Andrea Swensson is an author, podcast host, and music journalist in Minneapolis. She hosts the Official Prince Podcast and has written for numerous publications, including NPR Music, Pitchfork, the Star Tribune, City Pages, and Minnesota Public Radio's The Current, where she previously hosted "The Local Show." Her first book, Got to Be Something Here: The Rise of the Minneapolis Sound, also from the University of Minnesota Press, won a 2018 Minnesota Book Award.

James "Jimmy Jam" Harris III, the son of Minnesota blues legend James "Cornbread" Harris, is a Grammy-winning songwriter and producer from Minneapolis. He and Terry Lewis, known as Jam and Lewis, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022; the duo have written forty-one Top 10 hits in the United States and have more Billboard No. 1 hits than any other songwriting/production team. The musical icons they have worked with include Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Usher.

"Andrea Swensson's book on Minneapolis music icon Cornbread Harris is fascinating. He was a peer of my mother and father in the Minneapolis music scene, so this biography holds a special place in my heart. The music business isn't for the faint of heart . . . but when it's your calling like it is for Cornbread, you 'get' to spend your life healing people through your gift, no matter the personal cost. I'm honored to have recorded with him and to call his son, Jimmy Jam, my friend. A must read!" --St. Paul Peterson

"In a crazy world without a road map, we're all doing the best we can to reach a destination of peace that feels like home. Planting seeds that grow into a destiny greater than we could ever imagine for ourselves--just as Cornbread did for Jimmy Jam. What a beautiful thing to read this story of a father and son reuniting after years of separation to share their love of music again. Deeper Blues is a reminder that love and music are divine uniting forces that continue to heal us." --Terry Lewis

"Andrea Swensson's Deeper Blues: The Life, Songs and Salvation of Cornbread Harris is a must-read. Accomplished journalist [Swensson] brings acumen, insight, and passion to bear on a beloved Twin Cities icon."--Blue Monday Magazine

"To be sure, [Deeper Blues] is a remarkable story about a remarkable man. A chronicle of love, sorrow, forgiveness, sacrifice, and redemption. It's a must read for all those who either love and/or fashion themselves as students of the Minneapolis Sound."--Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

"An engaging portrait of a consummate entertainer who has been a fixture on the Twin Cities music scene for 70 years."--Star Tribune

"Clear-sighted about the challenge she finds herself at the centre of, Swensson writes with an emotional intelligence that allows her to tell the tale with both intimacy and respect."--Record Collector

"In her book, Swensson writes of her admiration for Harris's musicianship, and her delight in Harris as a person. Her writing captures Harris's sense of humor and his vulnerability, even as she gets at his true love of music."--MinnPost

"Swensson's book should appeal to folks with an interest in local history and local music. It is an opportunity to "meet" through words on a page a warm and engaging musician who deserves the attention."--Ramsey County History

"Swensson illustrates once again her enviable knack at balancing craft with a measure of empathy and coercion in her subjects." --The Aquarian