Mark The Harper is a lifelong resident of the Riverdale area. Since the mid-eighties, The Harper has been gigging and sitting in with bands in and around the tri-state area, performing at prominent local venues such as Manny’s Car Wash, The Lone Star, Wetlands, and Dan Lynch’s, just to name a few, as well as at festivals in Europe. He has appeared on the Joe Franklin and Joey Adams Shows, and on the radio for various fundraisers. A spontaneous live phone jam with Joe Walsh made The Best of Howard Stern. Mark has opened up for such notables like Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Koko Taylor, Anson Funderberg & The Rockets, and has sat in with the likes of Bo Diddley, Warren Haynes, Eddy Clearwater, Robert Randolph, Jimmy Vivino, and Dread Zeppelin, among others. His CD, Man On A Mission, on the independent Turquoise City label showcases 11 of his original songs and has received glowing reviews and critical acclaim. Selections from the album have been featured on compilations of New York Blues artists that were released nationally and in Europe.
Over the past decade, Mark has been focused on his own original singer-songwriter compositions that span several genres of roots music, including Country, Bluegrass, Blues, and Rock, accompanying his guitar playing with a rack-mounted harmonica. His main influences include Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt, and the Grateful Dead.
Listen to and download a selection of Mark’s music CDbaby.com/MarkTheHarper, and visit him at YouTube.com/MarkTheHarper/videos to see him in action! Connect on Facebook at Facebook.com/MarkTheHarper
“Full throttle, ballsy, Bluesy harp style” – More Sugar
“Mark The Harper has an honest energy and a clever eye for finding lyrics in everyday life.” – Art Tipaldi, Blues Review
“A great deal of originality to the songwriting” – Blue Suede News
“Mark The Harper’s performances are high charged event” – Tom Olsen, Central NY Blues Connection
