In less than a year, singer-guitarist D.K. Harrell has catapulted from a blues artist with promise to one of the most sought-after musicians in the blues realm. His debut record, The Right Man on Little Village, won immediate critical raves worldwide upon its release in June 2023 and became the second most-played blues album on U.S. radio in 2023. In 2024 he was honored as Best Emerging Artist in the prestigious Blues Music Awards celebration held by the Memphis-based Blues Foundation. He also will play a stream of major U.S. festivals this year and has five European tours. In all he will play in 10 different countries this year.
He has burst on the blues scene in a big way. His impassioned live sets reflect his love of playing the blues, and there is a surge of joy in his songs that spills over to the audience. It’s that connection that is building his legacy.
The Right Man features 11 songs written by Harrell that reflect his own life, but display the spirit of the blues at every turn. Harrell has an uncommon ability to capture his experiences in songs that relate to similar experiences of his listeners.
“I just love to play music for people, and to watch them share in the experience,” says Harrell. “I’ve always said that music is my voice.”
The 26-year-old Harrell is a self-taught guitarist from Ruston, a rural community in the northern Louisiana. He first interest in the blues occurred at age 11 after seeing the movie Cadillac Records, inspired by the harmonica sounds of Little Walter. But after picking up the harmonica, Harrell moved onto guitar at 13, exploring blues from many angles until he discovered B.B. King.
From that point on, Harrell devoted himself to the blues and watched every B.B. King video he could find. He picked up on the subtleties and dynamics of King’s music that other people overlook. And, just as important, he tapped into the intangibles that made King the worldwide King of the Blues.
And at 19, Harrell found himself traveling to B.B. King’s hometown of Indianola, Miss., to play a blues symposium on King’s music. It was his first paying gig, and he was honored that the B.B. King Museum chose him to play King’s fabled “Lucille” guitar.
When it came time to record his first album, Little Village assembled an all-star support lineup that included bassist Jerry Jemmott (who played on King’s original recording of “The Thrill Is Gone” and served stints in the bands of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and King Curtis), drummer Tony Coleman (30 years in King’s band) and organist Jim Pugh (Etta James and Robert Cray bands).Along the way, Harrell also has attracted some high-profile fans. Musicians such as Charlie Musselwhite, Bobby Rush, Susan Tedeschi and Chris Cain each are big fans, realizing that the young D.K. Harrell has special talent.
