American Blues News - "Dedicated to the promotion and celebration of the Blues."

Equal parts harmonica wizard and rhythmic explorer, Harper constantly blurs the lines between blues, rock, soul and world music. We spent some time together when he visited Rochester, NY and I spoke with him a few days later to fill in some blanks that my consumption of Impaled Ale created in my memory bank!

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CJ:
Good to talk with you again, when I last saw you you and the band were tearing up the Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester, NY in support of your latest Blind Pig release 'Stand Together'. Then I hear you were in a big smash up in North Carolina ?

PH:
Well we were going thru North Carolina, it was pouring rain and a woman spun out and came crashing into us. That was pretty nasty, we're just lucky we survived. The damage was pretty bad, but as long as we could close the sliding door we thought we would just go on and finish the tour. I'm hoping it's a write off, it's every panel on one side has been smashed, so hoping that with 200,000 miles on it we can a new van. One thing we didn't realize was that when we bought the van we got this thing called 'gap insurance', we didn't know what it was but we are sure glad we got it.

CJ:
I believe it covers the cost of what the car is worth to what you still owe. Brandon Santini was in a big smash up the other day too. It really brings to the forefront how dangerous it is out there for you folks who make a living on the road. Please be careful.

PH:
I think it's all the cell phone use, texting is so distracting – hell, your going ninety miles an hour with one hand on the wheel. I was going about fifty with my flashers on …her car was totaled, but fortunately she was not hurt. We've been on the road like ten years, and had three smash ups and none were our fault. So we will head back to Michigan at the end of this part of the tour and go to our local shop and start all over again.

CJ:
Your new release Stand Together is getting rave reviews, air play on Bluesville and seems like the shows are pulling in fans, old and new. How did you come up with this unique sound? Your influences...

PH:
We like to call it World Blues fusion, a combo of everything I like, I like the Blues, Jazz, Folk, the biggest problem is that some people think we are just blues or just rock. I am a bit of everything, which can be a problem at times, fortunately for me the Blues people have been very open and accepting of my music, including Blind Pig for letting me do my music and not interfering.

CJ:
Well when I first heard you, I didn't quite equate you with the Blues, more Rock.

PH:
The blues rock style is very popular in Australia, more rockin' blues, like Midnight Oil, INXS, they all started as bar bands doing bluesy music. All hard working bands, and when they come to America they are super tight and have their stuff together due to the fact that there weren't a lot of venues to play so to rise to the top they had to be the best. Let's not forget AC/DC they started as a blues band in their earlier days.

CJ:
So did you start in this form of Harper, like with this sound profile?

PH:
I was with a trio doing Bukka White, Sonny Boy, Muddy – I love all that – but when I came to America I didn't want to do that, there were enough people doing it and doing it really well here in the home of the Blues.. So I decided to stick to my guns and go with my own stuff, not trying to win people over with familiar stuff.

CJ:
That's a bold move, no?

PH:
Well in the beginning it was tough, the first few years it was kinda hard, till Blind Pig took us on. We started getting a lot of air play especially on XM Bluesville with Bill Wax, he's been very supportive. Fans, writers all have helped us tremendously. I mean we have spent a lot of time together, you know I love my blues but I'm into playing music that's influenced by all the factors mentioned earlier. This last album I just didn't care, I'm going to write how I feel, and however it turns out so be it. I think it's the first time I ever did that, funny thing is that it's getting fantastic reviews, all very positive and exciting.

CJ:
The payoff for being oneself, that's got to be rewarding.

PH:
It makes me feel good that I'm getting abit of love for the music, which is the most important part of what we are doing.

CJ:
Yeah you want your music appreciated in the end.

PH:
yeh it's been going super well, we can play anywhere from a biker bar to a concert hall and get the same amount of love from people. We played at this bar where the security were bikers and they came to us and said we were the best damn band the place had ever had, it's awesome. The you get like a ninety year old who just loves the music and even nineteen year olds who are into the jam band scene and they dig you too. That's what it's all about, I love that we cover so much ground with our music.

CJ:
At one point I saw you and you had looped some didgeridoo sounds and played harp over them, much like on yer releases, it was great to hear them together. Are you doing that more with this tour?

PH:
I got a loop pedal, but a lot of clubs don't have the system to facilitate it. At first I didn't want to get into the overdub/tape thing but then I realised it was a great sound when combined and I wasn't hurting anyone , it's not like there are many didgeridoo purists here in America, so why not put it in and get as close to the original sound as I can.
Yeah the last time I played in Rochester we were really great, the people were all dancing, many stayed all night, usually by midnight they leave but this last time they stayed. I believe it is a tribute to our music that we are playing. We have completely changed our show from what we were doing before. But that's the beauty of having a band that all live in the same state. It's so easy to call them up and spend a few weeks at it before we go on the road. People want to see you progress and move forward with your music, they are your fans but want you to show that you care enough to push the limits of what you do.

CJ:
True, sure there are certain songs that we all love and want to hear...

PH:
They want to hear the previous album, the familiar stuff, of course, like Last Cup of Coffee and Gimme The Money, has always been a big requested song. I mean I'll play them, but the new stuff starts to take precedence.

