Search - Corey Harris :: Blu.Black

More than just a blues musician, Corey Harris is a seeker of the countless historical and cultural truths locked within the music. For more than a decade, the guitarist-vocalist-songwriter has dug for the deepest and truest essence of the blues, reggae, gospel and other roots music by examining and celebrating their origins in various and diverse cultural centers - Africa, the Caribbean, Appalachia, Europe and beyond. The intersection of art, history and culture remains at the center of Harris' work with the release of blu.black. The album is a collection of thirteen primarily blues and reggae original songs and one Burning Spear cover that examine the African-American story of earlier centuries and connect it to present day and future generations.Harris approached blu.black with the idea of making a record as live and organic - and at the same time as richly layered and relevant - as possible. Throughout the sessions, the emphasis was always more on the thematic and less on the technical aspects of the project. "I always deal with Africa and the blues and roots on my records," he says. "Those have been my primary themes throughout most of my career. On this record, I wanted to express my love for great black music, and demonstrate that love in original song form. It's the same goal I've been pursuing for some time - to make original music and try to educate people in the process."Each song on blu.black is its own story, says Harris, and all of the stories heard as a whole provide a map whereby we can reconnect to our individual and collective histories. "The story that I want to tell is that we who have had the experience of coming from parents who came from the south, whose parent were poor and the children of slaves - we can take this music and make something new with it," he says. "The story isn't finished. There are still places where it can move forward. There are still things that can be accomplished. There's so much that can be done if we stay connected to the music and stay connected to our culture. That goes for all of us, for people of every culture. If we know where we're coming from individually, then we'll be able to present those gifts to the worked so that others can appreciate them."