Big Name Duos in Folk Come to Mainstay Jan 29

Two prominent folk duos, Kim & Reggie Harris and Magpie, will be joining forces at the Mainstay this month.

Kim & Reggie Harris and Magpie are two of the best-known duos singing folk music in the world today. Each has a long standing and highly acclaimed career bringing historical and contemporary songs about peace, justice, civil rights, historical events and the environment to audiences at festivals, clubs, schools and other organizations across the country. Each duo is well-known for its stirring harmonies, musicality and warm rapport with an audience. Together they are a sensational quartet backing each other on their signature tunes and singing out in beautiful four-part harmony.

In 2011, the sesquicentennial of the lead-up to the Civil War, it should be noted that each duo has released albums of music about relevant historical events, Kim & Reggie Harris’s “Steal Away: The Songs of the Underground Railroad” and Magpie’s, “Sword of the Spirit,” the music from their one act play about the lives of John Brown and his wife Mary.

There are two full length recordings of their work as a quartet “Spoken in Love,” a concert recording from 1995 and the 1999 studio recording “Guide My Feet” which also features guest appearances from such luminaries as Pete Seeger, Jay Unger and Molly Mason and Keter Betts. They have also appeared as guests on each other’s recordings and as a quartet in several compilations.

Kim and Reggie with Magpie

Kim and Reggie Harris’s captivating stage presence and unique harmonies have earned the respect and love of audiences throughout the US, Canada and Europe for over 30 years. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa., both Kim and Reggie were exposed to a wide range of music through their childhoods. They met at a summer camp in 1974 and continued their friendship that fall at Temple University. As their personal relationship deepened, they began combining their voices and Reggie’s acoustic guitar playing in performances at local Philadelphia clubs and coffeehouses. They married in 1976 and began a touring schedule that averaged more than 200 yearly appearances across the country for more than 30 years.

As a result of their CDs “Steal Away” and “Get On Board” (Appleseed Recordings) and materials developed in their work with the Kennedy Center, they have earned wide acclaim in historical and educational circles for their contributions to the resources and knowledge base for the Underground Railroad and the modern civil rights movement. About half of their performances are presenting historically-oriented workshops on Underground Railroad songs for students, educators and parents.

Writing songs separately, together, and with other musicians, the Harris’s compositions have addressed politics, domestic violence, families, the rewards and pitfalls of love, and a constant underlying theme of social activism.

Kim Harris is presently pursuing a Ph.D. at Union Theological Seminary in NYC and both continue to write, record and produce music as a means to promote creativity, education, social responsibility and understanding in the world community. Their most recent CD is the 2007 Appleseed recording, “Get On Board! Underground Railroad & Civil Rights Freedom Songs – Volume 2.”

Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner are the folk duo Magpie. They began to play music together in Kent, Ohio in 1973. They were both musically and politically inspired. Terry had been a witness to the Kent State shootings in 1970 and Greg, whose father worked for the National Urban League was directly inspired to play music by the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s. Their musical activism naturally expanded to include social justice, environmental and historical themes.

For more than 30 years, they have traveled and toured extensively, performing in concerts, clubs and festivals around the world. They developed educational programs for the Smithsonian and other schools and museums and have made many recordings.

Terry is a gifted singer of jazz and blues in the tradition of Connie Boswell and Billie Holiday and is equally comfortable with the subtle beauty of traditional folk and contemporary songs. She is also a masterful player of harmonica, mandolin, fretted dulcimer, and rhythm guitar. Greg has a high baritone voice and is an outstanding guitarist whose fingerstyle approach owes a lot to his heroes, guitar legends such as Reverend Gary Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, Nick Lucas, Phil Ochs, and Rolly Brown.

Mainstay in Rock Hall on Saturday January 29 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $20. For more information and reservations call 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s websitehttps://www.mainstayrockhall.org.