Mike Durbin Talking To Blues Friends (Ken & Mary’s Blues Project, May 2017) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
The Blues Project
They called it a project, a Blues Project, but really, it was a party — a party for family and friends to share happy times, talk about living life, and a love for good old blues music.
Once this party began there would be no stopping it, even when forced undercover of rain, friends laugh and talk about déjà vu the evening had become.
Just sitting on the front porch doing that front porch thing telling stories now embellished by all the good times dancing and singing the night away in the woods off Old Houston Road.
The Blues Project may be over so listen, the night will lead you to the music, the stories told, and smile one more time for each house concert was just a rehearsal for what our tomorrow’s will bring.
— kenne
Kenneth Harris shares the story of how Ken & Mary’s Blues Project came about. (May 20, 2017)
Our good friends Ken and Mary Harris, from Porter, Texas have been our guest since Thursday,
which means we have an excuse to visit some of our favorite place in southern Arizona.
Above, Joy and Mary are standing on the walk in front of the Mission San Xavier del Bac.
Jonn Richardson, Diunna Greenleaf and Bob Corritore — Image by kenne
We have thought more about Houston lately and our many “blues” friends. Since moving to Tucson from The Woodlands, we have stayed in touch via the Internet, social media and other electronic media. Friday, we learned via Facebook that our good friend, Mary Harris (aka, Ken & Mary of Ken & Mary’s Blues Project) was in the hospital after having a lung collapse — gotta be hard on breathing! The news is good, she is resting and getting better all the time.
Each time we go to Houston visiting family, we tried to include friends, which is not always easy. So, Ken & Mary are a “must see,” because we love them and they are soooo connected to all our blues friends in the Houston area, therefore we try to schedule trips around Ken & Mary’s house concerts. (Sometimes we can only schedule lunch.) We could go on and on with superlatives, but we will let past and future posting on the blues and Ken & Mary do the talking.
When time allows, we stream KPFT on Sunday morning, listening to Mr. & Mrs. V, who we are pleased to say have been a part of our circle of friends for almost as long as we have known Ken & Mary — our circle has grown to include blues in Tucson and Phoenix, with the likes of Marty Kool , KXCI, and all the great blues Bob Corritore brings into Arizona at his “Rhythm Room” in Phoenix.
This morning, we were streaming KPFT, knowing the the V’s would mention Mary’s hospitalization. We stepped away from the computer for a moment, when returning we heard Diunna Greenleaf singing one of our favorite Diunna songs, “Growing Up and Growing Old.” Given Mary’s situation, having heard Diunna sing it on several occasions, plus having the CD, I kept saying to myself, “myself, I thing I videoed her singing this song when she and Jonn were here at Plaza Palomino’s Rhythm & Roots Concert Series, Tucson, Arizona, and the Bisbee Blues Festival. Hoping that I had not lost the clips from their time here in September 2012, my Sunday became an “age like fine wine” project, in more ways than one.
Here’s the video, dedicated to Mary — hope we continue to hear great news on your recovery, Mary!
kenne & joy
“I aspire to inspire, before I expire.”
— Diunna Greenleaf
Mary Bonk, Guthrie Kennard and George Bearishill on the stage at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project. — Images and video by kenne
People who love live music in a “house concert” format in the greater Houston area are aware of the work Mary and Kenneth Harris have done for the last 20 years. When it comes to house concerts it’s difficult to beat the live events they conduct in the piney woods of east Texas.
Julie Bonk
The headliner for this fall’s event was Guthrie Kennard with Julie Bonk.
Ken and Mary first heard Julie at Camp Stupid at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 2012.
At one point in the evening, Julie did a solo singing one of her songs, “Just Through Loving You.”
Guthrie Kennard and Julie Bonk at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project — Image and video by kenne
As a previous posting stated, Guthrie Kennard and Julie Bonk were the headliners in Ken & Mary’s 20th year of the Blues Project at their place in Porter, Texas — what a night!
I have additional images and video I will be posting “on down the road.”
A big thanks to Ken & Mary for continuing the tradition of providing great live music in east Texas.
We were able to have an early dinner with two of our favorite people, Ken & Mary, a.k.a., Ken & Mary’s Blues Project, before they headed into Houston to see Carolyn Wonderland & Guy Forsyth at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck. Would love to have gone with them, but at least we were able to see Ken & Mary before leaving for Tucson the weekend.
We will miss our friends and attending the best house concert venue in the Houston area. It has been a joy being able to chronicle the Blues Project in photos and video over the last several years.
Two weeks after Ken & Mary’s Blues Project House Party, many of the same people got together to help Ken celebrate his 65th birthday. Mike Durben, Rich DelGrosso and Sonny Boy Terry, as usual, put on another great blues evening. It just doesn’t get better!
I will be putting a video on YouTube soon, so for now enjoy this photo set.
Mission San Xavier del Bac — Image by kenne
Joy, Mary and Ken 
Images by kenne
Jonn Richardson, Diunna Greenleaf and Bob Corritore — Image by kenne
Mary Bonk, Guthrie Kennard and George Bearishill on the stage at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project. — Images and video by kenne
Julie Bonk
Guthrie Kennard and Julie Bonk at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project — Image and video by kenne
