Joy Harjo, Esperanza Spalding - Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace (2026)

As a poet and musician, Joy Harjo channels a creative force she describes as a “vibration of love” to connect countless traditions and artforms, countering the despair and heartache caused by power and hate. Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace, her debut for Smithsonian Folkways, draws on the long-intertwined rhythms of jazz and poetry, the power of improvisation and self-expression through sound, and the vitality of Native culture and spirituality to spark a chain of vibrational energy to engulf the whole world. Harjo’s voice is bold and direct, supported by producer and bass player esperanza spalding, covering a repertoire that includes a jazz standard, a song written by Harjo’s mother and uncovered by her sister, and many originals that speak to contemporary issues and her life as one of the most celebrated American poets of the last century.

Tracklist
01 Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace
02 Rabbit Is Up to Tricks
03 I Pray for My Enemies
04 Fear Redux
05 Without
06 Mahk Jchi 2026
07 Instinct
08 My Guy
09 Perhaps the World Ends Here
10 Stomp All Night
11 I Am a Prayer
12 In the Beautiful Perfume and Stink of the World
13 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat