Gig Alert: Jesse Harris Tonight at The Loft

By Darryl Smyers Wed., Feb. 11 2009 at 3:58 PM

Due to the inclement weather last night, I was one of the many people who didn't get to catch Devotchka at the House of Blues. So, yeah, I'm suffering a bit from post-NPR-favorite-withdrawal disorder, a complicated ailment characterized by a lack of sufficiently arty and critically acclaimed music.

To rectify this problem, I, for one, plan on heading to The Loft this evening to catch Jesse Harris. Extra hip individuals in the jazz/folk/indie loop already know Harris through his work with Bright Eyes and Dallas native Norah Jones. Hell, Harris even won a Grammy for writing Jones' "Don't Know Why," off her Come Away With Me album.

His soon-to-be-released new effort, Watching the Sky, looks to be another winner in the singer/songwriter's impressive body of work. Perhaps a bit more jazzy and obscure than 2007's Feel, the new album focuses more on Harris' banjo and the accompanied percussion provided by Mauro Refosco (who has worked in the past with David Byrne).

Now that the scary weather is just a bad memory, why not beat the hump day blues with a little easy to digest, rhythmic jazz/pop? At least tonight you aren't in danger of being swept up by a tornado.