Bennett Harris – 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Get ready for a show of rousing, funky and rollicking country blues music when Bennett Harris takes the Bearsville Americana stage. He’s singing and fingerpicking up a storm of Delta/ragtime guitar blues, and blowing a mean harmonica to boot! Bennett Harris studied guitar as a teenager in New York City, where he absorbed a diversity of musical influences. As an adult, he has focused his energy and attention on the traditional acoustic country blues genre, listening closely to classic pre-WWll artists such as Blind Blake, Son House, Robert Johnson…as well as contemporary revivalists including Jorma Kaukonen, Ry Cooder and John Hammond. Bennett learned blues fingerpicking technique from the late Ian Buchanan —a protege of Rev. Gary Davis. Ian was Jorma Kaukonen’s guitar tutor as well. Later on, the experience of seeing the ever-dynamic John Hammond Jr. perform inspired Bennett to take up slide guitar and blues harmonica. A classic 1930s National steel Duolian guitar is a mainstay in the shows. With its southern drawl and nasty growl, the National is a perfect vehicle for Delta blues “bottleneck” slide playing. Bennett also uses a 1937 Gibson L-O flat-top acoustic guitar. Bennett’s repertoire is ever-expanding, including songs of Bessie Smith, John Hurt, Fred McDowell, Blind Boy Fuller, and originals. He’s an exciting showman, aiming to present a poignant and upbeat listening experience. Blues has been called the Devil’s music; a flattened note bent in just the right tickling spot on the harmonica, the human-like cry of the brass slide moving slyly up a guitar string toward a chilling blue note, the moan of the singer’s voice…all combine to express the blues. This is not the Devil’s magic. It is human magic — emotional, soulful, tragic and joyous, archetypal and direct. Blues exists apart from fleeting trends and fashion, as it resonates deep in timeless American culture.