Harris’s incredibly unique perspective—that of a Black folk singer with roots in the Modern Civil Rights revolution and the great-great-great-grandson of a Confederate general and one of his slaves—brings a truth, a fire, and a positive outlook to each of the album’s thirteen songs; Out now
Nashville, TN – April 16, 2021 – “Well it’s a plague on the nation / It’s all across the news / Splashed up in color for all the world to see.” Those are the opening lines Reggie Harris sings on his new album On Solid Ground. A veteran folk musician—recently the recipient of Folk Alliance International’s 2021 Spirit of Folk Award—Harris has sung songs like this his entire career, but the current political and social climate is drawing his personal voice out and into the conversation. “My story includes aspects of my journey as a Black male growing up in Philadelphia during the 50s and 60s; pushed into integrating schools and neighborhoods which forced me to learn to live between two worlds using music as a foil to become a bridge-builder.” Harris’s experiences led to a special dichotomy between the hard truths of the world and a focus on the love and togetherness that help soften the former, and fans and critics alike would be mistaken to overlook Harris’s complete-picture songwriting; genre-stretching tunes inspired by love, personal relationships, and everyday life. On Solid Ground is just as much about healing and inspiration in the face of injustice and dissension. That first stanza closes with a perfect example of Harris’s honed duality: “Our leaders say they’re angry / The people are confused / So, I guess this just comes down to you and me.” In the end, it’s all about how we collectively move forward. Longtime fans and curious readers can stream or purchase On Solid Ground—out now—at this link.
Recorded at Morning Star Studios in Norristown, PA, Reggie reconnects for support with the same production crew from his chart-topping 2018 album Ready to Go—co-producer Greg Greenway and engineer/co-producer Dave Schonauer—and again, they delivered. Also back from RTG are bassist Chico Huff, drummer Matt Scarano, NY guitarist Pat Wictor, sax favorite Ken Ulansey, Mark Murphy on bass, and Tom Prasado-Rao and Colleen Kattau on vocals. Additional instrumentation was provided by the aforementioned jazz keyboard wiz Eric Byrd and the soaring electric guitar of world-renowned sideman John Platania.
While writing for On Solid Ground, Harris was featured in 2020 on CNN’s Silence is Not An Option with Don Lemon and in The New York Times to discuss his familial connection as the descendant of slavery as a great-great-great-grandson of confederate General Williams Carter Wickham and his slave Bibhanna Hewlett with his White cousins. “I’ve been a 40-year pioneer as one of the few African-Americans in the folk music community and a Black educator touring around America,” he says. On Solid Ground continues to add to Harris’s legacy, but there’s something about this album—at this moment—which feels prodigious; a perfect statement on the times and a peaceful guide to overcoming them.
On Solid Ground Tracklist: 1. It’s Who We Are 2. My Working Bones 3. Come What May 4. Standing in Freedom’s Name 5. All You Need Is Love 6. On Solid Ground 7. Maybe It’s Love 8. Hello in There 9. Rise Up/March On 10. It Isn’t Nice 11. Let’s Meet Up Early 12. Tree of Life 13. High Over the Hudson
More About Reggie Harris: A teaching artist in the Kennedy Center’s CETA program (Changing Education Through the Arts) and a fellow for the prestigious Council of Independent College lecture program, Reggie Harris also serves as Co-President and Director of Music Education for the Living Legacy Project—an advocacy group that sponsors Civil Rights pilgrimages throughout the South and online education seminars worldwide.
Harris’s 2018 album Ready To Go ranked as #5 on the Folk DJ Charts and was in the top 30 on the US Folk DJ charts for 5 months of 2018. The title cut was the #1 song for May 2018. In 2019, Harris and Greg Greenway released their album Deeper Than the Skin in response to their challenging and insightful presentation of the same name. In March, On Solid Ground opener and single “It’s Who We Are” ranked #3 on the Folk DJ chart. Reggie is currently a rotating DJ featured on Prisms: The Sound Of Color on SiriusXM’s The Village.