CJ:
yeh but those songs have a certain charm to them, it is what I call the voice of the common man, not cynical but life's views shaped by actual occurrences and day to day living.

PH:
Well that's true, I was brought up in a working class background. My grandfather on my fathers' side was a concert pianist, while on my mother's side he was a bricklayer who would gets lots of beer in him at the pub and sing English folk songs.

CJ:
Hah, not unlike a lot of us, tho' maybe not English folk songs !

PH:
But he was a tremendous inspiration cos he couldn't sing a lick. Now, my dad was a pen and ink artist and he pushed me to learn something. I went to school and learned Brass and studied music examination, which has helped me write my music now. Man, knowing all that really helps, I'd love to write a movie soundtrack one day !

CJ:
That'd be cool, so this was in England ?

PH:
No, no I left England when I was eleven, I really grew up in Australia We do get back there (both places) to tour. It seems in Europe they are more accepting of the Blues, as a matter of fact we just found out we will be going to Italy in February 2011, it's our first time there.
They seem to really look after you in Europe, they were a big part of the Black Blues performers. Historically they have supported the scene....

CJ:
And they still do, look at all the Blues festivals throughout Europe, I was speaking with Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges about just that. He said he can play 365 days a year in Europe if he chose to, cause the support there is so great.

PH:
Yes, very supportive of the performers.

CJ:
Let's talk about Stand Together for a bit. Your songs have a certain feel to them, both musically and lyrically, and a certain truth to them also.

PH:
Well, Jimi I don't write about anything I don't know about, many artists do that and get bit in the arse by it. I read books, papers and Bobbi is great at giving me ideas to. In fact it was her who wanted me to write 'Love=Peace=Freedom'. She came up with the title and I was like, there's no way I can write a song about that, and lo and behold I went and did it.
Stand Together is really focused on unity, going back to the beliefs of the original people on this planet of wanting to live with the planet and not against it. Much like the Aboriginals of Australia, and Native Americans beliefs. The influence of the Aboriginals is very strong in my music and belief system.

CJ:
It's obvious in your music, the World Blues Fusion aspect of it, more so I think on Stand Together.

PH:
Well yeh, I had most of my band members on this recording. Our guitar player left just before these sessions, but Marc Dixon our drummer, and Chris Wiley Smith on bass played on it and contributed so much to the sound and feel of this one. I never used to put any performers on my CD's, well, there's a large difference between studio and live. In the Studio you have to be so much more focused. It was my return gift to them (Marc & Chris) to come into the studio and contribute, cause they are great musicians. I write all the parts and then we put it all together in studio.

CJ:
Yes that's interesting to me, but Marc has such a unique style of drumming and percussion that it translated very well in the studio, giving this release that 'Harper' feel.

PH:
He did kind of inspire me to become more tribal - you are influenced by your players when they have been with you awhile. I will write stuff with him in mind, thinking that this would be cool for Marc and talk to him about it and he say yeh that's great. So the interplay is important Marc was a percussionist before he was a drummer, so he has a strong tribal influence and he really works hard all the time. It's been great to work with him. Chris is fairly new but he has stepped up really big, he is a respectful player, he hears the whole thing and adds to it not trying to fight it, he lays a certain texture to the music.

CJ:
Your harp playing is quite nice, in it I hear Sonny Boy II, Sugar Blue it is a somewhat unique sound.

PH:
Sugar Blue is awesome, strong as ever, he is definitely one of the best. I think I was more influenced by guitar players. That's why many people say I play harp like a guitar player.

CJ:
Yeh I recall reading somewhere you were called the Jimi Hendrix of Harp players, that's pretty big praise.


PH:
We all listen and are influenced by others, you can't say you never listen to anyone else. Yes Sugar Blue was an interesting harp player to me, I finally got to meet him and he has been wonderful to me. I consider myself a singer, songwriter then harp player. I think I spent more time getting my amp to sound the way I want it to. I just buy my harps from the store and play 'em and put them down.

CJ:
You don't like tune each reed, and hand select the wood from indigenous trees in a small forest in Appalachia ? LOL

PH:
Well, now I'm with Hohner, I play Big Rivers, I really like them...

CJ:
You mean I can just go to the store and just buy a Big River harp and play like Harper?

PH:
Yes you can, they're pretty cool. But the amp sound is most important to the sound that gets produced. Most are to mid ranged for me, or too tinny, not warm enough. I found a guy in Australia who worked on the amp for months and gutted it and re-built it to get the sound I was looking for. These guys are incredible, Ross Giles, man I miss him. I'm looking for something smaller, the electronics are so much better now, I'm getting tired of carrying this big amp around.

CJ:
Cool, Peter thank you so much for taking time out from your day off to yak it up with me. Congratulations on the current and future success of Stand Together, and we will see you again in July.

Until next time,
Love Peace & Chicken Grease

copyright © 2010 – bluesuitspeaks, all rights reserved.
photo credits:
Leslie K. Joseph, chefjimi, Jim Nichols, Peter Harper
all photos used with permission.

Questions, comments email me: chefjimip@gmail.com