Several years ago I heard a wonderful solo album by Erin Harpe, based in the Boston area and daughter of Neil Harpe, a blues singer and guitarist as well as artist from Annapolis, MD. Erin has grown as a performer (and her solo album was very good) and with her group, The Delta Swingers, has perhaps reached the next level. Both the group, as well as Erin and harmonica player Richard Rosenblatt have won the Boston Blues Society's Blues Battles and both made it to the semi-finals of the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge.
On March 3, she performed at the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation in Riverdale MD some wonderful country blues including songs from (amongst others) Memphis Minnie, Furry Lewis, Willie Brown (Son House's friend) and the other one, Bessie Smith and John Prine (an uptempo "Angel From Montgomery").
She was accompanied by Jim Countryman on bass and joined by Washington DC area treasure Eleanor Ellis for several duets. It was a marvelous late afternoon of music and one looks forward to more from this lady including an upcoming debut album by Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers.
Ron Weinstock's semi-regular collection of observations, reviews and more about blues, jazz and other matters informed by the blues tradition.
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