“Perfectly capturing Mississippi John Hurt’s distinctive finger-picking style and creative storytelling ability, alongside that voice that could reach deep down and touch your soul, Erin stays true to the essence of John Hurt… Let’s be clear here, Erin and Jim create their own unique sound, paying respect, but bringing so much of themselves, their talents, their passion, into the mix… These songs are the authentic vibe of the blues, getting to the emotional heart of it, transcending boundaries and reaching out to everyone. Erin and Jim have staged a private concert just for us, filled with fiery passion, and buckets of soul. Come join me in the front row. I’ll save a seat for you!!”
Full review:
Erin Harpe – Hailed by Living Blues Magazine as “one of the finest fingerpicking acoustic blues singers in the land" and as embodying "today's country blues at its very best”. Erin Harpe, whose authentic and imaginative take on the Piedmont-style of fingerpicking – popularized on the East Coast by Blind Blake, Josh White, Rev. Gary Davis,and Cephas and Wiggins – brings a fresh creativity, alongside deeply-felt respect, to this distinctive rhythmic picking. Harmonica ace Phil Wiggins played in a duo with Erin, who he had known since she was a young child – “She was fabulous. An incredible player who had really found her own stride. It was one of the best performances. I loved playing with her. She was so amazingly good. The little girl I knew turned into a world-class blues singer.” (Excerpt from Wiggins’ autobiography “Sweet Bitter Blues: Washington DC’s Homemade Blues”) The important next-gen blues singer and guitarist has been recognized for her efforts by winning the prestigious “Album of the Year” honors from the New England Music Awards for her self-produced acoustic album “Meet Me in the Middle”. Erin is a Boston Music Award winner, 5-time BMA nominee, and an International Blues Challenge semifinalist.
The Erin Harpe Country Blues Duo – affectionately called “CBD” – “Country Blues Duo” – featuring Jim Countryman‘s grooving ukulele bass, train whistle, and vocals – who happens to be Erin’s husband and label partner – is a showcase for Erin’s mastery of finger-picking blues guitar – which she does by playing foot percussion and kazoo!!
“Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me – A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt”, recorded live, without overdubs, in Erin’s home studio in Boston. Engineered by Jim Countryman the sessions have a casual, home-grown, down-home, let’s kick back on the front porch kind of vibe – “For this album I wanted people to feel like they were in the room with us – like they were sitting on the floor in front of me and Jim at a house party… listening to us play for you on the front porch.” Perfectly capturing Mississippi John Hurt’s distinctive finger-picking style and creative storytelling ability, alongside that voice that could reach deep down and touch your soul, Erin stays true to the essence of John Hurt, bringing this captivating bluesman to the deserved attention of contemporary audiences. Let’s be clear here, Erin and Jim create their own unique sound, paying respect, but bringing so much of themselves, their talents, their passion, into the mix. “I wanted to celebrate Mississippi John Hurt and also put my own spin on it, the way my father taught me. As long as people are still playing his music, we can keep it alive.” The perfect record for unwinding on a sunny afternoon or kicking back and reflecting on the day, “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me” is another exciting chapter in the fascinating career of this Boston-based multi-band leader, producer, indie label owner, singer-songwriter and guitarist. These songs are the authentic vibe of the blues, getting to the emotional heart of it, transcending boundaries and reaching out to everyone. Erin and Jim have staged a private concert just for us, filled with fiery passion, and buckets of soul. Come join me in the front row. I’ll save a seat for you!!
Reflecting on the album as well as her formative years, Harpe says:
“This album was a real labor of love. I’ve always loved Mississippi John Hurt’s music, since I was a little girl! Listening to my dad play his songs around the house. I learned several of Hurt’s songs as a teenager, and his guitar style has greatly influenced my playing, with its alternating bass thumb-picking and syncopated melodic runs. So when I was asked to play a fundraiser for the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation at Caffe Lena in 2023, I jumped at it! Prepping for that show got me revisiting Hurt’s large catalog of recordings, which has been a wonderful journey and a nostalgic one, since my father played most (if not all) of these songs at one time or another. In fact, my dad still plays, and I’m so glad I was able to get together with him during this time to get some great pointers on Mississippi John Hurt’s playing.
“I self-produced this album, and the arrangements of the songs are my own. It was a pleasure working out how I wanted to play and sing them, and creating bass lines with my partner, bassist Jim Countryman. We recorded live at our home studio over several sessions, fitting it in between our busy tour schedule. I believe we stayed true to Mississippi John Hurt’s style and essence!”
(Written by John Muller.)