Harris' eclectic bent meant that I wasn't sure what to expect when he rolled into town for his first appearance in Rochester, NY. Perhaps even more surprising (particularly to the club owner!) was the fact that Harris arrived without his band. I never did find out what happened to the band but the solo performance Harris put on was no less than dazzling.

 With just himself and his national steel guitar he dipped heavily into Delta blues territory not only showcasing his great playing but also his fine rich vocals. Harris ran through a bunch of first rate covers from his early records like Memphis Minnie's "Bumble Bee" and Son House's "Preaching The Blues." He continued in this vein with excellent covers including "Parchman Farm Blues", "Pony Blues", "Walkin' The Blues", "Special Rider", "Catfish" and "Big Road Blues." What sets Harris apart from so many others who mine similar material is his emotional investment which makes these familiar songs sound totally convincing and never comes across as just a history lesson.

  Probably due to the lack of the band Harris only touched on a few songs from his newer records. He delivered a powerful version of "Lynch Blues" from Greens From The Garden, which lyrically resembles Billie Holiday’s "Strange Fruit", and played some fine slide on "Sweet Black Angel" also from the same album.

 Corey Harris' occupies a unique place in the contemporary blues scene one in which carries the torch for the traditional country blues but also as an innovator who's truly taking blues into new and exciting directions. I suspect Harris puts on an equally riveting show with a full band and hopefully I'll get a chance to see him in this setting. Either way Corey Harris is one of the more interesting and talented bluesmen on the scene and well worth checking out if he comes to your town.