$15 Cover / Start 7:30pm / Doors 7pm
Harris tiptoes and pirouettes across a relaxed set of ballads and lightly soulful grooves, he possesses a spare style and a gentle touch.
— Jazz Times Magazine
When the unmistakable musical influences of Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker intersect with J.S. Bach, Scott Joplin, and the folkloric rhythms of Cuba, could one possibly conceptualize the celebration that occurs at that intersection? New York-based jazz pianist Kevin Harris plays a distinctive combination of traditional and contemporary music that seeks to explore such a crossroad.
Fred Hersch talks of Harris as one who “plays and writes with flair and real soul"and Downbeat Magazine writes that “Harris' compositions deal with themes of strength, love, courage, and self awareness. It's a heavy task he's set up for himself, and he meets the challenge gracefully.”
One of the captivating elements of the Kevin Harris Project is the level of comfort and understanding they have with one another as they dive into soulfully expressive conversations and playful exchanges of ideas. Both live and recorded performances reflect Harris’s determination to capture his audience through explorative interactions that Terri Lyne Carrington describes as "an exciting commitment to quality".
Among his most notable collaborations are Greg Osby, Jeremy Pelt, Francisco Mela, Avishai Cohen, Eddie Gomez, Duane Eubanks, Richie Barshay, Ben Street, Ralph Peterson, Steve Langone, Jason Palmer, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Tommy Campbell, Bill Pierce, Yoron Israel, Dezron Douglas, Donny McCaslin, Terri Lyne Carrington.
Harris performs at renowned national and international venues --Blue Note (NYC, Boston, and Milan), Smalls Jazz Club, Mezzrow Jazz Club, JazzHus Montmartre, Wally's Jazz Cafe, to name a few--. His ensemble has also participated at Jazz Festivals in Cuba, Panama, Italy, Denmark, Peru, Israel, and the USA.
Kevin Harris, piano
Simón Willson, acoustic bass
Tyson Jackson, drums