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 In April, 2021, writer Anita Schlank conducted an extensive interview for Blues Blast with a truly outstanding musician, Anne Harris.
In the years since, Harris has experienced several major events that have brought her much deserved exposure from a wider audience. No doubt many listeners found themselves enthralled by her grace, commanding musicianship, and riveting stage presence.
Her decision to begin a search for a new instrument led to a memorable partnership.
“A few years back I connected with Amanda Ewing, an incredible Nashville-based violin luthier. She is the first black woman in the United States to be recognized officially as a violin luthier, recognized by the state of Tennessee. There’s been other makers in the past, but the recognition is really a big important part of story and the history. When I read about Amanda and was looking at pictures of her and her work, I was just blown away. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I knew I had to connect with her.
“I had been tossing around the idea of getting another violin in addition to my original instrument. When I came across Amanda’s profile on Instagram, I was just entranced. I messaged her right away and read everything I could, every article I could find, just being a total fan.
“When we first talked, I told her how much I was in awe of her work, how I really wanted to commission her to make me an instrument. That had never occurred to me, to hire somebody to specifically make an instrument for me. On top of that, for that person to have hands that look like mine, to have a black woman craft an instrument from raw wood with intention, knowing that it was going to be delivered to me, was amazing
“It made this commission a historical one because of the fact that she is the first officially recognized black woman luthier or violin maker in the United States, and the first time that there has been a professional violin commission between two black women who live in the country. There had to have been in other times in history for alliances like ours. But it’s so very important, especially in these times when we are being stripped of our voices and our stories, to really document everything we can, to pass along those stories to other people in marginalized spaces to inspire them to dream. That’s the backstory of the commission. I got in touch with Amanda and she said yes, I would love to work with you.”
Harris had been using her original violin, the same instrument that she learned on once she was ready for a full-size violin. It was the instrument that her parents purchased for her when she was ten years old. She never had another violin.
“I do a lot of recording session work for people, sometimes building small string ensembles where I will record multiple lines and harmonies, then lay them over each other. A second violin would enhance that process, making the sound even bigger and richer. Then the question became, how do I find the money to do this?
“I certainly don’t have it on my own. I’m a touring musician, not a independently wealthy person, but I believed in this story. I also believed that crowdfunding this instrument could be such a beautiful way of creating a violin that belonged to a community. My playing it would then be my gift back to the community that supported it. So I created a GoFundMe campaign that far surpassed my ask. It also attracted the attention of GoFundMe folks, who loved our story and they elevated it by having us on a podcast of theirs. We were their “Creators of the Month” for Black Music History Month a few years back when we had just completed the commission. Amanda was on her way.
 “My input was I gave her a vision board. It was very untraditional, so out of the box. I’m such an odd bird. I still have the letter that I wrote to her. It was sort of a prose piece of poetry, of imagery, a vision board of what I had in mind. I sat down and had a long conversation with my local luthier, Ken Stein is his name. He’s been my luthier for years, does repair work on my fiddle and bow. He’s my mechanic basically. I adore his work and I trust him.
“I asked Ken what should I do for Amanda? What are my responsibilities as the recipient, how should I direct her. After some thought, he said, when you commission someone to make you an instrument, there’s an inherent trust, so at some point I would need to release, to let Amanda make the instrument, knowing she’s working as hard as she can to create a piece that will be beautiful and well suited to me. There are a lot of variables that come into play that I can’t micromanage or control, like every piece of wood has a different piece of personality. It was a matter of trust that I wouldn’t have been drawn to Amanda to commission something as important as my next instrument if I didn’t inherently trust in her abilities and her vision.
“In terms of direction. it was more about how I want to feel. Amanda surpassed what I was hoping hoping for. I could have gone to my luthier and found incredible instruments that I would’ve loved. There are countless violins floating around on this planet, that having beautiful voices waiting to sing. But there is nothing like having someone with a focused intention making you your own instrument. That’s pretty much magic, simply using focused intention and consciousness to direct your energy in the service of a creation of something.
“It ended up turning into two instruments because she was told by a luthier advisor of hers a few years back that whenever you do a commission, you should make two instruments. That way the recipient could have a choice between them. When they were completed in February, she mailed them to me so I could play on both of them for about five weeks. It became pretty clear early on which one I was going to select. That is the one that I currently have been touring on.
“It made its official public debut at the Grand Old Opry at the end of May while I was on tour with Taj Mo, which is the Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ super group. t’s exciting to share it with the world, incredible playing on it live, hearing its voice grow. Even within the short couple of months that I’ve been playing on it, I’m in love with the sound of this instrument. It’s been inspiring on the level of being a violinist or fiddle player. In the bigger picture, when you create something with intention and love, it has a reverberation, a reach that truly takes on a life of its own, beyond my wildest imaginings.”
