October 3, 2009 - Anne Harris debuts 4 new songs at SMSO event
Anne premiered four new songs and showcased a different
instrumental lineup at a concert in the Benton Harbor arts district
on October 3rd, 2009.
The event, produced by the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra and
hosted by the Richard Hunt Studio Center, capped off a day of public
art exhibitions. Joining Anne for the sold out event were cellist
Alison Chesley, Greg Nergaard on upright bass, Bob Garrett on
percussion & guitar, and Aaron Krossovitch with projected
visual art.
Anne Harris at Richard Hunt Studio Center
September 18, 2009 - Otis Taylor thrills Telluride Blues Fest
crowd
Otis Taylor and his African Orchestra played to an enthusiastic
crowd at the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival. Check out this
video of Otis with his big band, including Anne Harris on fiddle,
guest
Jason Ricci on harp, and
West African percussion master Fara Tolno on djembe.
September 3, 2009 - Anne Harris mentioned in Otis Taylor
BluesWax interview
Anne's work with Otis Taylor was mentioned in his interview with
BluesWax, published in their September 3rd edition of their weekly
Ezine. Read it here.
August 2009 - Her Nashville article promoting CSA
features Anne's Food Is Terrorism lyrics
The lyrics to Food Is Terrorism are featured in an
eco-awareness article in the August 2009 issue of Her Nashville.
Author, Terra Bella, warns of the present danger of allowing the
global food supply to be controlled by a few enormous agri-business
corporations like Monsanto, Cargill and ADM. She suggests combating
the threat at the local level with Community Supported Agriculture
projects. Read
the full article here.
May 2009 - Anne Harris performs at Blues Music Awards
On May 11, 2009, Anne performed at the 30th Annual
Blues Music Awards (formerly WC Handy Awards) in Memphis, playing
fiddle with the Otis Taylor Band and sharing the stage with BB King,
Koko Taylor, Taj Mahal and many other blues legends. Otis Taylor was
nominated for two awards and took home “Instrumentalist of the Year"
for his work on Recapturing the Banjo.
Otis Taylor Band at the Blues Music Awards
photo Bob Seckinger
April 2009 - New Anne Harris Single Wall in Washington released on benefit album
Anne's version of Iris DeMent's Wall in Washington is part
of the compilation album, Have You Seen My
Hero. The album is now available for download on a
pay-what-you-want basis and all proceeds benefit the Intrepid Fallen
Heroes Fund. Find
out more and download here.
January 22, 2009
Live In-Studio with Otis Taylor
Otis Taylor was the guest on WUNC's The State of Things,
discussing the African roots of the banjo and its cross-cultural
journey in America, prior to his performance at Duke University.
Anne Harris (fiddle) and Don Vappie (banjo) joined Otis and his
banjo in the studio for a live performance of Ran so Hard the Sun
Went Down.
Here is a link to download an mp3 of the live song.
Or click
here for a stream or podcast of the entire interview.
January 17, 2009
Otis Taylor tour news
Otis Taylor brought down the house at a packed Saturday night
NAMM showcase at the
Anaheim Marriott. Next up for Otis and the band is
January 22 at Duke University where Anne will
be honored to share the stage with
Alvin Youngblood
Hart, Don Vappie and
Corey Harris
as they join Otis' band for a special concert. The three legendary
artists, performed on Otis' 2008
record, Recapturing the Banjo.
January 5, 2009
Anne makes Best of '08 in Illinois Entertainer magazine
Illinois Entertainer - Best of Around Hear '08 Between dates with blues legend Otis Taylor and hippie heroes
Jefferson Starship, not to mention the release of Gravity
And Faith, it has been a banner year for Anne
Harris. The singer-songwriter/fast-action fiddler continues
to raise the bar on a soulful blend of folk, pop, and roots rock on
record, while her deft instrumental abilities continue to resonate
in concert. Outside sheer entertainment, the troubadour is always
brimming with socially conscious, and at times, intensely personal
lyrics as memorable as thought-provoking.
Anne Harris was noted for her contribution to the trance blues of the
Otis Taylor band in an article showcasing bassist Cassie Taylor.
October 17, 2008
Anne Harris releases Live at the Acorn Theater CD
Anne and her band celebrated the release of her new CD,
Live at the Acorn Theater, with a special concert event at the
Acorn Theater, where the record was recorded back in June 2007. The
13-track disc contains live performance of songs from all four of
her studios records.
