On his 20th album and his first in three years, Corey Harris recorded these 14 tracks in Italy, where he lived during the pandemic before returning to the United States. Since Harris recorded most of these tracks solo—just voice and guitar—in many ways The Insurrection Blues is a return-to-roots affair that draws comparisons to his 1995 Mississippi Delta-flavored debut, Midnight and Day. Like that landmark album, Harris nails equally splendid interpretations from inspirational sources like Reverend Gary Davis (“Twelve Gates to the City”), John Jackson (“Boats Up River”) and Charley Patton (“Some of These Days”). 

But unlike Midnight and Day, 26 years later, Harris takes you back on the African Diaspora journey he’s been on for most of his career with traditional African instrumentals “Toubaka” and “Sunjata,” and his own in-the-idiom original, the stark “Mama Africa.” Harris evokes the sound of African-style guitar, a sound that is so unlike how the six-string is played in the western world. His interpretation of Skip James’ “Special Rider Blues” is pure genius since it bridges the gap between the Mississippi Delta and the African homeland. Depending on the moment, you can hear both styles juxtaposed together. It’s trancelike with occasional quiet passages suitable for mediation until, that is, Harris pulls a string jarringly hard. 

As noted by the title, there is a protest element to the proceedings. “Interlude” is a short sound byte of the disturbing chaos from the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that’s followed by “Insurrection Blues,” subtitled “Chickens Come Home to Roost,” that’s also predicated on the African-picking style. With his spoken word vocals, “You ain’t no America / Now it’s time to get wise,” his response to the misguided rebels is that this country is bigger than they are.

When it comes to nimbly picked acoustic blues, Harris is among the elite practitioners of this time-honored style. As an artist, he continues to intrigue.