BEN HARPER - ALBUM REVIEW

Ben Harper - Wide Open Light (Chrysalis 

Records)

Release Date: Out Now

You can always (and I do mean always) rely on Ben Harper to bring you heartfelt, emotive and superb songwriting and new album 'Wide Open Light' is no exception. This stripped back collection opens with 'Heart and Crown' which might sound like the name of an English pub but the melody and deft guitar playing comes straight from the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. 'Giving Ghosts' grabs an empty whisky bottle and slides it up the neck of the guitar with Harper's distinctive vocal following the melody up and down the strings. On 'Masterpiece', the twilight vibes are so soft and gentle that you feel like Harper is putting you to bed personally and tucking you in to the comfiest of beds. 

There's a more strained tone to the vocals on '8 minutes' with an almost gospel vibe before 'Yard Sale' takes a lazy Sunday afternoon and adds the warm melody you want to come wafting in on the breeze. 'Trying Not To Fall In Love With You' rattles in on the piano with a sense of the dramatic playing like a storm on the ivories and you can hear the frustration in Harper's voice on every line. Album title track 'Wide Open Light' is classic Harper with wistful vocals and a gently picked guitar in perfect and sublime balance. The lilting, hay-bale ride purity of 'One More Change' is good for the soul while 'Growing Growing Gone' feels like Harper pouring his soul out, one shot at a time, while he fidgets and noodles distractedly on a trusty old six string. 

Penultimate song 'Love After Love' is the sweet smell of a favourite blanket that you can wrap yourself in after a long, tough day before we finish the album on 'Thank You Pat Brayer', an instrumental and beautiful ode to someone out among the stars on a still, clear night. I could honestly listen to Ben Harper play guitar all day and night with the occasional vocal interjection when the music doesn't quite say enough. An excellent addition to the Harper cannon.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/benharper

Live Dates: 

Fri. Jun. 30 - Paris, France - L’Olympia
Sat. Jul. 1 - Weimar, Germany - Seebühne Weimar c/o Weimarhalle
Mon. Jul. 3 - Paris, France - L'Olympia
Tue. Jul. 4 - Paris, France - L'Olympia
Wed. Jul. 5 - Paris, France - L'Olympia
Fri. July 7 - Lugano, Switzerland - Lugano Estival Jazz
Sat. Jul. 8 - Enghien, Belgium - LaSemo
Sun. Jul. 9 - Saint-Malô-du-Bois, France - Festival de Poupet *with Fatoumata Diawara, Colours In The Street
Tue. Jul. 11 - Milan, Italy - Circolo Magnolia *with John Butler
Wed. Jul. 12 - Verona, Italy - Castello Scaligero
Thu. Jul. 13 - Perugia, Italy - Arena Santa Giuliana
Sat. Jul. 15 - Tarvisio, Italy - Lago di Fusine Superiore
Sun. Jul. 16 - La Spezia, Italy - Piazza Giacomo Matteotti
Tue. Jul. 18 - Narbonne, France - Festival Jazz à l'Hospitalet
Wed. Jul. 19 - Lyon, France - Les Nuits de Fourvière
Thu. Jul. 20 - Vitrolles, France - Jardin Sonore Festival
Fri. Jul. 21 - Girona, Spain - Porta Ferrada
Sun. Jul. 23 - San Sebastián, Spain - Jazzaldia
Tue. Jul. 25 - Jerez, Spain - Tío Pepe Festival
Wed. Jul. 26 - Cascais, Portugal - CoolJazz
Fri. Jul. 28 - Marciac, France - Jazz in Marciac
Thu. Aug. 10 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium *with The Chicks
Fri. Aug. 11 - Canandaigua, NY - CMAC Performing Arts Center *with The Chicks
Wed. Aug. 16 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena *with The Chicks
Thu. Aug. 17 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena *with The Chicks
Sat. Aug. 19 - Des Moines, IA - Iowa State Fair Grandstand *with The Chicks
Fri. Aug. 25 - Toronto, Canada - Budweiser Stage *with City and Colour, Katie Tupper
Sat. Aug. 26 - Madison, WI - Kohl Center *with The Chicks
Sun. Aug. 27 - St. Louis, MO - Evolution Festival *with Brandi Carlile
Tue. Aug. 29 - Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center *with The Chicks
Wed. Aug. 30 - Omaha, NE - CHI Health Center Omaha *with The Chicks
Fri. Sep. 1 - Sioux Falls, SD - Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
Fri. Sep. 29 – Richmond, VA - The National
Sat. Sep 30 - Ocean City, MD - Oceans Calling Music Festival
Sun. Oct. 1 – Bridgeport, CT - Sound on Sound Music & Arts Festival
Tue. Oct. 03 - Portland, ME - State Theatre
Wed. Oct. 4 – Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Fri. Oct. 6 - Burlington, VT - The Flynn
Sat. Oct. 7 - Buffalo, NY - UB Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre
Sun. Oct. 8 - Albany, NY - The Egg Center for the Performing Arts
Tue. Oct. 10 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
Wed. Oct. 11 - Cincinnati, OH - The Andrew J Brady Music Center
Fri. Oct. 13 – South Bend, IN - Morris Performing Arts Center
Sat. Oct. 14 - Milwaukee, WI - The Riverside Theater
Sun. Oct. 15 - Prior Lake, MN - Mystic Lake Casino Hotel - Mystic Showroom