Anne Harris—Cutting Out Her Own Lane
“For me, the connection between music and movement is as natural as breathing”
Not every performer can demand attention like Anne Harris. Sweet, dark melodies bathed in soul surround her captivating stage performances, maintaining the energy between artist and audience right up to the end of the show.
Anne has six first rate albums behind her, she’s starred in and scored the music for an independent film, and she’s played with famed music artists including Otis Taylor, Guy Davis, Los Lobos, and Cathy Richardson (Jefferson Starship). Anne is currently in the middle of a historic violin commission with luthier (violin maker) Amanda Ewing. Ewing is the first nationally recognized Black woman luthier on record in the U.S., making this the first time that there has been an officially recognized commission between two Black women (professional luthier and violinist) in this country, and possibly the world. Her band Halo Rider, a collaboration with Alternative Roots artist Markus James, recently released their first single, ‘Devil and Angel’.
Her influences are an eclectic mix of American roots, folk, blues and more, tangled with the art of improv and movement performance. Falling into a world of fascination becomes inevitable as soon as the music starts.
I am so thrilled to talk with Anne about her music!
CG: You have amazing experiences under your belt; the kinds of adventures a lot of artists dream of. You’ve worked with fascinating people—Cathy Richardson, Otis Taylor, J.P. Soars. I’d love to know how you got hooked up with J.P.
Anne: I met JP Soars on a Blues Cruise several years ago and we had mutual friends. He asked me to sit in on a song or two on one of his Southern Hospitality shows. Southern Hospitality is an All-Star band of southern-based Blues/Roots musicians, several of them living in Florida. The show went so well that we vowed to find a way to make more music together in the future.
CG: On your website, there’s a very cool short film you starred in and scored, The Musician, that presents a musical connection your character makes with a young child. The film really showcases your talent to blend sound, dance, and to tell a story. That’s powerful! How was it—being able to use everything you had in that movie, to perform in (or as) an ensemble like that?
Anne: Being a part of director Mark Schimmel’s indie short film, The Musician, was such an amazing learning experience for me, and I’m deeply grateful for it. Originally, he had written the role with a male cellist in mind and the movie was to be titled The Cellist. But then someone who’s a fan of mine and familiar with my work suggested he consider having me do the role. He checked out my game tapes, and was sold on the idea.
I had never done anything quite like that, and was thrilled for the opportunity to stretch myself creatively. He hadn’t selected any music yet for his film, so I pitched him a couple of my songs, and he felt they fit the film perfectly. We shot at a few different locations in Chicago and the crew was just wonderful, as was Reese Harley, the little girl. Mark was very trusting and generous as a director, and really allowed me to shape the role. He made a really sweet little film, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
CG: Instruments are just an extension of their musical master. You play the violin unlike anyone I’ve seen; with such graceful movement and emotion. What made you fall in love with that instrument? How did it all start?
Anne: I fell in love with the violin when I was 3 years old and my mother took my sister and I to see the movie version of the musical Fiddler on the Roof. I have a vague memory of it, but she clearly remembers me standing up during the overture, pointing at the late master violinist Issac Stern playing silhouetted on the rooftop, and shouting, “Mommy, that’s what I want to do!!”
A few years later, she started me with lessons. I was also always a dancer, so I took dance as well growing up. And I think that for me, the connection between music and movement is as natural as breathing. I also fell in love with theater, so I think I draw from all of these forms of expressions.
CG: I came across a beautiful performance with Otis Taylor at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Ten Million Slaves. It pulls up culture by the roots and reminds us of the intense influence that African soul has given to American music altogether. Did you like touring with Otis Taylor? Did this add anything new to your own personal projects?
Anne: Otis Taylor is a unique talent, and I was so fortunate to tour with him for close to 10 years. It was a mission of his to spread the history of the banjo’s roots being African. Most people associate the instrument with American white, southern roots, but the instrument's origin is actually west African, and the historical racial dynamics of American Roots music is very important to know. His song Ten Million Slaves speaks to the horrific journey of Black enslaved African people to this country, and it’s a song that resonates deeply. When you learn the history, it really does shape the way you listen to the music.
CG: You’ve been a part of The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) before- What did you learn from being involved in that?
Anne: Yes, I am a long-standing member of The Recording Academy, and am a member of the Chicago Chapter. I served multiple terms on the local board as a Governor, and two consecutive terms on the national level as a Trustee. Although The Recording Academy is most associated with the Grammy Award and the show, I’m really proud of what the organization does as far as political advocacy for working musicians and creators rights, educational resources, and charitable funding through MusiCares to musicians in need of healthcare, finances, and rehabilitation resources.
I want to formally thank Anne for taking the time to be a part of Elevar this month. She’s a fantastic role model, humanitarian, and influential connoisseur of the arts. Take the time to listen to her music and check out her performance in The Musician. You won’t be disappointed.
Spotify:
Website: https://anneharris.com/home
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/anneharrismusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anne.harris.music/
Halo Rider’s first single ‘Devil and angel’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE69th5eE7E
