and Chip Wickham, whilst previously releasing three solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for the Albert's Favourites imprint.

She's performed with her own trio at numerous festivals across Europe, including We Out Here, and had headline shows at The Jazz Cafe and Hootananny in London, with an upcoming show at the legendary Ronnie Scott's in June 2025.

'Can You See Me Now?' is another triumphant opus from Whiting; laidback, deliciously jazzy and thematically inquisitive, featuring some exceptional production and accompaniment from Adam Scrimshire (Albert's Favourite). The EP begins with the crackling 'Old Ways' intro (inspired by 'Naderman No.6 for Harp') leading into opening track 'Contented'; an epic ethereal piece of tranquil spiritual jazz, complete with the gloriously powerful vocal harmonies of Faye Houston. This sets the mood perfectly for this project, as we head into a short solo for Whiting on 'Still' which appears as it says on the tin. A moment of calm. Lead single 'What Is It We Need?' commences with dusty upright bass from Whiting Trio member Aidan Thorne, ahead of a beautiful goosebump-enducing lead-vocal from the national treasure that is Alice Russell (Tru Thoughts); an absolute powerhouse in her own right. 'Intent' picks up the pace a touch with some delightfully skippy jungle-esque drums from Jon Reynolds. 'It Could Be' follows; a soulful string-laden stepper, again featuring Faye Houston, and hits like the delicate breath of a Summer breeze. We close the set with the appropriately-named 'Moving On', which takes us out with a slightly-warped phasing dreamlike ambience.

The vinyl version of the EP also features two bonus tracks; an instrumental of 'What Is It We Need?' and the wonderful upbeat bop 'Mary Over There', which featured on the recent digital-only deluxe version of 'The Liminality of Her'.

TRACK LISTING

1. Contented
2. Still
3. What Is It We Need? (feat. Alice Russell)
4. Mary Over There
5. Intent
6. It Could Be
7. What Is It We Need? (Instrumental)
8. Moving On

Expertly crafted with love, care and dedication, 'A Christmas Cwtch' takes on assorted classics from the likes of Vince Guaraldi, Bill Evans, Holst and Tchaikovsky, and re-presents them with original arrangements by Amanda and her accomplished trio. The end result is a 14-track selection pack of feel-good seasonal jazz-harp magic, including recent singles 'Peace Piece' and 'Skating'.

Amanda says "just mention Christmas and you hear Guaraldi, Bill Evans and the sound of sleigh bells and harps. It's my favourite time of year and the music evokes everything warm and cwtchy. Sparkling lights, mince pies, mulled wine and nostalgia around the tree."

On the word 'cwtch', Amanda explains that "a 'cwtch' is the most important word to Welsh folk. It's a hug, with a little squeeze. It's a feeling. It's cosy, loving and safe. I wanted this album to hold you, cwtch you and allow you to indulge."

Inspired by artists like Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, Amanda is a classically trained virtuoso, well established in the UK jazz scene, with releases on Jazzman and Albert's Favourites.

Her most recent projects were released on Worldwide Award-winning UK label, First Word; 'Beyond the Midnight Sun' (with label-mate and Welsh Music Prize nominee, Don Leisure) and the hugely popular 2024 album 'The Liminality of Her', which received widespread praise in outlets such as Jazzwise, Mojo, Clash, Bandcamp, AllMusic, Somewhere Soul, HHV, Apple Music and Harp Column.

She has had wide support on the airwaves from tastemakers such as Cerys Matthews (BBC 6 Music), Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM), Deb Grant (BBC 6 Music), Patrick Forge (NTS), Soweto Kinch (BBC Radio 3), Kev Beadle (Totally Wired), Tina Edwards (Soho Radio), Laurent Garnier (FiP) and Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2).

'A Christmas Cwtch' exemplifies Amanda's talent and personality simultaneously, celebrating an array of her favourite things; the harp, her Welshness, her love of jazz, her love of classical music and her love of Christmas. This album is an absolute delight, and the perfect soundtrack for the season. An essential stocking filler!

TRACK LISTING

1. The Night Before (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Intro)
2. In The Bleak Midwinter
3. Christmas Is Coming
4. Christmas Time Is Here
5. Sugarplum
6. Happiness Theme
7. Little Elfy
8. Skating
9. Peace Piece
10. Deck The Halls
11. The Christmas Song
12. O Christmas Tree
13. We Three Kings
14. Has He Been? (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Outro)

A virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician has quickly established herself as an essential player in the UK jazz scene, carving her own unique sound, following on from the paths forged by Ashby and Coltrane.

