Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Joy Harjo, the musician, activist, and former National Poet Laureate, will release her new album, Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace, on April 24th via Smithsonian Folkways. Produced by Grammy-winning composer, bassist, and vocalist esperanza spalding, it is Harjo’s debut release for the label.
On the album, Harjo treads the fertile ground at the intersection of jazz and poetry, leaning into the improvisational aspects of both while incorporating other sonic touchstones from throughout her life: prog rock, grunge, and, crucially, the traditional music of Native communities throughout the Southwest. “This musical project has found its footing during a time of thick-layered turmoil throughout our communities,’” Harjo writes in the album’s extensive liner notes which give shape to Harjo’s history as an artist, poet, and musician.
Listen to the title track, “Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace,” HERE
