Corey Harris conveys African American blues story

Corey Harris won the MacArthur Fellowship, the $500,000 “genius award,” two years ago for his unrelenting quest to trace the blues back to Africa. This week the guitarist/vocalist/songwriter shares his discoveries with Blues Alley audiences through the 14 original blues and reggae songs he wrote for his 10th album, “blu.black.” His journey began as an anthropology major at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. After graduating, his yen to travel to Africa took him first to Cameroon to study linguistics. While traveling throughout Cameroon and Mali, Harris collected the native music and discovered a deep connection between the music sung there and the black music heard in this country.

“Music is a language and what I compose and play is an updating or retelling of the African music,” he said. “I had heard about the MacArthur Fellowship, but had no idea I would be a winner until they called me on the phone. They were interested in my connecting the music brought here by the slaves and where the blues originally came from. You can take people away from an environment, but you can’t take their music away. Even though they spent three months in the bottom of a ship, they would continue thinking about their musical traditions.

“When they landed, many of the slaves from Senegal, Gambia and Mali were taken to plantations in southern Louisiana and Mississippi and the delta blues grew from them. We know a great deal about Colonial Louisiana because the French kept good records of the slaves and noted what nations they came from. Many black people living today who grew up in southern Mississippi and Louisiana are their descendants.”

In “blu.black,” Harris incorporates a variety of musical styles and lyrics that cover subjects with deep meaning for all people. He composed the songs over the period of a half year, writing about three a month. The opening number, “Black,” spans soul and rap, held together by strong melody and rhythm. “Conquering Lion” is his tribute to Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia, who defended the tribe of Judah by standing up to Italy during World War II.

“Pimps and Thieves” rebukes the entertainment business for encouraging artists to forget who they are and where they came from, while reggae and island influences dominate “Babylon Walls” and “So Good To Me.” The closing number, “Blues,” brings the listener back to the present and appreciation of the blues influence on American music today.

Chris “Peanut” Whitley on the piano, organ and keyboard is the dynamic producer of the collection. The lovely voices of twins Davina and Davita Jackson blend beautifully with Harris, the throbbing sax and the relentless percussion.

Both Harris and Whitley live near Charlottesville, Va. They met when Harris attended one of Whitley’s shows and the two immediately forged a musical partnership. Thanks to the MacArthur grant, Harris is well on his way to completing his next acoustic recording with harmonica genius Phil Wiggins playing down-home blues. It will be followed by another recording with his band, a collection focused on soul and R&B.

“I want the Blues Alley audience to enjoy our music as they consider the present time, how we got where we are collectively and individually, and where we are going musically,” he said.