Amanda recently joined the First Word label roster, via a collaborative project with Don Leisure, 'Beyond The Midnight Sun', as well as a feature on his Welsh Music Prize nominated project 'Shaboo Strikes Back'.

She's previously toured extensively with her own band, as well as with Matthew Halsall, Rebecca Vasmant, DJ Yoda and Chip Wickham (who also features on this new project), whilst previously releasing three solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for Scrimshire's Albert's Favourites imprint. Along the way, there's been a nomination for 'Instrumentalist of the Year' from Jazz FM and she's garnered the support of DJs such as Radio 2's Jamie Cullum ("highly recommended") and BBC 6Music's Cerys Matthews ("my highlight of the Cheltenham Jazz festival 2023").

This 10-track album exemplifies Amanda's talents as a performer and composer, taking in an array of hypnotising sonics from the worlds of jazz; from fusion to spiritual and beyond. She is backed with accompaniment from a remarkable set of players in their own right, including Chip Wickham on flute and PEACH. on vocals. A confident display of purposefully blissful compositions that saunter as much as they soothe, whilst being unafraid to lean into some deep uptempo grooves.

Amanda describes the theme of this project as "liminality... that place in between, the transition from one place to another. No longer what it was, yet not what it's going to be.

The harp always presents itself at these moments. It's a sound that causes an emotion. My instrument chose me. It's been with me through every chapter of life. It's how I speak, especially when there are no words.

This album is a rite of passage for "her". A feeling of alchemy, a feeling of liberation. Moments of inner searching, intertwined, waiting but moving forward. Never looking back.

'The Liminality of Her' encompasses the highs and the lows. The nomadic love of freedom and spirituality. It's all so much bigger than you or I…"

From the cinematic, classical fusion of 'After Dark', to the more playful 'Lost in Abstraction', this album invites you to float in a soundscape of liminality...

TRACK LISTING

1. Finding The Way
2. Facing The Sun
3. Intertwined (feat. PEACH.)
4. Liminal
5. Nomad
6. Alchemy
7. Waiting To Go (feat. Chip Wickham)
8. No Turning Back
9. Rite Of Passage (feat. PEACH.)
10. Feels So Far Away

'Beyond The Midnight Sun' expands upon ground first explored on Don Leisure's track 'All Praises Due', which also featured Amanda (with Angel Bat Dawid), and featured on his previous album 'Shaboo Strikes Back'. This is a full-length project that these two formidable Welsh artists have collaborated on together.

To bring you up to speed, Cardiff DJ and beat-maker Don Leisure has been twice nominated for the Welsh Music Prize, with the afore-mentioned album 'Shaboo Strikes Back', and a previous project, 'Steel Zakusi'. As well as being 50% of Darkhouse Family with Earl Jeffers, he's released music under various monikers on labels such as Metalheadz, International Anthem, Fat City, Earnest Endeavours, Group BraCil and on Rough Trade with another regular collaborator, Gruff Rhys. Other collabs have included Charlotte Church, Om'Mas Keith, DJ Spinna and First Word label-mate Tyler Daley (Children of Zeus).

His DJ portfolio includes sets for BBC 6 Music, NTS, Rinse FM, Solid Steel, Boxout FM (India), The Jazz Cafe, Fabric and Boiler Room, while previous support has come from Lauren Laverne, Tom Ravenscroft, Huw Stephens, Lefto, Rob Da Bank, Huey Morgan, Jon1st, Om Unit, Kid Fonque, Mr Thing and many more. His album 'Shaboo' was named "the best album of its kind since J Dilla's 'Donuts'" by Piccadilly Records.

Joining him throughout this project, we have the pleasure of welcoming the phenomenal talents of highly-acclaimed harpist Amanda Whiting to the First Word label. A virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician quickly established herself as an essential player in the UK jazz scene, carving her unique sound following the paths forged by Ashby and Coltrane.

She's toured extensively with her own band, as well as with Matthew Halsall, Chip Wickham, DJ Yoda and Rebecca Vasmant, whilst previously releasing three solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for Scrimshire's Albert's Favourites imprint. Along the way, there's been a nomination for 'Instrumentalist of the Year' from Jazz FM and she's garnered the support of DJs such as Radio 2's Jamie Cullum ("highly recommended") and 6 Music's Cerys Matthews ("my highlight of the Cheltenham Jazz festival 2023").

