2.15.07

I got a write up from my old home town paper the Durham Herald-Sun in anticipation of next Thursday's show with Peter Holsapple.

6.1.07

1.1.07

Happy New Year! I am a featured artist at "LiveAudioMag.com," an online music magazine which features North Carolina musicians and songwriters. Right now they are holding a promotional contest which allows subscribers to vote for their favorite artist. The winner gets $1000. You can vote for free, so umm.. go do it. (if you like my stuff).

12.6.06

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen"

Here are a couple of Christmas songs for you to download, if you want 'em. I think they turned out pretty good. They were recorded a few years ago, just me and a guitar, with harmonica on "Emmanuel." I like them cause they're in minor keys.

7.18.06
Both of my CDs are now available on for what seems like a ridiculously low price. So if you don't have them, now's the time!

3.01.06
I now have a myspace page complete with a blog.

2.22.06
I am proud to be a part of "Songs For Sixty Five Roses," a CD on which North Carolina musicians record songs by other North Carolina musicians. Claire Holley does a great version of "Lion Song" for the project. Other artists covered on the CD, which benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, include Ryan Adams, the dbs, Superchunk, James Taylor, and Randy Travis. You can hear short song clips on the website.

1.09.06
I am now offering T-shirts for sale. They're going like hotcakes, but they look better on you and they're not as tasty. Check 'em out.

8.03.05
Hey, I'm doing a bunch of shows in the Pacific Northwest this month. And I got a review coming out in the new issue of Paste Magazine which hits newsstands Monday 8/8.

4.01.05
My new CD, "Bright As You," has arrived. "Dropped," as they say. See below for a description. If you've ordered one, it should be arriving shortly, and if not, you can hustle on over here and pick one up via Paypal or snail mail. Or not. This is a no pressure operation.

3.01.05
So I've been threatening to put out a new record for close to a year, and you guys have made me mad enough so that I'm finally going to have to do it. I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do. My heart beatin' rhythm and my soul keep a singin the blues. So you see, I have no choice. Also, I caught the rollin' arthuritis sittin' down at a rhythm revue. I didn't even know the rollin' arthuritis was a communicable disease. But it is, apparently, and let me tell you something: it's no fun. The only cure is to put out this record. So don't try to stop me.

12.28.04
Merry Christmas and stuff. What are you doing? I'm updating the "news" section of my website. Glory Be. So, the new record is slowly taking shape, emerging out of the mist of myth and wishful thinking and becoming reality. So much a reality that it will be available for purchase within a month's time. And it's gonna sound good. Which is a good thing for a record to do. I've got some dates coming up, in PA and VA. Come on out if you can, and take care.

01.16.04
After about four years, I have a new album in the works. Hopefully it will be done for a late March release (editors note, 7/12/04: ok, that was wishful thinking. I'm shooting for the Fall now). I don't have a title yet, but I was thinking of "Jason Harrod: Prime Kutz." That's a joke. It'll include "When I Fly Away," "My Mad Girlfriend," "Messed Up Everywhere Blues," "Kickin Mule," and 6 other perennial favorites. I'll keep you posted and let you know when it's ready.

03.02.03

"In My Room" mp3

rec. In Durham, Winter 2002

I recorded "In My Room" for the Brian Wilson tribute album Making God Smile, which beachboys.com called "without a doubt the BEST Brian WIlson/Beach Boys tribute album yet." The original was released by the Beach Boys in 1963 as the flip side of "Be True To Your School," and served, in a backhanded way, as the inspiration for Harrod and Funck's "Brian Wilson's Room."

02.26.03

"Roll on Buddy" mp3

same time and place as "Naomi"
me and a guitar

This is my version of an old coal-mining song made popular by Merle Travis (namesake of the "travis-picking" guitar style) in 1946. There are lots of 9-pound hammer songs floating around, some of them railroad songs and some of them coal-mining songs. in 1870, the legendary John Henry apparently used not a 9 but two 20-pound hammers (one in each hand!) in a contest against the newly-invented steam drill while helping to build a railroad tunnel through the West Virginia mountains. He beat the drill handily but died for his efforts (some say he might not have died as a result of the contest, but later, in a tunnel cave-in).

