Show Me the Way Home, Honey

Personnel:
Harrison Kennedy - Vocals, guitar, slide guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin, percussion
Keith 'Happy' Lindsay - Keyboards, accordian, percussion
Alec Fraser - Bass
Matt King - Electric guitar

Harrison Kennedy has always been seen as being 'different'. Different - but in a good way. While riding high as part of Chairmen of the Board - one of Detroit's smoothest soul acts of the early '70s - no less than Edward Holland, Jr. of famed writing & production trio, Holland-Dozier-Holland, singled Kennedy out, had him buy a $75 guitar and asked him to write some 'story songs'.

“Write what you feel”, he told him. Kennedy's been indebted to him since, as this detour has taken him down a lifelong path of mastering 3-4 minute story songs, evidenced over the past six releases. He won't admit to it, but he's on a personal mission. Harrison writes to serve others. Regular people, working people, people dealing with their own problems and people in need of help or, at least, a moment of personal reflection. He loves the blues but he also loves country music and he often equates the two as both lean heavily on storytelling, revolving around real folks & their problems - but his pedigree includes the R&B, gospel, funk and soul he grew up with - with an emphasis on the soul. A prolific songwriter, everything here is his own save a cover by his hero, Ray Charles. Nothing he does sounds repetitive, each song driven by its message, his messages driven by a big-hearted desire to help. He's honed a rich, deep-down blues yet he prefers to think of what he does as real roots music because of where it comes from. You won't find exhaustive guitar solos or power chords here - or anything handed down by way of Chicago. Instead, you'll find something to identify with and this, coupled with Kennedy's high-energy, rhythmic, always upbeat delivery, will make you feel good all over for the listening. His contemporary blues is always rooted in current events, just as all great blues was about what was happening then. An urban street poet, his secret is found in a relentless ability to achieve intimacy despite the passion and uncommon soulfulness that fires each song. He's incapable of casting negativity on his subject matter - there's real love in his love songs and sincere hope in his darkest hour. His songs are never about him. They're about you and me. His is an irrepressible voice whose soulful assault on the blues begins with everyday observations transformed into positive, uplifting teachings, chipping away at one's conscience, showing a better way. Across these 14 tracks you get it all, with varying degrees of accompaniment. Kennedy plays guitar, slide guitar, banjo, harmonica, mandolin & percussion while long-time keyboard wizard, Keith Lindsay, adds B3, accordion and percussion. Alec Fraser plays bass while Matt King adds a modicum of electric guitar as required.

Soulscape is 2013 Blues Music Award Nominee Harrison Kennedy's newest offering. Once best known as a founding member of The Chairmen of the Board, Holland Dozier Holland's million selling 70's Soul supergroup, Harrison, by going back to his roots, has now established himself as one of the most original and innovative Blues singer/songwriters on the modern day Blues scene. The fourteen songs (13 originals) on Soulscape showcase both Harrison's ultra soulful voice and his stellar song writing abilities.