The magic surrounding her new instrument became part of a huge opportunity that came her way when Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ invited her to be part of their tour for their second project together, Room On The Porch.
“When the opportunity came to me to be a part of TajMo, to go on that tour, it was just shortly after I had received the violin. I was given the tour schedule and saw that the very first performance was at the Grand Old Opry after rehearsing in Nashville for a week. I could hear the ancestors. It felt like this moment was a destiny kind of thing. It’s mind blowing for me to think about.
“I was telling my mom about the whole thing. She said, ”Do you know how proud your grandfather would’ve been?” This is her father, who passed years before I was born. My mother told me a piece I never knew about him my whole life. Apparently my grandfather, who was from Barbados, used to listen to the Grand Old Opry on the radio on Saturday nights. It was his favorite show. He would gather around the radio and everyone had to be quiet or leave the room. No one else in the family was really that nuts about it, but it was his thing. When she told me that, I just thought again about this connection to lineage, to ancestors, to reaching back in the past, but also moving forward in the future. In the forefront of my mind the whole time leading up to the show was the grandfather that I never met. Grandfather Vaughn, this is for you!”
One can imagine that Harris was feeling more than a bit of trepidation at the thought of playing even one show with two giants of the blues music legacy. While she had met Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ over the years, she had never had an opportunity to play with either of them.
 “I was walking into a situation that’s about as big as it can get. I know that through Kimberly Horton, who is the CEO of the Blues Foundation and manages Taj, that he was aware of the violin commission and was interested in it. I was blown away that he even heard about my story. I was diving into a week of rehearsals and then jump on a bus and live with these guys for five weeks, which turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life, a real opportunity to grow artistically.
“Their musicianship is just a small portion of their greatness. What’s so compelling about them is the stories they bring through the music, and of course the legacy of how many lives they’ve touched, how they light up a room when they walk in. When they get on stage, you feel, the energy of what they’ve carried their whole life, what they create when they join forces. To be a part of supporting them was humbling, and so much fun.
“Taj Mahal is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, an incredible historian, a consummate artist. He lives through his fascination and excitement about learning new things, like a little child. He loves performing, he loves learning. Keb’ Mo’ has a peace about him, a calm that makes you feel that like you are among royalty. His touring band that was the backbone of this tour. Every single musician in the band was just on the highest level. Keb’ made the work environment so chill you just wanted to do your best for the music, not for ego. What a graceful, powerful, impactful musician and and leader he was.
“What I didn’t know about the two of them was their history. Keb’ was growing up in Compton, a junior in high school. Taj came to his high school and did a performance. It snapped Keb’s head, snapped his head right back. Each class had a session, so he came back for the next one. That was the beginning of their relationship. It started as a mentor-student arrangement that developed into a dear friendship over the years. It’s a beautiful thing that is its own story within the bigger story.”
Earlier this year, Harris released a new album entitled I Feel It Once Again, her first since the Roots project six years ago. Like her previous seven albums, it is on her Rugged Road Records label.
“I’m an eclectic artist. Lately, most of my touring work has been under the Blues umbrella, but I’m also a singer/songwriter that does American roots music. That period of time that eclipsed between records for me was working on the road touring, raising my kid, and hanging out with my husband, planting gardens, practicing, and songwriting.
“I toured with Otis Taylor for nine and a half years, which was incredible. It felt like a grad school where I got to really dive into the genre and hone my skills as a player. Things took off for me in that genre. I started working with other blues artists, falling in love with this music. I got really busy. so I put aside my songwriting. What I do, I’m making a living doing it. All along I’ve been inspired by stuff, writing things and collecting little tidbits. I finally decided it was time to put another collection of my music out there.
“This time I worked with a producer, which I hadn’t done before. One recommendation I received was for Colin Linden, an incredible Nashville based Canadian singer, songwriter, and player of all things with strings. He’s truly an extraordinary human and producer. I did the record in his Nashville studio.The release of the record sort of coincided with the timing of the new violin. It has been an incredible year of stretching out for new opportunities and horizons. It fits right in with this time period in my life that feels like spring in a way. There are a couple of traditional songs in addition to my originals. I play mandolin as well as my fiddle. I love Americana folk roots music. It’s such a inspiring place to swim in for me artistically.”
 Never one to sit idly by, Harris has plenty of other musical partnerships that stoke the creative fires. For several years she has been touring with noted guitarist J. P. Soars as part of the Gypsy Blue Revue, with Chris Peet on drums and Cleveland Frederick on bass. It is an blissful experience to hear the guitar and violin trading licks on tunes like Django Reinhardt’s “Minor Blues.”
“J.P. certainly is incredible. We just recorded an album a couple weeks ago that we’re in the process of mixing. We’re probably going to release it at the beginning of the new year. It’s something we’ve been wanting to do since we started this project and it will be amazing.