02.17.03
Back in December I lost about 3/4 of my mailing list (along with my computer). If you were on the list at one time but haven't received a mailing lately, it might be because yours was one of the lost addresses. Please feel free to sign up again (or for the first time) on the main page, and I'll make sure you are on my list. In the meantime, check out the concerts page for upcoming gigs. Thanks!

12.02.02
For some great information on Harrod and Funck (reviews, history, lyrics, tabs, etc.) check out this site.

09.20.02

"Naomi" mp3

rec. in Boston, Summer 1999

I came up with the guitar part for this song about ten years ago, and never quite got the lyrics finished until 1999, when I recorded it to put on "Living In Skin."  For some reason I deemed it unacceptable and put it instead on an EP which I called "Looming Blues."  A few folks bought it, but not a whole lot, so I thought I would put it up here.

In college I used to make up fanciful stories about what this song was about.  In that spirit, here is another one:  It is about a Quaker nurse in the Civil War, tending the wounds of some brave soldier on the cusp of Heaven.

08.30.02
I am back on Arthur Smith's Carolina Calling this Saturday, August 31st at 8:00 pm on WUNC-TV. This episode will air on all NC Public Television stations. Alison Krauss and Union Station also appear. There was a nice write-up in the Independent awhile ago about the series.

I am gearing up to tour in the Fall. Stay tuned to the "Concerts" section for tour dates.

06.17.02
I'm very excited to be appearing on a new Brian Wilson tribute album put out by Silent Planet records. I recorded the Beach Boys' "In My Room" for the project, with Sixpence None the Richer's Dale Baker and the Basics' Wade Baynham. There is a single CD version which will be available in stores on June 30th, and there is a double CD, internet-only version available on June 20th. In addition to "In My Room," Harrod and Funck's "Brian Wilson's Room" will appear on the double-CD version. Here's the official skinny:

"Making God Smile," a musical tribute to the songs of Brian Wilson, will be released in stores on July 30, featuring 17 all-new renditions of some of the best Beach Boy's and Brian Wilson songs. But you can get the limited edition double-CD version with 26 tracks more than a month early!

The limited-edition CD set, which ships June 20 (Brian's 60th birthday), contains 9 additional all-new renditions of some of the Beach Boys' and Brian Wilson's best-known music. It also comes with a beautiful 24-page booklet with write-ups from each of the artists, commenting on the song they chose the cover, and on Brian's influence.

01.19.02
In November, I won first place in the annual concert sponsored by the North Carolina Songwriters' Co-op. In December, I taped my first ever television appearance, with Country music hall-of-famer Arthur Smith. Probably best known for "Dueling Banjos," Smith hosted the country's first ever nationally syndicated country variety show. The segment will appear on his resurrected "Carolina Calling" program, which will be broadcast on North Carolina public television in April.

03.07.01
Well, the biggest news is, we got this web site up. I'm real excited about it. Hopefully you'll have fun looking around, and we'll work out the kinks as time goes on (assuming there are kinks).

I've got gigs in Michigan this month in E. Lansing, Ferndale (greater Detroit)and Grand Rapids. Hope you'll come on out. More gigs coming soon, including a spot on the acoustic stage at this year's Cornerstone in Bushnell, IL.

02.17.01
I was glad to be on hand as local (North Carolina) musicians and writers came together for Peter Kramer's annual "Send a kid to camp" fundraiser in Hillsborough. Last year, the program raised $132,000 to be divided between Orange, Durham, Chatham, and Wake counties. If you ever run into Peter, be sure to get him to tell you of the time he and the Green River Band backed up E-Street Band saxaphonist Clarence Clemons.

Summer 2000
I released my first solo CD, Living In Skin. More on that in the recordings section.

04.28.00
My song "When I Get Home" won first place in the bluegrass category of the Chris Austin Songwriting competition at the annual Merlefest in North Wilkesboro, NC. It was a great thrill to meet judge Gillian Welch (whose music can be heard, incidentally, on the soundtrack for the new film "O Brother Where Art Thou?") and to perform the song on the main cabin stage. I ruined my favorite pair of shoes that weekend.

10.20.85
Sir Mix-a-Lot knighted.