He attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston under the direction of Robert "Doc" Morgan", then North Texas State University as a music major in the early 1980s.

Bruce Lundvall of Blue Note Records signed Harp to a solo contract before the group album was released.

He also played on the theme song for Soul Train and shared the stage with President Bill Clinton at the Arkansas Ball in 1992.

Harp worked with Stanley Clarke, Natalie Cole, Neil Diamond, Aretha Franklin, Wayne Henderson, Al Jarreau, The Jazz Crusaders, Billy Joel, Chaka Khan, Kenny Loggins, Bobby Lyle, Peter Maffay, Marcus Miller, Chante Moore, Dianne Reeves, Eros Ramazzotti, Brenda Russell, Joe Sample, and Luther Vandross.

[3] Harp collaborated with guitarist Chuck Loeb and keyboardist Jeff Lorber and formed a group Jazz Funk Soul.