Harper's music moves body and mind

It's 1:30 in the afternoon in Boston, Mass. and Ben Harper has been up for almost an hour. After an exhausting New York gig, he drove overnight to Boston and already has talked to another interviewer yesterday morning. As the interview begins, he attempts to give his full attention.

Harper modestly waved off comparisons to Robert Pete Williams, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Every reviewer has categorized him in a different way. Throughout the interview, I couldn't help but picture him, probably still in pajamas, lounging casually in his Boston hotel room.

Courtesy of Virgin Records Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals perform Sunday at the State Theater in Detroit.

Harper won't admit to having a favorite artist or album, but instead he says he has favorite music genres. "I enjoy rock, gentle folk, blues, reggae and soul," he said with a voice that could call the stars from the heavens. He surprisingly mentioned that CDs from artists such as Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, as well as Erykah Badu and Willie Johnson, were in his player.

In an industry notorious for churning out glib pop, Harper's impassioned artistry offers the perfect antidote. He has released three albums so far - "Welcome to the Cruel World," "Fight for Your Mind" and "The Will to Live."

In addition, an acoustic version of "The Will to Live" has recently has been re-released. "The public had such a great reaction to the album," Harper said. "People really enjoyed it, so the acoustic version was released. It is more true to the sound."

Harper's folk-funk guitar and enchanting waif-like voice create breathtaking tonal interplay mixed with sometimes simple lyrics. His melodic voice resonates with restrained power.

Whether it's a reggae-inspired, Bob Marley-influenced track such as "Jah Work," the bold folk-gospel anthem in "I Want to Be Ready" or the explosive guitar phrasing in "Faded," Harper seems determined to move the body and mind.

His message is as much verbal as it is musical. Harper explains that listeners can interpret each song themselves. "It really doesn't matter, when it comes down to it," he said. "If it was something I lived through, or something I saw someone live through or something I read about - that doesn't matter, it was just an emotion at the time that was musically inspirational to me."

PREVIEW
	Ben Harper State Theater, Detroit

His lyrics include spiritual undertones. Each implies themes about diving deep into the pits of despair while still seeing a glimmer of hope.

Harper seems to have found his place in the world. "Since I was a child I had reflections of God in my life. I was always given the freedom to choose my spiritual boundaries."

During a live performance people will scream "I love you, Ben" and he has been known to stop for a moment and reply "And I you." He appears as an all-around nice guy who is as honest with his audience as he is with himself.

While remaining faithful to this rare hollow-necked lap instrument, made of now-endangered Hawaiian koa wood, Harper has begun to explore the musical capacity of the Wiessenborn acoustic guitar. The fourth track on "The Will To Live," titled "Roses From My Friends" introduces the acoustic Weissenborn chords to analog technology.

The song begins with 10 to 12 Wiessenborns tracked backwards and then one forward playing "a low end slide over the bed of other guitars." For his next album Harper wants "to do more with the slide guitar now that I've got a better handle on it."

Harper has been praised for having an uncategorizable sound. He has been able to avoid record label and agent pressure to change his sound.

"In the beginning there was pressure to be a certain way to get on a label. That's why we settled with Virgin because they encourage the creativity," he said.

In Italy, Turkey, New Zealand and throughout Europe, Harper has achieved global recognition. People from all over the world are addicted to Harper's creativity and enthusiasm, which makes the music come alive. "The crowds are really excited and know the music," Harper said. "It's great to travel around the world and hear different languages sing the lyrics."

Harper's performance this Sunday promises to be full of feeling. While just beginning to scratch the surface of superstardom, Harper should continue to win over listeners Sunday night.

03-13-98