KEMP HARRIS, piano & vocals; Adam Osgood, harmonica
**PAGE IN PROGRESS, TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE SOON!
“A truly riveting record of living history, Kemp Harris is poet of music who should never be allowed to step back from the microphone… that his voice [will] always be heard” LIVERPOOL SOUND AND VISION (UK)
“A master weaver of American music styles” BANDCAMP
“Inspired by Randy Newman & Joni Mitchell, folk, gospel and R&B” NEWTON BEACON
Whether he’s performing with members of his band, or in hushed meditation alone at his piano, Kemp Harris speaks truth the only way he knows how: by baring his soul. Onstage, his lyrics and music are crystal clear, his performance simply riveting, as shown in his recent live performance of “Goodnight, America” at Phil Ochs Song Night on Wanda Fischer’s “Hudson River Sampler” (WAMC-fm). In 2024 he was chosen - by audience vote - as a winner of the Emerging Artist Showcase at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
To be released on July 4, 2025, Harris’ powerful and profoundly moving new CD The America Chronicles reveals not only his considerable music chops, but his love of our country with all its natural beauty, flaws and current turmoil. The album was produced and arranged by Freebo, Bonnie Raitt’s former bass player, recorded at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL.
Years in the making, the album confronts the beauty, contradictions, and complexity of this country with clarity, compassion and soul. It’s not just a collection of songs – it’s a witness account, an offering, and an invitation to listen.
“Harris brings a uniquely personal perspective to his work. He has lived through the pain of segregation, the hope of the civil rights era, the confusion of the Vietnam War draft, and the ongoing struggle to reconcile the promise of America with its reality. His music reflects rather than preaches telling stories, sharpened through decades of lived experience.”
Harris performs at coffee houses such as Boston’s Passim and The Stone Pony, and has shared stages with Koko Taylor, Livingston Taylor, Gil Scott-Heron, Kandace Springs, Taj Mahal and more. He has composed original music for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.
Adam Osgood is an electrifying mouth harp player and spoken word artist who draws his influences from Blues tradition and Beat Poetry. Comfortable in genres ranging from Folk to Funk, he has been a front, side and hype man collaborator of Kemp Harris for over thirty-five years.
Join us as we welcome Kemp Harris onstage for his 8th Step debut!