Soul on Soul with Phinesse featuring Roderick Harper

Harper’s story begins in DC, where he grew up singing from the time he could speak, but it really starts taking off at Southern University in Baton Rouge, where he found himself studying under the tutelage of jazz titan Alvin Batiste. While still enrolled at Southern, Harper began making regular trips into New Orleans, and it was there that he landed himself a life-changing guest spot one night with Ellis Marsalis. Impressed with the young vocalist’s performance, Marsalis invited Harper to return the following week, and soon after that, offered him a steady gig with the band.