Patty Harper & Faultline is a five piece, Memphis based, House Rockin' Band. Our "Blues You Can Feel CD" is comprised of 9 originals and 2 cover tunes, all in the blues genre. When we perform live we can either play a whole night of blues or we can mix it up and perform an eclectic repertoire consisting of lots of great classic rock & old-school dance floor packing R&B classics mixed with a variety of crowd pleasing blues favorites.
Vocalist, Patty Harper has been raising the roof belting out the blues & rock since hooking up with guitarist Steve Harper in California in 1992. Prior to that time, she had sung various styles of music including Top 40 pop, jazz and rock opera throughout the U.S. & Europe, with performances in England, France, Germany, Switzerland & Holland at such prestigious venues as The Montreaux Jazz Festival.
Her musical journey with Steve Harper began about 15 years ago in Southern California, where they worked steadily at various rock & blues venues, sharing the stage with the likes of Coco Montoya, Walter Trout & Billy Preston & headlining annual events & Fundraisers for The American Cancer Society, The Humane Society, The Riverside Philharmonic & various annual concert series for Cal State University SBDO & The City of SBDO.
They subsequently relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada where they took the stage at area clubs, biker bars & casinos including The Images Cabaret at The Stratosphere Towers, The MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park, The Blue Note Jazz Club, The Traveling Vietnam Wall & at "Red, Hot & Blues" - a fundraiser for families of victims of Sept. 11th, held at The Hard Rock Cafe.
While in Vegas, they recorded their first studio CD "Blues You Can Feel."
In the winter of 2002, they packed up the dogs & the guitars & made the move to Memphis where they made their partnership official by getting hitched on the rooftop of The Peabody Hotel & spent their wedding night playing a gig on Beale making music & sharing wedding cake with the audience.
They are happy to have performed at many Beale Street venues including Elvis Presley's Memphis, The Blues City Cafe where they played a private party for HBO, Showtime & Team Tyson for The Rumble on The River Boxing Event, as well as at The King's Palace Patio, The Tap Room, & for Memphis in May, Labor Day Music Festival, New Year's Eve, etc at W.C. Handy’s Blues Hall & at The Rum Boogie, where they recorded their CD, “Live On Beale.”
They are honored to have been finalists, coming in Second Place, in The 2005 Memphis Blues Society “Battle of The Blues” Competition.
Faultline can be heard on the Rock 103 “Great Unsigned” radio show on Sunday nights from 8-11 & are proud to have played at The Redbird's Game/Auto Zone Park and at fundraisers for the MidSouth Arc and at The Rock 103/Celebrity Server Night at Bosco's on the Square to benefit The Ronald McDonald House. They play at bars and clubs throughout Memphis, Arkansas & Mississippi including The Sheraton Casino in Tunica and The Southland Greyhound Park & Casino in West Memphis, Arkansas.
Faultline features the amazingly talented guitarist & band leader Steve Harper who was among 7 national finalists out of the 4950 guitarists who competed in the 2006 Guitar Center’s “Guitarmageddon: King of the Blues” competition and was honored to have performed at the House of Blues Chicago and to meet his hero, the one and only BB King! Check out a video of his performance on You Tube. Pretty Cool.
Steve was also recently chosen as one of the top 20 Great Unsigned artists for the “Rock 103 Great Unsigned” On Line Battle of the Bands for his solo project “Soul Expression.”
Faultline is also comprised of some great local talent and the NICEST guys in the world including the heartbeat of the band, drummer Ben Culley, Bassist, Vocalist & harmonica player David E.Z. Street and on keys, harmonica and vocals, the multi-talented Mr. John Gilreath.
****SPECIAL THANKS FROM PATTY & STEVE HARPER******
Performance Credits:
________________________________________________________________ PRESS REVIEWS
Cordova guitarist vies for King of the Blues
The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN (June 06)
Blues guitarist Steve Harper plays in the band Faultline while taking his shot at the big time as a finalist in the King of the Blues competition at the House of Blues in Chicago.
By Jon W. Sparks
June 8, 2006
The band fires it up even though there's still plenty of daylight.
Obviously this is no Delta juke joint. It's Whistler's Sports Grill and Pizzeria in the heart of Bartlett, an establishment catering to the suburban after-work crowd one recent Friday.
The group -- Patty Harper & Faultline -- favors the blues, but it handles Steely Dan or Santana or Van Morrison with equal aplomb.
The suburban venue and pop playlist notwithstanding, you would be wise not to underestimate these musicians. All are skilled -- and one among them just might be the best blues guitarist in the country.
How is it that Steve Harper, California-born and now a resident of Cordova, has a shot at such status?
There is love, of course, for his music. And there is dogged determination, including years of hauling equipment in the rain at 3 a.m. But no small part of it is the Guitarmageddon King of the Blues competition sponsored by Guitar Center and culminating tonight in Chicago.
This year's contest drew more than 3,000 blues guitarists from around the country. After several rounds of eliminations starting in March, Harper has emerged as one of seven who are performing tonight at the House of Blues in Chicago -- opening acts for headliner B. B. King.
Harper, 54, started playing at age 11.
"My love was for the blues. I cut my teeth on B.B. King. 'Live at the Regal' hooked me. I've been through rock, jazz, country and finally came back to the blues and have been playing it for 20 years. And I'm having more fun and passion today than when I was 23."
Several years ago in California he advertised for a singer for his band. The woman who was hired became not only the lead singer but the love of his life. Patty Harper, with a soulful voice that goes anywhere she wants it to, is also the one who encouraged him to give the Guitarmageddon contest a shot.
"He's a humble guy. It's not in his personality to do this, but I told him 'You need to.' "
Steve agreed that he'd never really competed. "But Patty's got persuasive ways."
The couple lived in Las Vegas for a few years before coming to Memphis. They'd won a couple of airline tickets and Steve wanted to show Beale Street to Patty, so they came to visit.
And fell madly in love with the blues scene.
The guitar virtuoso works as purchasing manager at Chris-More Inc., a plumbing supply outfit.
By night, he gets his mojo workin' with his band Faultline, an aggregation fine enough to be one of the handful of acts in Rock 103's Great Unsigned series. The showcase for local unsigned bands is aired on Sundays from 9 to 11 p.m. and during the Dennis and Ric afternoon show.
"We've played tracks featuring his amazing work on the guitar," says Dennis Phillippi, half of the duo. "The thing that really strikes us about Steve and this competition is how genuinely excited he is just to be included in the company of so many gifted musicians. It couldn't happen to a more talented, or nice, guy."
Tonight, the talented guy will climb the stage in Chicago, play a track with a live band and then knock out a two-minute solo. When all seven performers are done doing the same, the judges will compare notes and declare one the winner.
There are more than $40,000 in prizes for the top dog, from a new Toyota Scion to guitars and a recording session.
"Whoever wins is gonna be in a new tax bracket," Steve cracks.
There is also a chance that the winner will get to trade a few licks onstage with B.B. himself.
"It gives me chills to think about it. Patty asked if I might choke. I said no way. I'll seize the moment and savor it. It'll be a dream come true."
|
