Hot Blues Infused Music from the Chilly North

Peter Harper is definitely looking forward to heading to Southwest Florida this week to shake off the cold. 

But the trip will mean more than a welcome increase in ambient temperature for the Michigander. The journey also allows him to return to a venue he and his band, the eponymous Harper and Midwest Kind, have come to love - the Little Bar Restaurant in Goodland. The five musicians will take the stage there on February 12th.

Singer-songwriter and virtuoso harmonica player Peter Harper, known as simply “Harper,” creates music that is a unique and compelling sonic pastiche rooted in the blues and roots music, and influenced by soul, R&B, funk and rock. Aside from the harmonica, the sound palate for some songs is colored by the haunting drone of the didgeridoo, the ancient wooden Aboriginal wind instrument of his native Australia. The mix also includes Harper’s powerful, soulful baritone on vocals. 

“I think it’s like a soup and I just put all the ingredients in,” was his description of his music. “It’s really hard to not remember all the things you’ve listened to throughout your life. I was a real lover of Motown, Northern Soul; I absolutely adored Donnie Hathaway, Bill Withers was a hero to me. I cried when he passed away. But I also loved Tom Petty. I don’t think I wanted to put blinkers on my music. There are some people who say, ‘Oh, I only listen to this or I only listen to that,’ and I say, ‘Man, you’ve got to listen to it all.’” 

After the extended hiatus caused by the pandemic, Harper is excited to finally return to the road, not surprising for someone who normally plays more than 200 shows a year worldwide. The Little Bar will be the second stop on a tour that runs until the beginning of May. 

“Thankfully, we’re going to open our doors and get out touring again,” he said. “That was a big one for us. The lack of gigs, and I know other bands would feel exactly the same - it’s been strange. I really feel like we’re in a really bad movie that’s going to end soon. It’s just so weird. I never thought I’d see anything like this, and with the politics and all the other stuff, it’s just been insane, the last few years.”

Could be six times, could be 10, could be more – Harper wasn’t sure exactly how many times he and the band have played the Little Bar. Regardless of the number, the people and the place are both remembered fondly. 

“I love the Little Bar, man,” he said. “It’s such a good place. It’s a small stage, but you make it work. I always remember the food there. That’s what gets me. It’s a lovely little place. The crowd is always crazy.”

Harper has released 10 albums and toured with such internationally known artists such as John Mayall, Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Little Feat, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray. Along the way, he’s received 14 blues roots music awards, including a gold record in the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. The band has also had four albums make the Top Ten Billboard Blues Chart. 

His 2016 release, “Show Your Love,” debuted at Number Nine and peaked at Number Three on the U.S. Billboard Blues Albums chart. The latest CD, “Rise Up,” debuted at Number Three on the Billboard chart in 2020 and the band was nominated for the 2021 Independent Blues Awards for Best Modern Roots Band and Best Modern Roots Album.

Born in the U.K. and raised in Perth, Australia from the age of 10, Harper’s musical journey began with playing the trumpet and euphonium as a youth in Britain. After the move, his grandfather, a concert pianist, bought him his first harmonica and introduced him to blues greats like Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith and other harmonica masters.

He also studied music as a youth, which led to composing, but playing live appealed much more than an academic course that could have led to his becoming a conductor. Luckily, the Perth area had a thriving blues and folk scene, so armed with his harmonica, he joined a band. 

“I think I was pulled into the blues thing because of the harmonica, and I didn’t mind that because I do love blues, as well,” said Harper. “To me, blues is an honest piece of music. It’s a feeling to me, with all those wonderful guitar players.” 

Good ‘ol rock-n-roll was, of course, an influence, as well. But rather than follow a template laid out by purists of any sort, Harper has relied upon his own instincts to guide his artistic choices. 

“That was really my start,” he said of the blues. “Then I sort of branched out and started doing my own thing. I think mine isn’t really straight blues. It’s kind of a little quirky, a little different, especially with the didgeridoo.”

Harper added the long, tubular instrument in 2000 after a player joined him at a blues jam in Australia. The sound left him enthralled and resulted in Harper adding the man to the band. However, the didgeridoo player’s tenure ended after a tour of the U.S. and Canada. 

He left and a replacement couldn’t be found, “So my manager said, ‘looks like you’re going to have to learn it,’ explained Harper.” Luckily, he had Aboriginal friends in New South Wales who taught him how to play the difficult to master instrument. 

 “I’ve got to be honest. I wasn’t about wanting it to be a gimmick,” Harper said of adding the didgeridoo to the mix. “I only use it when I want to put it into a song. So, if you buy my CD, not every song has didgeridoo on it. It’s something I like to use to enhance a particular song, particularly if I’m writing about the treatment of the Aboriginal people in Australia. I like to recognize them for their help for me and the fact that they were good stewards of the country, kind of like the Native Americans.”

“I know people are going to love it because this band is the tightest one that I’ve had and they’re such a wonderful bunch of guys to be on tour with. I like working with them, so I’m really looking forward to getting out on the road again and getting warm,” he said with one of his frequent laughs.

Harper and Midwest Kind perform at the Little Bar Restaurant on February 12th. The Little Bar is located at 205 Harbor Place North in Goodland. For more information about the Little Bar, visit littlebarrestaurant.com or call 239-394-5663. For more information about Harper and Midwest Kind, visit harper.biz/index.html.