About

A profile picture of Harry Kruse.

Harry Hmura

Harry has recorded and toured both nationally and internationally with Grammy Award Winning blues legends, James Cotton (Muddy Waters side man) and Sugar Blue (recorded with the Rolling Stones). Harry’s performed and shared the stage with Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Dickey Betts, Elvin Bishop, Jeff Healey, and Buddy Miles.

“I started playing guitar at 7, it was when I met B.B. King at 11 years old (still have his autograph), …he lit the fire in me”

With 80 million copies sold of the world renowned video game series “Halo”, players and fans worldwide were introduced to the blues rock fusion guitar of Harry, who was featured on the first, third and fourth game’s soundtracks.

Harry’s distinctive, experienced and creative guitar styles are world class. From his humble beginnings in Chicago to sharing the stage with blues and rock legends, He offers listeners and fans a journey of rhythms, groove, feeling, improv and space, playing his own original soulful Blues, R&R Classics and Jazz, fusing them tastefully.

Harry recently toured Italy in March ‘23 promoting his latest album, “Goin’ Home”, released on Appaloosa Records, an all-original album. It’s his sixth record he’s released composing and self-producing.

Cover art for the album "Goin' Home"

“I’m excited and proud of my latest album. It’s a studio album of all original compositions and lyrics, emotional electric guitars, blues acoustic and delta-style Dobro slide guitars. It was an exciting time in the studio recording this, I crossed boundaries and opened barriers a bit…”

Harry performed on notable world festival stages; Chicago Blues Fest, Montreal International, Montreux, North Sea, Madrid, Middlehiem, Paris and Toronto Uptown Jazz festivals. Countries toured; North America, Mexico, Ecuador, Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland.

Studio sessions Harry’s played on is a long line of major company commercials like McDonald’s to star talk show hosts Oprah, including network and cable TV shows, James Corden, Dancing with the Stars, A&E, Discovery, ESPN, WGN, History and Biography Channels. He’s played the National Anthem for the Chicago White Sox at the opening of their stadium, Cellular Field.

Sharing his experience and knowledge for decades in his career as an instructor, Harry is part time faculty at Columbia College Chicago since 2006, also sharing instructional videos on YouTube. “It’s important to me to share knowledge and ideas with guitarists. Performing, recording and teaching rolls up into one big thing, my passion.”