Name Peter Harper Role Musician · harper.biz | ||
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Albums ePocalypse, Live at St. Andrews, Day By Day People also search for Harper & the Midwest Kind, Black Jesus Experience, Smith Davis, Mulatu Astatke | ||
Music group Black Jesus Experience | ||
Peter D. Harper (born 10 November 1970) is an Australian-American blues rock harmonica player, singer and songwriter. His unusual slant on blues music includes the use of the didgeridoo. Billed with his backing band as Harper and Midwest Kind, his 2016 album, Show Your Love debuted at No. 9, and peaked at No. 3 in the US Billboard Blues Albums chart plus 25 weeks in the Top Ten.
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His interest in the blues was inspired by his grandfather's record collection which included work by Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Muddy Waters, and Little Walter.
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Life and career
Harper was born in Guildford, Surrey, England, but relocated with his parents to Perth, Western Australia at the age of 10. In the late 1970s he played in a brass band learning to play the euphonium and trumpet. Further inspired by Stevie Wonder's harmonica playing, Harper was self-taught on the instrument and played in clubs before securing his first recording contract. He had also performed with bands including the King Pins, the Magnificent Seven, West of the Wall, the Flirts, the Mods, and Good Horse before, in the early 1990s, forming Blue Devil. They performed for several years prior to recording their debut album, Tears of Ice, which was released by Newmarket Records. Yesterday Is Over (Shock Records, 1996) followed before Harper parted company with Blue Devil.
His debut solo album was self-released in 1997, a live affair called Live at the Soup Kitchen. Glass on the Stepping Stone (Full Moon Records, 2000) was his next release, which allowed Harper full control over the songwriting, arrangement and production. He toured in the United States from 1997 onward promoting both albums, and supported acts including John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Koko Taylor, Little Feat, Buddy Guy, and Robert Cray. Harper signed another deal with the German record label Nibelung Records in 2000, and planned further European based releases in his own name. By now often simply known as Harper, he teamed up with the Detroit, Michigan-based band, Midwest Kind, before permanently relocating to the United States in 2005. They toured together appearing at various music festivals, including the Common Ground Music Festival in 2013. Their debut recording, Stand Together (2010), was issued by Blind Pig Records. His earlier release, Down to the Rhythm (2005) and Day By Day (2007) had appeared under his own name.
Live at the Blues Museum (2012), was released through Blu Harp Records. The next studio recording with Midwest Kind was Show Your Love, which debuted at No 9 on the US Billboard Blues Albums Chart. It has had a chart run of over six months.