Don explains more…

"The project is a journey down the road that was revealed to me on 'All Praises Due' on 'Shaboo Strikes Back'. Amanda's willingness and eagerness to continue collaborating was a dream come true. Being able to get harp parts from someone who is so open minded is such a rare treat that a deeper project was inevitable.

I wanted to move in a different direction from the beat tape format on my previous releases while still maintaining the core Don Leisure sound, fused with live instrumentation and vocals etc".

The talents of Deborah Jordan are also featured on a couple of the album's tracks. Deborah is a stalwart in the UK soul and jazz scene in her own right, working over the years with artists like 4Hero, Bugz In The Attic, Ty, Jneiro Jarel, K15, Robert Mitchell and Kaidi Tatham (someone who's collaborated with all the players on this release at some point).

'Beyond The Midnight Sun' is a 7-track affair comprised of delectable spiritual jazz fused with hip hop beats, psychedelic electronics and a touch of soul.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A beautifully rendered mix of chilled lounge percussion and downbeat atmospherics with Whiting's beautiful harp floating atop the deep roots. It's propulsive and dynamic without being frantic, calm without being one-dimensional. Gorgous psychedelic nu jazz flavours in a beautiful package.

TRACK LISTING

1. Walk With Us (feat. Amanda Whiting)
2. Just Be (Free) [feat. Amanda Whiting & Deborah Jordan]
3. The First Chant (feat. Amanda Whiting)
4. Beyond The Midnight Sun (feat. Amanda Whiting)
5. Peace Of Mind (feat. Amanda Whiting & Deborah Jordan)
6. Crying Tiger (feat. Amanda Whiting)
7. Third Bass (feat. Amanda Whiting)

Following her successful debut album After Dark, new ideas have led Whiting to create Lost in Abstraction. More than the expected ethereal washes of sound, the album playfully embraces her many influences into a soundscape of modernity. With rhythmical energies and the indulgent richness of an instrument so often associated with Ashby and Coltrane, the album resonates, leaving the listener lost in abstraction.

"This album explores so many elements of life. From my influences in music, to my own personal struggles. After 2 years of a pandemic, many of us feel lost and confused with our lines blurred. Life is now different. By removing our own applied restrictions of preconceptions and habits, which often choke us, we feel lost. But it is only at this point that we find ourselves."

TRACK LISTING

1. Abstraction
2. Lost
3. Venus Fly Trap
4. Temptation
5. Too Much
6. Where Would We Be
7. Up There
8. Discarded
9. Suspended
10. Got It?

Taking cues from Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane at their most delicate, renowned Welsh harpist Amanda Whiting's mesmerising Jazzman full-length LPAfter Darkarrives as soft as moonlight to gladden the soul and delight the ear—without forgetting to bring the swing.

Summoning the nocturnal mood suggested by the album's title, Whiting's harp flows and cascades, dances and alights, broods and haunts, informed by a deep understanding of both classical and jazz music, ultimately revealing a top-drawer composer with rare melodic gifts at the top of her game. From the melancholy opening track 'Time Stands Still' to the more rhythmically unorthodox 'Who Knows' to the achingly beautiful title track, the album is underpinned by a supportive band, John Reynolds on drums and Aidan Thorne on bass, who are perfectly suited to engage in an effortless, intimate musical dialogue.

Already an inveterate international jazz festival performer with Matthew Halsall's Gondwana Orchestra, Whiting has supported and performed with a diverse range of Djs and jazz and pop artists including Jamie Cullum, DJ Yoda, Rebecca Vasmant, True Jazzchild, Danii Minogue, Jazzanova, and Chip Wickham (who features on three tracks onAfter Dark,adding a touch of the graceful warmth for which he has been so justly acclaimed). And as Jazz harp teacher at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and RNCM, Amanda is as warmly received in the lecture hall as the concert hall. Be sure to to expect more from Amanda in the not too distant future.

TRACK LISTING

1. Time Stands Still
2. Messed Up
3. Who Knows
4. Stay For One
5. Strut Your Stuff
6. After Dark
7. Leave Me Be
8. The Feist
9. Gone
10. Just Blue
11. Back To It
12. After Dark (Remix)