Tears of joy and smiles flowed at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Friday night. The reunion of Minneapolis musicians Cornbread Harris and Jimmy Jam, father and son who have been separated for nearly 50 years, will do just that.
Earlier in the evening, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar read a proclamation declaring Cornbread an “eternal giant of American music.” Then the duo Cornbread & Jam made their debut, and later Cornbread & Friends, his weekly band at Palmer’s Bar, played a set that featured great solos from the five brass players.
It was easy to admire Cornbread’s stamina at age 97, as he spent more than two hours on stage and another two hours signing autographs afterward. His musicianship was impressive, but most notable was his wit. He had sharp timing and a good tongue.
As Swensson asked questions between notes in the opening segment, referring to Jimmy, Cornbread’s 65-year-old Grammy-winning and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee son, James Samuel “Cornbread” Harris Jr., asked, “Is there another musician in the house named Jimmy?”
At one point, Cornbread became serious and explained, “I was never particularly emotional.” Then he added mischievously, “Now I’m Loverman.”
During his signature “Cornbread Song,” the pianist sang a long list of people who like cornbread. In recognition of his latest award, he improvised mid-number, “Congress likes cornbread.” He received a rousing applause.
After Cornbread played a duet on the instrumental “Blues in G” on a piano and Jam played a duet on an electric piano, Dad said, “You won’t find anything this good anywhere else.”
