Review: Cornbread Harris and Jimmy Jam put their world back together with joy

There were tears of joy and unerasable smiles Friday night at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. A reunion of father-and-son Minneapolis musicians Cornbread Harris and Jimmy Jam, estranged for nearly 50 years, will do that.

No one got more misty than Twin Cities author Andrea Swensson, who engineered the reunion while writing the new biography “Deeper Blues: The Life, Songs and Salvation of Cornbread Harris,” which was celebrated at the sold-out Cedar.

Early in the evening, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar read a proclamation declaring Cornbread a “forever giant of American music.” Then the duo of Cornbread & Jam made its debut and later Cornbread & Friends, his weekly band at Palmer’s Bar, delivered a set featuring terrific solos by the five brass players.

It was easy to admire Cornbread’s stamina at age 97 as he spent more than two hours onstage and then another two hours signing autographs afterward. His musicianship was impressive but most remarkable was his wit. He was sharp with his timing and his tongue.

When Swensson, asking questions between the music in the opening segment, referred to Jimmy, Cornbread’s 65-year-old Grammy-winning, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame son, James Samuel “Cornbread” Harris Jr. asked, “Is there another musician in the house named Jimmy?”

At one point, Cornbread turned serious and explained, “I was never much on feelings.” Then he slyly added, “Now I’m Loverman.”

During his signature “Cornbread Song,” the piano man sang a long list of people who like cornbread. In recognition of his newest honor, he improvised, “Congress likes cornbread” in the middle of the number. He received a rousing ovation.

After Cornbread on an upright piano and Jam on an electric piano duetted on the instrumental “Blues in G,” Father commented, “You’re not going to find anything that good anyplace else.”

The audience agreed, offering another standing ovation. It was one of the many highlights along with Cornbread’s delightfully spontaneous humor and his sing-along, peace-seeking original “Put the World Back Together,” which, on this night, doubled as a personal theme for Cornbread and Jam.

There was love — feelings — onstage and throughout the room. What a joyful evening. I can’t remember smiling so much at a concert, even a comedy show.