Peter Karp

Peter Karp
Born Leonia, New Jersey, U.S.
Origin New York City
Genres Blues, Rock, Americana
Occupation(s) Singer, Songwriter, Musician
Instruments Vocals, Guitar, Resonator Guitar, Piano, Harmonica
Years active 1980s–present
Labels Back Bender Records, Blind Pig Records, fr:DixieFrog, Stony Plain Records
Associated acts Sue Foley, They Came From Houses
Website PeterKarp.com

Peter Karp is an American roots-based folk and blues singer, songwriter, guitarist, and piano player. He resides in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee.

Early life and career

Peter Karp was born in Leonia, New Jersey and lived in both New Jersey and Alabama during his childhood.[1] His mother, Ruth Downing Karp, was a copywriter and his father was a pilot in the military and a veteran of World War II. His stepmother, Ruth Turner, was an African American woman from South Carolina. Peter started playing in New York City clubs as a teen, in an art-blues-punk band called “They Came From Houses.”

Career

Karp went worked in the film industry while raising a family. He returned to performing music in the 1990s as "Peter Karp and The Roadshow Band". The group released an independent live album in 2000 called Live at the American Roadhouse. The next album, Roadhouse, was released in 2002 on Back Bender Records.

In 2003, Karp started recording an album; Mick Taylor, former guitarist for The Rolling Stones, recorded guitar tracks for the album and also toured with the band during that time and following the album's release in 2003 as The Turning Point on Back Bender Records. One of the stops on the tour was The Bottom Line in New York City, where Karp, Taylor and the Roadshow Band (Peter Karp on guitar, piano, vocals; Jim Ehinger on keyboards; Daniel Pagdon on bass; Dennis Gruenling on harmonica; Paul "Hernandez" Unsworth on drums; and Dave Keyes on piano on the song “Your Prettyness") performed a concert which was recorded for Sirius Satellite Radio.[2]

The album Shadows and Cracks was Peter Karp's first release on Blind Pig Records in June 2007. The album was produced by Peter and Popa Chubby. The track "Strange Groove" was produced by Peter and Dae Bennett. The album was also released by Stony Plain Records in Canada.

Karp took a break from touring in 2008 to spend time with his family after his wife of 27 years, Marylou, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She died in February, 2009.

Karp met Canadian musician Sue Foley while both were performing at Ottawa Bluesfest. They later began recording together, basing the lyrics of their songs on the content of e-mail letters they had exchanged in the meantime.[3] Their first album He Said She Said, was released on Blind Pig Records in 2010,[4][5][6] and also on fr:DixieFrog (France) and Stony Plain Records (Canada). The album peaked at #10 on the Billboard Blues Album chart.[7] Their second release on Blind Pig Records, Beyond The Crossroads, came out in April 2012.[8] The album was also released by Stony Plain Records (Canada).[9] The pair toured in the US in support of the albums.[10]

Ten tracks from the 2003 recording at The Bottom Line were released in 2016 as the album The Arson’s Match. Profits from the album are donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, in memory of Karp’s late wife, Mary Lou Bonney Karp. It was made available as part of a two-album set Live for Hope, along with Sue Foley’s Change, downloadable from OCRF’s website in exchange for a donation.[1][11]

Discography

Solo albums

Compilation albums

  • 2003 - "Blues Revue: Blues Music Sampler (Dec - Jan, 2004)” - Blues Revue Magazine
  • 2008 - "Gibson Presents: Hot Tones in High Definition”

References

  1. 1 2 "Peter Karp – The Arson’s Match | Album Review". Blues Blast Magazine, July 1, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Recensie: Peter Karp – The Arson’s Match". Blues Magazine, Gerrit Schinkel. (in Dutch)
  3. ↑ "Peter Karp and Sue Foley". Maple Blues. Toronto Blues Society. May 2012. page 5
  4. ↑ "PETER KARP AND SUE FOLEY - DON WILCOCK INTERVIEW ". The Alternative Root. Interview.
  5. ↑ "Peter Karp, Sue Foley team up for album of blues-rock duets". Jay Lustig, Inside Jersey, on March 04, 2010
  6. ↑ "CD Review: Peter Karp and Sue Foley’s “He Said-She Said” (Blind Pig Records)". No Depression, by Rod Ames March 22, 2010
  7. ↑ "Peter Karp". Billboard, April 24, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Sue Foley and Peter Karp are Beyond the Crossroads". American Blues Scene, May 12, 2012
  9. ↑ "CD REVIEW -- Peter Karp & Sue Foley". Chicago Blues Guide, Larry Schara
  10. ↑ "Live concert review for Peter Karp and Sue Foley". Gold Mine Magazine, June 4, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Karp and Foley 'Live For Hope' on 2-CD Package to Benefit Ovarian Cancer Research (REVIEW)". Classicalite, Mike Greenblatt on Nov 30, 2015
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