Harper (a singer, songwriter and producer) has assembled a diverse line up of some of music's most accomplished players to realize his vision.




It pays homage to the LP, a format that is currently being threatened by the digital age. "The long playing album is not just ten songs thrown together randomly," says Harper. "It has an arc. It has a structure. It is the attempt to make ten songs that are all as good as each other, and fit together in a seamless whole." What Harper achieves is a vivid and even haunting reminder of how much an album can still mean in 2009.

Harper's initial recording process began in Nashville with legendary producer Bob Johnston (Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen) and a mind blowing backing band including multiinstrumentalist Charlie McCoy (Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde, Nashville Skyline) pedal steel player Lloyd Green (The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo), drummer Gene Chrisman (Dusty in Memphis, Aretha Franklin's 'You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman') bass player Mike Leech (Elvis Presley's 'Suspicious Minds') and pianist Hargus "Pig" Robbins, (Patsy Cline's 'Walkin' After Midnight', Blonde on Blonde). "Working with Bob Johnston and all those Nashville session guys from the 60's was completely fascinating and totally satisfying," recalls Harper. "The musicianship was extraordinary; their attitude towards me was so supportive. It was very special. "These Nashville sessions resulted in basic tracks for the songs 'Ha Ha,' 'All I Have Are Memories,' 'Tennessee' and 'The Shine' while setting the tone for the rest of his recording odyssey.

The sound and sentiment of the early sessions in Nashville traveled with Harper to Los Angeles and eventually New York, where he brought in a whole new generation of wildly talented musical friends such as Inara George (The Bird and the Bee), Aaron Espinoza (Earlimart), Petra Haden, Sean Lennon, Yuka Honda, and Joan Wasser from Joan As Policewoman, as well as Steve Nieve (Elvis Costello), Steve Gadd and Harper's father Paul Simon. Tom Rothrock, known for his work with artists such as Beck and Elliot Smith, was brought in for mixing and acclaimed British artist and Turner Prize nominee Tracy Emin contributed the album's cover art. This eclectic cast of artists lends perfectly to Harper's wide-ranging influences, creating an album that is well crafted, deeply felt, and full of rich harmonies.

As Harper intended, the Harper Simon LP is ten equally high caliber tracks. 'Shooting Star' showcases Harper's inherent ability to pen beautiful lyrics and pair them with a delicate melody. 'Tennessee' is a boldly upbeat and straightforward Americana tune while 'The Shine' finds Harper weaving gorgeous harmonies that seem to be made for gazing at the sky on a starry night. The album opens and closes with Harper alone, allowing for his exceptional playing and honest vocals to shine through. From the opening track, a reworked Shaker hymn called 'All to God' (which finds Harper on both electric and acoustic guitar as well as bass) to the closing track, the romantic 'Berkeley Girl,' Harper Simon presents a seamless yet wide-ranging whole. Harper emerges on the scene as a substantial new artist; one who possesses a sophisticated voice, seriousness of purpose and a boundless appreciation for American music.