He entitled the new CD The Blues According To Zacariah because it is his testament. “Where I’m from and the way I grew up with this music by default everything that I do is going to have blues elements. In writing different songs and doing the covers, I was paying tribute to my influences. That’s Why is Little Milton’s influence. Sugarman is Albert King’s influence. That Mighty High is Frank Williams’ (of the Jackson Southernaires and the Mississippi Mass Choir) influence. Of course the Muddy Waters tune is his influence on me. I’m the next generation of what they did.”

On the CD, he is joined by present and former members of MSBR. The opening track is a danceable and funky celebration about a train bound for heaven in Jesus’ name. Here, Harmon’s vocals are soulful and convicted. Sugarman and It’s Cool With Me are deep blues. The former contains a twirling harp that gives the song a downhome feeling. The latter is entrenched in the south. Who’s Knockin is very energetic. It contains a catchy rhythm and sweet slide guitar. With intonating vocals that are expressive and smooth, it sounds like Harmon is in conversation on it. In fact, the song is so entertaining; you can almost picture the main characters pleasantly squabbling. Ironically the song wasn’t pre-written for the CD. Harmon enthusiastically remembered how it came about. “That song happened spontaneously at the studio. My co-producer Phil Gates started playing this country thing on guitar. I was making fun and started to sing this song and then it donned on me how good it was sounding. We sat there, finished writing it, and recorded it that day.”

Guest appearances include Mickey Champion (vocals) on It Hurts Me Too and Gregg Wright (guitar) on Comfort Of A Man. Wright’s guitar tone, on the soft, loving song, is similar to those found on heavy metal ballads. Primarily, this is due to Christopher Troy’s production, which accentuates the L.A. sound. “I’m not playing any lead guitar on that track, it is all Gregg Wright. He is one of my best friends and I wanted to do a song with him. Troy’s production is different from Phil Gates. Phil is more a raw rock ‘n’ roll producer. Christopher is a jazz guy.”

Two of the three chosen covers are often performed by most blues artists. Harmon wasn’t concerned. “No one does Mannish Boy the way I do it.” Passionately he continued, “Luther Allison’s version of It Hurts Me Too from the Live In Chicago CD floors me. I wanted to do that song.” He wanted to do it differently so he decided to do it as a duet. The challenge became who to do the song with. Harmon bubbled over with excitement as he recalled how it came into being. “One day I’m washing my car in my driveway and Mickey Champion was walking down the street. I said ‘Mickey you got a second’ and she said sure. I took Mickey back into the studio, turned the track on, and asked her to sing the verses for me. It was that spontaneous and she did it in one take. Mickey is a living legend. She’ll sing any 18 year old under the carpet.”

You can tell Harmon is a versatile showman based on his charismatic presentation. Throughout the album, Zac displays his divinely bestowed talents in guitar, songwriting, and vocals. “Music has a soul. I don’t use drum machines and that kind of stuff. It’s all these spirits coming together that give you this magic. Music is my choice. It is what’s in my heart and soul. I don’t have to do this to make a living.” With his MBA, Harmon could easily get a job with a huge corporation. “I feel God put me here to be a part of the blues and to spread the Good News through the blues.” Growing up in the south meant going to church on Sunday. “Gospel music and blues are first cousins. The two are interchangeable.” So why doesn’t Harmon perform Gospel music? “That’s like bringing ice cubes to Eskimos. They already got it. I’m taking my spirituality into areas where people don’t hear this kind of thing. I’ve had emails from people who said you really touched me with that song like Mighty High. That makes it all worthwhile for me.”

People who think blues is boring and old-fashioned are pleasurably surprised by Harmon’s contemporary blues. In fact, with a sound approach he has a knack for converting a naysayer into strong blues advocate. “I don’t want this music to die. I want it to be introduced to new audiences. One of the problems we’ve had in the blues is every time someone makes new statements they don’t get the attention that they should. That’s because the blues purists love what the guys did in the ’40s and ’50s. If blues doesn’t sound like that, they don’t think its blues. The truth of the matter is everything grows. Everything that has a soul and a spirit grows. Blues has a soul and it has to grow. For that to happen, you’ve got to let evolution take place. Take a look at country music. It is alive and well. That’s because it was allowed to grow. Garth Brooks ain’t Grandpa Jones, but Brooks is still a country artist. Blues for the most part has not been allowed to grow and as a result the audience has shrunk. People are dying and there’s no new people coming in. My philosophy is one of open arms for new people to come in.”

Harmon’s short-term goals include getting a booking agent, spending more time touring Europe and Canada, and relocating to Dallas to be centrally located. Regarding his long-term goals, Zac admits, “I’m aiming very, very high. I want to be the next B.B. King. His demeanor is so gracious and he is so giving of himself. That’s the kind of blues person I want to be. Not to necessary play the same kind of blues that he plays, but I want to be the same kind of individual that he is in terms of representing the blues. I have tunnel vision and I’m focused on that.” Zac Harmon is a caretaker of this music. Best of all, he appears to be driven enough to achieve his goals.  Tim Holek

For more information about Zac Harmon, visit www.zacharmon.com
Special thanks to Betsie Brown.