After recently completing a tour with Jack Johnson and making an appearance on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium tour, the ball continues to roll for Ben Harper. Touring with Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley, Harper promotes his seventh studio album released in March, "Both Sides of the Gun", that debuted at #7 on Billboard charts. Harper, a California native specializing in the acoustic slide guitar describes "Both Sides of the Gun" as a mixture of soul, rock, and folk music.
The singer/songwriter/musician felt that the best way to present his new material would be through two 30+ minute CD's. Not to assume that one was harder than the other, each CD reveals Harper's versatility with recording with his long time band, The Innocent Criminals, and recording on his own. His latest single, "Black Rain", written for the Hurricane Katrina survivors, is said to have a Curtis Mayfield/Stevie Wonder-style funk to it.
Harper has worked with a great number of musicians. Harper worked on the two-time Grammy winning 2004 collaboration, "There Will Be a Light", with the legendary musicians The Blind Boys of Alabama. Harper also performed with The Funk Brothers for the Motown film, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown". He also participated in The Vote for Change concert tour geared to encourage people in the swing states to vote in the 2004 Presidential Election.
