Stefon Harris (born 1973) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
vibraphonistNotable players of the vibraphone include:* Roy Ayers* Karl Berger* Jeff Berman* Austin Billings* Jack Brokensha* Larry Bunker* Rusty Burge* Gary Burton* Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard* Joe Chambers* Teddy Charles* John Cocuzzi* Monte Croft* Ed Saindon...
. In 1999, the
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California since 1881. It is distributed throughout the Western United States. It is the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States and the fourth-most widely distributed newspaper in the United States...
called him "one of the most important young artists in jazz" who is "at the forefront of new
New YorkNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
music" and "much in demand as a star sideman". Harris has played with several jazz luminaries including
Kenny BarronKenny Barron , is a United States jazz pianist. He is the younger brother of tenor saxophonist Bill Barron, and known for his lyrical, adaptive style.-Biography:...
,
Steve TurreSteve Turre is an internationally renowned trombonist, recording artist, arranger, and educator. In 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2006 he won the Down Beat Reader's Poll for best trombonist....
,
Kurt EllingKurt Elling is an American jazz vocalist.Elling graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota in 1989. He then enrolled in The University of Chicago's Divinity School and remained a student there until January 1992, when he left school one credit short of graduation.In the last...
, and
Charlie Hunterfor the New Zealand racehorse trainer and driver see: Charlie HunterCharlie Hunter is an American guitarist, composer and bandleader....
, in addition to releasing several of his own critically well-regarded albums.
Harris is a resident of
Newark, New JerseyBrick City redirects here. For the township in Ocean County, see Brick Township, New Jersey.Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, and the county seat of Essex County. Newark has a population of 281,402, making it the largest municipality in New Jersey and the 65th largest city in the U.S...
.
A 1991 graduate of
Albany High SchoolAlbany High School is the name of several public and independent secondary schools:* Albany High School * Albany Science College, formerly Albany High School, in Chorley* Albany High School...
, Harris earned his bachelor's (in 1995) and master's (in 1997) from
Manhattan School of MusicThe Manhattan School of Music is one of the world's leading music conservatories located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
.
Stefon Harris (born 1973) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
vibraphonistNotable players of the vibraphone include:* Roy Ayers* Karl Berger* Jeff Berman* Austin Billings* Jack Brokensha* Larry Bunker* Rusty Burge* Gary Burton* Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard* Joe Chambers* Teddy Charles* John Cocuzzi* Monte Croft* Ed Saindon...
. In 1999, the
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California since 1881. It is distributed throughout the Western United States. It is the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States and the fourth-most widely distributed newspaper in the United States...
called him "one of the most important young artists in jazz" who is "at the forefront of new
New YorkNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
music" and "much in demand as a star sideman". Harris has played with several jazz luminaries including
Kenny BarronKenny Barron , is a United States jazz pianist. He is the younger brother of tenor saxophonist Bill Barron, and known for his lyrical, adaptive style.-Biography:...
,
Steve TurreSteve Turre is an internationally renowned trombonist, recording artist, arranger, and educator. In 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2006 he won the Down Beat Reader's Poll for best trombonist....
,
Kurt EllingKurt Elling is an American jazz vocalist.Elling graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota in 1989. He then enrolled in The University of Chicago's Divinity School and remained a student there until January 1992, when he left school one credit short of graduation.In the last...
, and
Charlie Hunterfor the New Zealand racehorse trainer and driver see: Charlie HunterCharlie Hunter is an American guitarist, composer and bandleader....
, in addition to releasing several of his own critically well-regarded albums.
Harris is a resident of
Newark, New JerseyBrick City redirects here. For the township in Ocean County, see Brick Township, New Jersey.Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, and the county seat of Essex County. Newark has a population of 281,402, making it the largest municipality in New Jersey and the 65th largest city in the U.S...
.
