Steal Away – Music of Underground Railroad

Review “…A rich legacy of African-American folk songs…beautifully rendered by Kim and Reggie Harris on this stunning recording.” — Sing Out!, Summer 1999 “Stirring performances…rendered with deep emotion and sensitivity…A collection with historical and emotional impact.” — All Music Guide Product Description Kim & Regie Harris are a treasure trove of traditional, historical and contemporary African-American acoustic music. This album delivers an epic and stirring collection of folk blues and spirituals from the days of the Underground Railroad, the great viaduct of freedom during slavery times. About the Artist With talent, creativity, idealism, and over 25 years of experience in performing, recording and teaching on their resume, Kim and Reggie Harris are the consummate modern folk musicians. Whether entrancing folk festival crowds with their repertoire and warm harmonies or dramatizing underground railroad songs for schoolchildren in classroom workshops, the duo continues the folk tradition of preserving important songs from the past and adding meaningful, new compositions that reflect the world around them. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA., both Kim and Reggie were exposed to a wide range of musical styles and approaches throughout their childhoods. They met at a summer camp in 1974 and continued their friendship as fellow students at Temple University. As their relationship deepened, they combined their vocal and instrumental skills (both sing, and Reggie is an adept, expressive guitarist) and started performing in local Philadelphia clubs and coffeehouses. They were married in 1976, and by 1980 had hit the road in an ongoing tour schedule that still averages more than 250 dates a year. Writing songs together, separately, or with other musicians, the Harrises have never lacked for material or subject matter. Their compositions have dealt with ever-relevant topics such as politics (“Big, Big World,” “Read the Lips”), domestic violence (“Crack in the Wall”), the family of man (“Spoken in Love”), the joys and sorrows of love (“Sweetness of Your Smile,” “Four Walls”), and a constant theme of social activism. Their lighthearted paean to automobile seatbelts (“Passive Restraint”) has been featured on National Public Radios “Car Talk” program. As their live shows and albums illustrate, the Harrises are adept at recognizing good songs by other writers and making them their own. Besides recording classic compositions by folk deities like Pete Seeger and Phil Ochs, Kim and Reggie have also adopted obscure gems like Chris Farrells “The Stars that Didnt Shine” (about Negro League baseball players), David Roths idealistic “Earth,” and roamed even farther afield to cover “Woyaya” by Osibisa, an African rock band of the 70s. The Harrises cultural background as African-Americans is a major component of their repertoire. Spirituals and gospel songs are liberally represented in their work, and they are well respected in scholastic circles for their presentations on black history for teachers and students alike. Their best known album, “Steal Away: Songs of the Underground Railroad,” serves as the backbone of their “Music and the Underground Railroad” workshops and can be found in museums and libraries around the country. They also present programs for teachers entitled “Dream Alive! A Celebration of Black History” and “Music of the Modern Civil Rights Era.” Their latest project is a one-act opera for student and family audiences entitled “Friends of Freedom: An Underground Railroad Story.” Kim and Reggie and their frequent recording and performing companions Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino, better known as Magpie, have also contributed to all three of the Appleseed labels tributes to the music of Pete Seeger “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” “If I Had a Song” and “Seeds.” Whether appearing at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, or P.S. #187 right down your street, Kim and Reggie Harris have established a strong identity in todays musical and sociopolitical environment. As all of us should strive to become, they are part of the solution to the worlds ills a balm for the troubled, an inspiration for the tired or apathetic, a musical force for positive change.