Chris Harper’s new CD Blues Is My Life with Sharade Band and Special Guests Billy Branch and Chico Banks
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Purchase the CD now for USA cdbaby.com or call toll free 800-684-3480 for Switzerland/Europe cede.ch

CHRIS HARPER fell in love for the first time, at the tender age of twelve, with the soulful sound of Sonny Boy Williamson. Since then, he has been dedicated to his life long love, the harmonica. Sugar Blue passed on to him the knowledge he had learned from Big Walter, Junior Wells, Willie Dixon and Carey Bell.
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BLUES IS MY LIFE contains fine traditional blues and many of Chris’ original songs, a funky blend of jazz, R&B and blues.

Billy Branch, Chris Harper, Chico Banks and the Sharade Band
Chris Harper fell in love for the first time, at the tender age of twelve, with the soulful sound of Sonny Boy Williamson. He raced down to his local music store, to meet the source of his inspiration. Since then, he has been dedicated to his life long passion, the harmonica.
In Switzerland the home of his birth, he pursued the sounds, the soul and feeling of the Blues in all it’s forms. From rock and soul to dixieland and the sweet Chicago grooves of Muddy Waters and Junior Wells.
He played and jammed from mountains to the valleys with every band he could find. One day, the blues came calling in the person of Aaron Burton, a great Chicago bluesman and bassist. Aaron Burton presented him with his first opportunity to feel the real deal. It set a fire in his heart that burned for Sweet Home Chicago!
When the plane touched down in O’Hare he could feel it. In the ground and in the air, the blues was everywhere! Buddy Guy, Willie Kent, Billy Branch, Melvin Taylor and Sugar Blue! He jammed with a great many of them. Michael Coleman, J. W. Williams, Vance Kelly and Charlie Love were among the musicians that welcomed him. He and Sugar Blue became great friends. Sugar Blue passed on to him the knowledge he had learned from Big Walter, Junior Wells, Willie Dixon and Carey Bell about the harmonica and the blues. He left Chicago with the sounds in his heart and a dream in his head, to put together a band and make his debut CD! In Zurich, he met a swinging Italian group, the Sharade Band.

The Sharade Band consists of Gianluca Baroncelli on saxophone, Giacomo Lauria on keyboards, Stefano Moruzzi on guitar, Albano Castrese on bass, and Enrico Cecconi on drums. Some of Italy’s finest musicians. And they have become great musical partners in the realization of this project. Together with them he realized his Swississippi dreams. That dream is his first CD Blues Is My Life. It contains fine traditional blues with many of his original songs, steeped in the funky fusion of jazz, R&B and his true love, the blues. Featured are many of his friends from Chicago; Billy Branch, Chico Banks, the Chicago Horns, Kenny Anderson, Bill McFarland, Hank Ford and the Back Vocals with Kay C. Reed, Mae Koen and Vanessa Holmes, three of the finest voices on the music scene.
Chris is ecstatic about this music and once you hear it you will be too! Climb aboard, relax and enjoy the ride!
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Blues Is My Life 1. Sweet Honey Sunshine (Chris Harper) 2. You've Got Me Baby (Chris Harper) 3. Groove Machine, with Chico Banks (Chris Harper) 4. Help Me, with Billy Branch 5. Stormy Monday, with Chico Banks 6. Lie Lie Lie (Chris Harper) 7. Checkin' up on my Baby 8. Sweet Sixteen 9. Deep Blue Sky (Chris Harper, Sharade Band) 10. Blues Is My Live, with Chico Banks (Chris Harper) 11. Soul Blues | |
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| Harp & Vocal |
Chris Harper |
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| Saxophon |
Gianluca Baroncelli |
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| Keybord |
Giacomo Lauria |
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| Guitar |
Stefano Moruzzi |
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| Bass |
Albano Castrese |
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| Drums |
Enrico Cecconi |
| Special Guest's Billy Branch, Help Me, Voice, Harp Intro, first and last Solo (left side) Chico Banks, Groove Machine, Blues Is My Life, Guitar Chico Banks, Stormy Monday, Voice and Guitar Back vocals; Kay C. Reed, Mae Koen and Vanessa Holmes, three of the finest voices of Chicago's music szene Chicago Horns; Kenny Anderson, Bill McFarland, Hank Ford | |
Special thanks to My wonderful boys Oliver, Leon and Steve and their mamas Susanne and Pepe
Sugar Blue for all the great support
Sharon Lewis, Michael Coleman, Dave Specter, Brother John, Whitney, Boysie White, Tom Crevellone, Chainsaw Dupont, Reto Dacosta Big thanks to all the musicians and blues clubs in Chicago for the great times
Recorded in Chicago Recorded by Steve Wagner at Delmark Records’ Riverside Studios, Chicago USA Mixed by Steve Wagner, assisted by Dave Katzman Mastered by Glenn Miller, Basel, Switzerland Cover Illustration and Design by Al Brandtner Photography by Mike Müller, Frank Falduto, John Wheeler Liner Notes by Jimi Jackson Savage Produced by Chris Harper
Purchase the CD now for USA cdbaby.com or call toll free 800-684-3480 for Switzerland/Europe cede.ch
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