Education and early career
A 1991 graduate of
Albany High SchoolAlbany High School is the name of several public and independent secondary schools:* Albany High School * Albany Science College, formerly Albany High School, in Chorley* Albany High School...
, Harris earned his bachelor's (in 1995) and master's (in 1997) from
Manhattan School of MusicThe Manhattan School of Music is one of the world's leading music conservatories located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
. He credited his teachers in High School with recognizing his "passion for music early on and offered lessons and the chance to bring home instruments to practice." He has stated that "
Music educationMusic education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. More than merely teaching notes and rhythms, music education seeks to develop the whole person. It touches on the development of the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity. It helps to...
and performance in
ensembleEnsemble may refer to:* Musical ensemble* Ensemble cast * Dance ensemble* Statistical ensemble in mathematical physics, for example:** Quantum ensemble** Ensemble ** Climate ensemble** Ensemble forecasting...
s, like the
Empire State Youth OrchestraThe Empire State Youth Orchestra was founded in 1979 by a group of dedicated parents and music educators. Based in Albany, New York, the orchestra is composed of talented and musically advanced high school students from New York State, western Massachusetts, and southern Vermont...
, exposed me to me to other cultures and genres." He also was the captain of the high school
wrestlingWrestling is an ancient martial art that uses grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, generally between two people, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
team. Of
Manhattan School of MusicThe Manhattan School of Music is one of the world's leading music conservatories located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
he has said: "The School gave me the opportunity to explore the diversity of both classical and jazz music and find the direction I wanted to go artistically."
Performances
He plays the
vibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the mallet subfamily of the percussion family....
, has composed music, and has released six CDs.
He has performed throughout
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
and
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, from New York's Lincoln Center, to San Francisco,
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
,
East Lansing, MichiganEast Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 46,525 at the time of the 2000 census...
,
Troy, New YorkTroy is a city in New York, U.S., and the county seat of Rensselaer County. As of the 2000 census, the population was 49,170. Troy's motto is Ilium fuit, Troja est, which means "Ilium was, Troy is."...
, and Sydney, Australia. In April 2009, he will headline at the
Orange County Performing Arts CenterThe Orange County Performing Arts Center is a performing arts complex located in Costa Mesa, California, United States.The Center offers the world’s leading dance companies, Broadway shows, award-winning classical, jazz and cabaret artists, family entertainment, special events and year-round...
in
Orange CountyOrange County is a county in Southern California, United States. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,846,293, though a July 2008 estimate placed the population at 3,010,759, making it the second most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
.
Discography
| Released |
Album |
Notes |
Label |
| 1998-01-01 |
A Cloud of Red Dust A Cloud of Red Dust is the 1998 debut album by jazz vibraphonist Stefon Harris released by Blue Note Records. Saxophonist Greg Osby, a fellow Blue Note recording artist, also lent his skills to the recording...
|
debut |
Blue NoteBlue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues...
|
| 1999-09-14 |
Black Action Figure |
- |
Blue Note |
| 2001-09-11 |
Kindred |
- |
Blue Note |
| 2003-02-11 |
The Grand Unification Theory |
- |
Blue Note |
| 2004-04-20 |
Evolution |
w/ Blackout |
EMIThe EMI Group is a British music company. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major publishing arm- EMI Music Publishing- based in New York City...
|
| 2006-01-01 |
African Tarantella |
- |
Blue Note/EMI |
As member of The Classical Jazz QuartetThe Classical Jazz Quartet is a jazz quartet established in the 2000s. It consists of mainstream jazz performers playing jazz interpretations of classical music repertoire.Bob Belden has written arrangements for the group.-Discography:...
- Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker (2001, Vertical Jazz) (deleted)
- The Classical Jazz Quartet Plays Bach (Vertical Jazz, 2002)
- The Classical Jazz Quartet Play Rachmaninov (May 16, 2006, Kind of Blue)
- The Classical Jazz Quartet Play Tchaikovsky (September 19, 2006)
- Christmas (2006)
External links