Corey Harris
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Corey Harris | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | February 21, 1969 Denver, Colorado,United States |
| Genres | Blues,reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals,guitar |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Alligator,Rounder,Telarc |
| Members | Chris Whitley (keyboards), Paul Dudley, (drums) Gordon Jones (saxophone), Jayson Morgan (bass) |
| Website | https://coreyharris.net |
Corey Harris(born February 21, 1969, inDenver, Colorado,United States) is an Americanbluesandreggaemusician,[1]currently residing inCharlottesville,Virginia.Along withKeb' Mo'andAlvin Youngblood Hart,he raised the flag ofacousticguitarblues in the mid-1990s.[2]He was featured on the 2003PBStelevisionmini-series,The Blues,in an episodedirectedbyMartin Scorsese.
Biography
[edit]Harris was born and raised near Denver, Colorado.[1]He graduated fromBates CollegeinLewiston, Mainewith a bachelor's degree in 1991, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2007. Harris received aThomas J. Watson Fellowshipfor language studies inCameroonin his early twenties, before taking a teaching post inNapoleonville, Louisianaunder theTeach For Americaprogram.[2][3]His debutsoloalbumBetween Midnight and Day(1995) was produced by Grammy nominee/composer/producer Larry Hoffman, who discovered him in 1994 inHelena, Arkansas.The record included covers ofSleepy John Estes,Fred McDowell,Charlie Patton,Muddy Waters,andBooker White.[2]His second recording with Hoffman,Fish Ain't Bitin',was the recipient of the 1997W. C. Handy AwardforBest Acoustic Blues Album of the Year.Recorded in New Orleans, it featured Harris' original songs, vocal, and guitar backed on certain tracks by a trio of tuba and two trombones arranged by producer Hoffman. In 2002, Harris collaborated withAli Farka Toureon hisalbumMississippi to Mali,fusing blues and Toure's music from northernMali.In 2003, he contributed to theNorthern BluesreleaseJohnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash.
Harris has lived and traveled widely inWest Africa,an influence that has permeated much of his work.[1]Harris has toured extensively throughoutEurope,Canada,West Africa,JapanandAustralia.He is known for hissoloacoustic work as well as his electricband,formerly known as the '5 x 5', now known as The Corey Harris Band. He helpedBilly BraggandWilcoto write the music for "Hoodoo Voodoo" onMermaid Avenue,an album consisting entirely of songs for which the lyrics were written byWoody Guthrie.He also appeared as a musician and vocalist on the album and its sequels,Mermaid Avenue Vol. IIandMermaid Avenue Vol. III.
In September 2007, TheJohn D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundationannounced that Harris was among 24 people namedMacArthur Fellowsfor 2007.[4]The Fellowship, worth $500,000, is payable over five years.
Discography
[edit]Solo
[edit]- 1995:Between Midnight and Day(Alligator)
- 1997:Fish Ain't Bitin'(Alligator)
- 1999:Greens from the Garden(Alligator)
- 2000:Vu-Du MenzwithHenry Butler(Alligator)
- 2001:Live at Starr Hill 1/27/01(Njumba)
- 2002:Downhome Sophisticate(Rounder)
- 2003:Mississippi to Mali(Rounder)
- 2005:Daily Bread(Rounder)
- 2007:Zion Crossroads(Telarc)
- 2009:blu.black(Telarc)
- 2011:Father Sun Mother Earth(Njumba)
- 2012:Motherless Child (with Lutan Fyah)
- 2013:Fulton Blues
- 2013:Rasta Blues Experience Live
- 2014:Fulton Blues (Deluxe Edition)
- 2015:Live! from Turtle Island
- 2016Live in Vienna
- 2018Free Water Way
- 2019Louisa County Blues[5]
Contributions to others
[edit]- 1998:Mermaid Avenue
- 2000:Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
- 2003:Johnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash(Northern Blues)[6]
- 2005:Come to the Mountain: Old Time Music for Modern Times
- 2012:Mermaid Avenue Vol. III,issued as part ofMermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions
References
[edit]- ^abcColin Larkin,ed. (2000).The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music(First ed.).Virgin Books.p. 187.ISBN0-7535-0427-8.
- ^abcRussell, Tony (1997).The Blues - From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray.Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. pp. 116–117.ISBN1-85868-255-X.
- ^Burns, Jay (26 April 2010)."Corey Harris '91 | Commencement | Bates College".Bates.edu.Retrieved2015-09-07.
- ^"Corey Harris — MacArthur Foundation".Macfound.org.Retrieved28 August2016.
- ^"Corey Harris | Album Discography".AllMusic.RetrievedDecember 8,2019.
- 2021The Insurrection Blues
- ^Harris contributed his version of "Redemption", originally found on Cash'sAmerican Recordings.
External links
[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1969 births
- Living people
- African-American guitarists
- American blues singers
- American blues guitarists
- American male guitarists
- Bates College alumni
- Musicians from Charlottesville, Virginia
- American slide guitarists
- Watson Fellows
- MacArthur Fellows
- Singers from Denver
- Guitarists from Colorado
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 20th-century African-American male singers
- 20th-century American male singers
- 20th-century American singers
- 21st-century African-American male singers
- 21st-century American male singers
- African-American banjoists