Nov. 4, 2021, Northport NY – M.C. Records continues its 30th Anniversary celebration by releasing Insurrection Blues by acclaimed blues singer and artist Corey Harris on November 5th. This marks Corey’s 1st release in over 3 years. Scroll down for download options and to see his touring schedule.
Insurrection Blues, Harris’ 20th album overall and first for M.C. Records, continues a blues journey that began with his debut album Between Midnight and Day in 1995. The songs are full topical relevance, yet steeped in tradition and informed by his musical explorations over the decades. Recorded in Italy under shutdown conditions, the album returns to the solo acoustic format that’s been his base since his early days as a busker in New Orleans. But you can also hear between the lines traces of the different styles he’s absorbed, including the roots music he heard during a year’s stay in West Africa.
- Harris weaves gospel, Delta blues, and the roots of these forms in an acoustic tour de force worthy of the MacArthur Fellowship and honorary music doctorate from his alma mater, Bates College in Maine. – Glide Magazine
Given his gift of synthesizing many musical strands into a seamless piece of work, it’s no wonder Harris has received many accolades. Among them is being awarded a MacArthur Fellowship — commonly referred to as a “genius award” — from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and an honorary music doctorate from his alma mater, Bates College in Maine. He’s a sought-after collaborator, too. He was featured in the Scorsese film “Feel Like Going Home” and on the now-classic “Mermaid Avenue” albums of rediscovered Woody Guthrie songs, for which he wrote some of the music. Corey has collaborated with B.B. King, Tracy Chapman, and Dave Matthews.
In Insurrection Blues Harris brings some necessary commentary into his acoustic universe. Like many of us, he was paying attention to national events during the pandemic lockdown. And when he saw the profoundly disturbing events in Washington DC on January 6th, the path of his next album became clear. I was on Twitter and probably saw the first video five minutes after it was posted. I play music because I have something to say, and I’m thankful that I can eat because of it. When I saw those Twitter feeds on January 6th, I felt there was a duty, a responsibility, to use the craft to say something.
His feelings about the insurrection made a framework for the album, whether the songs were explicitly connected or not. As an African American living in America, as a descendant of slaves that built this country, I am looking at the survival mechanisms that have existed for people to persevere in difficult times. And when we think about that, the blues always comes to mind.
M.C. Records will be releasing the record in the following territories: North America, Japan, and Australia. Bloos Records in Italy will handle the recording in all other territories including Europe. Contact Simone Scifoni, Bloos Records-
[email protected] – www.bloosrecords.com
For a discography of Corey Harris click here, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/corey-harris-mn0000098691/discography