“I have a band called Halo Rider that is me and guitarist Markus James. Marcus is the predominant songwriter on this project. It’s a blues infused, indie rock, Americana project. I’ve been a fan of Marcus James for many years and the opportunity to collaborate with him has been incredible. We have a few shows coming up and will be releasing our first record in the fall. We have singles out online, and a bunch of videos. We’ve been blown away by how well things are going. It’s hard in this day and age to find listeners and audiences for your music, but we’re super excited about that.
“Another project I have is with Marcella Simien, a band called Magnolias. We’re in the process of getting a record together. Marcella is Terrence Simien’s daughter, and she’s an accordion player, keyboard player, singer, songwriter, Memphis based magical, magnificent human. We’ve been dear friends and collaborators for many years. Not that long ago we were in a group with Guy Davis called Gumbo, Grits, and Gravy, doing shows here and there. Now we’re in the process of getting a Magnolias record together. The plan is to complete that record this fall to hopefully have it out in the spring. I have also been doing shows in the Chicago area with the fine guitarist Dave Herrero and his band when my schedule permits.
Another connection through a mutual friend lead Harris to a very different opportunity that took a bit to nurture. It quickly became her doorway to a whole new audience.
“My work with the band Cracker has just been a joy. It started with a musical blind date that was set up by a dear friend of ours, David Fink, who started the Acorn Theater in Three Oaks, Michigan. David asked me, “:Hey, do you know the band Cracker? I think you’d be great with them. I could book you as an opener for them, then maybe you could sit in with them and play a few songs, get to know those guys.” And that’s what happened.
“I opened a show for them and they invited me to play a couple of tunes. Whenever they would come to the Chicago area market, they would give me a holler and see if I was available. That snowballed into a regular touring gig. So I’ve been on the road touring with Cracker for a year and a half steadily. I love their music. They have a very loyal, incredible fan base called The Crumbs, who follow them everywhere, support them. The Crumbs have kids now that are in their early twenties that are coming to the shows.
“Cracker had a really nice amount of commercial success in the 1990s into the early 2000s, but they’re still going strong in playing. Earlier the summer, in the middle of the TajMo tour, I jumped out for a gig with Cracker at Red Rocks, which was incredible. It was a bill with Cheap Trick and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. So my world is varied, stretching my wings wide and far musically. I’m so fortunate because through it all, I love everything, every person that I play with, and the music that I’m playing.”
 Seeing Harris on stage is a moving experience, not only musically but visually as well. She never fails to make a physical connection to the sounds around her, bringing life to the musical notes like few people can.
“Learning to play by ear at a young age has its advantages. Now I work to stay out of my own way, as the art of improvisation is like being a conduit. I like the analogy to flow like a river, allowing the music to direct you as opposed to controlling and trying to direct it in a forceful way. That’s immersing yourself in that flow, riding the waves and not fighting against them. You can almost feel the energy, the waves moving through your body. That’s the feeling that I get when I’m immersed in music that’s more powerful than me, with musicians who feel the same way.
“I’m definitely a dancer, a physical person. I can feel how sound moves my body. It’s how I wire myself into that journey. Improvisation is an act of meditation and trust. I say meditation because meditation is really the practice of being present in a moment. If you are fully present in a musical moment without judgment, allowing yourself to be right there in the middle of it, you’re able to journey and find your way as you’re writing and drawing the map.”
Just when you think that Harris can’t possibly stretch herself any further, she lets you know about a completely different business venture.
“I have a line of body butter that I sell during part of the year, from about September through May. My line is called Radical Self-Love Whipped Body Butter, which I started during the pandemic. It’s an organic and vegan product. I look forward to opening my shop again in the fall. Some of my best customers are blues supporters and fans. That’s been a fun little kind of side hustle. I’ve been doing it because I love making stuff!” (available at https://anneharris.com/body-butter)
Harris cares deeply about the gift of life, making every effort to share her love for mankind through her musical endeavors.
“I want to encourage everyone reading this to try to stay hopeful about the future of not only our country but the planet. It’s a very challenging time. My hope is that we’re able to see through our differences into the vast ways that we are more similar than we are dissimilar. I hope that we can lead with the belief and knowledge that humanity does have a choice.
“Often when we feel like we don’t have a voice. It’s an easy time to feel alone, powerless, separated, but I pray that there are other narratives, that there’s like light peeking into some of the cracks and corners that we haven’t considered. And I hope that we’re able to realize that light grows when we connect with other sources of light, when we connect through the power of community. Certainly music and art are two of the strongest forces of connection possible.”
Visit Anne’s website at https://anneharris.com/ to see when she is performing near you!
Blues Blast Magazine Senior writer Mark Thompson lives in Florida, where he is enjoying the sun and retirement. He is the past President of the Board of Directors for the Suncoast Blues Society and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Blues Foundation. Music has been a huge part of his life for the past fifty years – just ask his wife!
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