Erin Harpe Meet Me In the Middle

Erin Harpe
Meet Me In the Middle
Juicy Juju Records/VizzTone

The daughter of a gifted blues interpreter and painter, Erin Harpe, has developed into quite a blues singer and guitarist. After several successful albums with her Delta Swingers, he new album is an album of duets with her husband Jim Countryman who plays ukulele bass and adding backing vocals. She is a fine guitarist and singer. Her vocals are sweet and sassy, being more Bonnie Raitt than Joanne Kelly, but delivered with a natural, unforced quality.

A relaxed, back porch feeling characterizes these performances, whether the traditionally rooted originals like "Hard Luck Woman," or a heartfelt cover of Sippie Wallace's "Women Be Wise." She is a marvelous guitarist, and her slide playing evokes the late Alan Wilson of Canned Heat fame on an assured rendition of "Rollin' and Tumblin'." Other standout tracks include her revival of Lucille Bogan's "I Hate That Train Called the M&O," and the minstrel-rooted "Pick Poor Robin Clean."

Harpe also does justice to her rendition of Memphis Minnie's 'What's the Matter With the Mill" before closing this recording with an old-time country-styled gospel original "One Fine Day." Erin Harpe, a first-rate interpreter of traditionally rooted blues, has produced another gem of a recording.

I received my review copy from Vizztone. Here is Erin performing "Rollin' and Tumblin'."

Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers' Love Whip Blues

The Delta Swing is a fine original as Harpe calls listeners out to go swinging from Cambridge to Memphis. It is played with a relaxed groove and features strong harmonica. The rendition of Willie Brown’s Future Blues exhibits the tight ensemble playing supporting Harpe’s vocal although some might find the tempo a bit fast here. Bob Margolin’s slide guitar enhances the fine reworking of Lucille Bogan's The M&O Blues. Good Luck Baby is an original with a bit of reggae flavor.

There is jaunty adaptation of an old William Moore recording, One Way Man, followed by a similarly buoyant rendition of Pick Poor Robin Clean. That was originally waxed by Virginia songster Luke Jordan. Gross adds a mandolin solo and Countryman taking a bass break here. After the call to the dance floor of Virtual Booty Blues, the Delta Swingers perform Charles River Delta Blues, a lovely rendition of William Brown’s Mississippi Blues. This William Brown (solely recorded by Alan Lomax) is a different individual than the Willie Brown of Future Blues who is best known for an association with Son House and Robert Johnson.

Erin Harpe & Jim Countryman performing at the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation

A solid rendition of John Prine’s Angel of Montgomery closes out this most enjoyable recording. Listening to Love Whip Blues, one appreciates why this group has been developing a large following around Boston. In fact, they won the Boston Blues Society’s Blues Battle and will be competing in Memphis at the 2015 International Blues Challenge. One certainly expects more will be heard from them.

I received my review copy from VizzTone. Here are they performing a lovely rendition of Charles River Delta Blues from that same performance. After that is a duet performance of that song by Erin and Jim Countryman at an Archie Edwards Blue Heritage Foundation concert.

Erin Harpe's Blues Roots

The following review appeared in the June 2003 DC Blues Calendar, although I have made some stylistic changes. I have know Erin Harpe's father, Neil Harpe for about twenty-five years through his association with the DC Blues Society and his performances with Rick Franklin and Rick Usilton among others. His daughter Erin recorded the marvelous album discussed below and continues to perform, fronting Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers as well as continuing to perform with Lovewhip. Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers won the Boston Blues Society's challenge in 2010 and were semi-finalists at the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge. This CD is still available as a CD or as a download. Erin's website, http://www.erinharpe.com, states they are working on an album which I will be among many eagarly awaiting.

Maybe its in the genes, but Erin Harpe, daughter of longtime Washington DC area bluesman, Neil Harpe, has produced a wonderful album of acoustic blues, Blues Roots. The disc is on Juicy Juju Records, the label that Lovewhip, the Boston-based world pop band she also fronts, records for. 

Erin displays considerable command of a wide range of blues including songs associated with MemphisMinnie (Chauffeur Blues and In My Girlish Days), Tommy Johnson (Bye and Bye Blues and Big Road Blues), Bessie Smith (Alligator Blues), Willie Brown (Future Blues) and others. She plays a strong, percussive-tinged guitar that suits these songs perfectly but also able to nimbly fingerpick on a Blind Blake number, You Gonna Quit Me. She delivers her vocals with a strong, straightforward and natural delivery that is quite appealing that is reminiscent of longtime D.C. area blueswoman, Eleanor Ellis, who is credited with the closing Stop and Listen Blues. 

This is a fine debut album of traditional country blues that is available through cdbaby and can also be accessed through Lovewhip’s website,www.lovewhip.net.

Here is Erin performing Big Road Blues.