Accolades for Gravity and Faith
Concertlivewire.com says Gravity and Faith "boasts a carefully
crafted blend of violin-infused pop/rock arrangements, the
occasional folk flavoring and introspective lyricism that find the
ambitious troubadour digging down deep into the most transparent
portions of her provocative soul." - Andy Argyrakis
Lake Magazine says Gravity and Faith is "a thoughtful
voyage" by "an electric performer who touches your spiritual side"
with lyrics "more aptly called poetry." - Gail Isaacson
Anne and her band celebrated the release of
Gravity and Faith
Sept. 12, 2008 at Martyrs'
in Chicago.
Thanks to everyone who came out and filled the room with good
vibes.
Gravity and Faith Live Video
Here's a new video of Anne and her band performing Gravity and
Faith:
The legendary Jefferson Starship is at it again. Moving forward
by reaching back, and in doing so, daringly casting a light for a
new generation of change-makers riveted by the group’s first new
studio album in a decade, Jeffersons’ Tree Of Liberty, and
introducing a soaring new female voice on many of the
songs...Chicago favorite Cathy
Richardson.
Now touring in support of the new record, Jefferson Starship
welcomed Anne Harris and her fiddle to the band for the Midwest leg
of their tour.
Anne Harris is adding her fiddle to the trance-blues of
Otis Taylor's band for selected dates
on his international tour. She first performed
alongside the legendary innovator at the
25th
Annual Chicago Blues Festival in June 2008.
According to Billboard Magazine, "Otis Taylor is one of the most
innovative, thought-provoking blues artists to emerge in the last 20
years." He is currently touring internationally in support of his new
record, Recapturing the Banjo, which features "an all-star cast of
fellow blues revivalists and banjoists (Keb Mo, Corey Harris, Alvin
Youngblood Hart, Guy Davis, Don Vappie) to pay brilliant tribute to
the instrument rooted in the legacy of African-American music.
Spurning banjo stereotypes and keying in on the instrument's rhythmic
versatility, Taylor covers a broad swath of stylistic ground,
including rocking blues, funky swagger, jazz-inflected melody, Creole
dance, old-timey jug band and country blues." - USA Today
Blues Festival kickoff party June 4, 2008
Anne Harris and her band performed a few songs from her forthcoming
CD, Gravity and Faith, at Buddy
Guy's Legends as part of
NARAS Chicago Chapter's annual event kicking off the Chicago Blues
Festival. All proceeds from the event support NARAS' education and
advocacy programs.
Anne's Note for the New Year 2008
It's an annual tradition for Anne to share a few thoughts as
we transition into a brand new year.
Read it here.
6/16/07 Acorn Theater performances recorded for live CD
Anne Harris' June 16th performances at the
Acorn Theater
in Three Oaks, Michigan, were recorded for a future live CD. Anne and
her band were accompanied for the performances by a string quartet. The program featured songs
from all three of Anne's CDs, as well as new songs from her
forthcoming record, Gravity and Faith. Brando Triantafillou of
soundcake
engineered the live multi-track recording.
4/20/07 Anne Harris featured in Chicago Tribune
"Anne Harris' songs frequently sound born of a spiritual
awakening." So began the Chicago Tribune's feature about Anne and her
music in the Friday 'On the Town' section, in advance of her
performance at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn, IL. You can read the full text
of the article here.
4/18/07 Anne Harris performs live on WTTW11 "Chicago Tonight"
"I spent a good part of the afternoon listening to [Wine and
Poetry]," said 'Chicago Tonight' host Phil Ponce during a live
interview with Anne, "and one of the things that struck me is that the
music and the lyrics are just very 'up.' It's positive, it's
hopeful." Anne was the featured musical guest on WTTW's nightly
public-affairs series. Following the interview, Anne performed
acoustic versions of 'Wine and Poetry' and 'Letting Go,' accompanied
by guitarist, Chris Siebold and bassist, Greg Nergaard.
Anne Harris concert benefits Hope Jr.
On March 11, 2007 Anne and her band gave a concert benefiting Marillac House's
Hope Jr. program for girls. Marillac House is an organization doing vital work on
Chicago's west side, providing social services to people of all ages,
helping families to break the cycle of poverty. The "Hope Jr." program
offers girls age 7 to 17 a range of after-school and out-of-school
programs, including cultural field trips, community service
activities, art, theater projects, music and choir, as well as
tutoring and mentoring. The goal of Hope Jr. is provide the girls with
positive experiences and guidance that will translate into positive choices in the
future.
Anne Harris returns in new episodes of Jack's Big Music Show
Anne returns as Prudence in two new episodes of
Jack's Big Music Show, the smash hit children's TV show on Noggin.
