Born in Baltimore in 1962 and raised in Washington, D.C., Harper played his first major gig with Dexter Gordon in 1982. He spent four years as drummer with Betty Carter, worked with Johnny Griffin, Abdullah Ibrahim, and Pharoah Sanders, and co-led The Harper Brothers with his brother Philip, releasing four albums on PolyGram.

Harper has led the Jeli Posse since 1993, and he is a virtuoso on both the drum set and the balafon, the West African equivalent of the marimba. His Savant Records albums include A Time for the Soul (2003) and Come into the Light (2004).

He is equally committed to education, having led residencies for the Kennedy Center’s Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program for emerging young musicians.

At the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Harper brings a joyful, swinging approach that reflects the tradition he has helped carry forward.