The episodes, Snow Day and Jack Bunny, premiered in
January 2007 and continue to run.
Anne Harris featured on Chicago Public Radio
As a part of their ongoing series exploring Chicago's music scene,
Chicago Public Radio's Tony Sarabia profiled Anne Harris. The piece
aired on June 20, 2006, during Eight Forty-Eight and NPRs All Things
Considered, but if you missed it you can
stream or download it at ChicagoPublicRadio.org.
Anne Harris featured in Fusion Studio D promotion
Anne was among ten female artists featured in
Fusion Studio D, a women's lifestyle event visiting cities
nationwide in 2006. Sponsored by Ford and Elle, the free
promotion focused on the latest in beauty, fitness and music, while
raising money and awareness for the
Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer Foundation and Race for the Cure.
On June 6th, 2006 Anne Harris and
Kat Parsons,
another featured artist, performed at a Studio D event presented at
Ford's marketing headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Anne was the Artist of the Month for December.
Anne Harris to perform at 25th Annual American Music Festival
Anne is excited to join a fantastic lineup of diverse American
music for this annual 4-day, multi-stage event hosted by FitzGerald's
in Berwyn, IL.
Wine and Poetry wins "Album Artwork of the Year"
at 2006 DIY
Convention
Anne Harris was awarded "DIY Album Artwork of the Year" honors for her
Wine and Poetry CD at the Sixth Annual DIY Music Festival and
Convention in LA. The concept packaging features photography and
graphic design by Flynn. You can check out some of the Wine and Poetry
images and other amazing work at
flynnworks.com. The DIY Convention: Do It
Yourself In Film, Music and Books focuses on support and promotion
of independent film, music and books.
2/9/06 CoffeehouseTour.com review
Here's what
CoffeehouseTour.com had to say about Wine and Poetry in their
February 2006 CD reviews:
Anne Harris is the connoisseur of combining “Wine
and Poetry” with exquisite lyrical songs that showcase her talent for
beautiful vocal melodies laced with breathtaking lyrics. After a
suspenseful, instrumental beginning in the first song “Connected”,
Anne’s voice soothes powerfully across the tracks giving the listener
a sneak preview of the vineyard of songs forthcoming on the menu of
“Wine and Poetry”. There is not one throwaway track on this release.
Each song is memorably attractive and dazzling, I absolutely love this
album. The diversity that flows from it makes it nearly impossible to
tag it with just one genre category. Think Americana, soul, folk,
Celtic, gospel and pop all on a glorious joyride…it’s that damn good!
Experience the aroma of “Wine and Poetry” for yourself. You’ll be glad
you did! - Heather Corcoran, Feb. 2006
Besides being one of the most cleverly packaged CDs to come out in the
past year, Anne Harris' Wine and Poetry makes for a delightfully
diverse listen. Like a fine wine, the vocalist/songwriter/fiddler gets
better with time as she unleashes rock, pop, soul, and the occasional
sliver of Americana. Cuts like "Fly" and "Connected" bounce with brisk acoustics, while "Desperate Day" unfolds with orchestrated urgency.
Harris further connects with her experimental tendencies on the
percussion peppered instrumental finale and remains tasty until the
last drop. - Andy Argyrakis, February 2006
11/05 Ted Airlines selects "The River" for in-flight playlist
Anne's song 'The River' from Wine and Poetry can be heard on the
airline's Tedtunes in-flight radio Channel 8 through December,
2005. Called EclecTed, the channel features fresh voices from
established and up and coming artists. If you are flying Ted make sure
and tune in.
11/3/05 Anne appears in new Robbie Fulks video
Anne appears playing fiddle in a new video by Chicago native and
Yep Roc Records recording artist
Robbie Fulks. The video for
the Robbie's song "Georgia Hard" was shot earlier in 2005 at
Hideout in Chicago.
9/14/05 Anne Harris appears on Jack's Big Music Show
Anne will be featured on an episode of
Jack's Big Music Show,
a way-cute new children's program on the Noggin channel. Anne appears
as "Prudence the Music Genie" to grant musical wishes for Jack, his
friend Mary, and his dog Mel. As you might expect of a Music Genie,
she sings and plays a little violin and mandolin, and even yodels.
Cathy Richardson also appears on a few episodes, as do some other
Chicago musicians including Buddy Guy. Update: The "Music Genie" episode, and all the others, have been airing
repeatedly since early September 2005. The series is a hit among kids,
and parents, and work is underway on
a brand new season for 2007.
