Donald Harrison

Donald Harrison
Donald Harrison, Jr. at the New Orleans Jazz Fest 2007
Background information
Born	(1960-06-23) 23 June 1960 New Orleans, Louisiana United States
Genres	Jazz, smooth jazz, Hiphop
Occupations	Musician, Composer, producer, Instructor
Instruments	Vocalist, Saxophone

Donald Harrison, Jr. (born June 23, 1960) is an American jazz saxophonist from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Biography

Harrison studied at the Southern University and Berklee College of Music.^[1] He played with Roy Haynes, Jack McDuff, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Terence Blanchard and Don Pullen in the 1980s. He also played with the re-formed Headhunters band in the 1990s. In 1991 he recorded "Indian Blues," which captured the sound and culture of Congo Square in a jazz context. In 1994 Harrison created the "Nouveau Swing" style of jazz, .^[2] which merges the swing beat with many of today's popular dance styles of music, as well as styles that are prominent from his cultural experiences in his hometown.

Harrison also performs in the smooth jazz genre. His group Donald Harrison Electric Band has recorded popular radio hits and have charted in the top ten of Billboard magazine. He performs as a producer, singer and rapper in the traditional Afro-New Orleans culture and hiphop genres with his group, The New Sounds of Mardi Gras. The group, which has recorded two cds, was started in 2001 and has made appearances worldwide. Harrison is the Big Chief of the Congo Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group which keeps alive the secret traditions of Congo Square.

Harrison also writes orchestral works for major orchestras.

Harrison was chosen as the "person of the year" by Jazziz magazine in January 2007. His latest CDs, 3D Vols. I, II, and III, feature him in three different musical genres. On Vol. I he writes, plays, and produces music in the smooth jazz, and R&B style. On Vol. II he writes, produces and plays in the classic jazz style. On Vol. III he writes plays and produces in the hiphop genre.

As of 2007, Harrison is working on a large orchestral work which investigates what it is like to be a participant in New Orleans culture. Harrison was forced to evacuate New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and proceeds from his album Nouveau Swing will go to victims of the hurricanes.

Harrison has nurtured a number of young musicians including the young Grammy-nominated trumpeter Christian Scott (Harrison's nephew), as well as Mark Whitfield, Cyrus Chestnut, Christian McBride, and The Notorious B.I.G.^[3] Harrison was featured in Spike Lee's HBO documentary, When the Levees Broke, and has appeared as himself in 11 episodes of HBO's Treme where the characters Albert and Delmond Lambreaux are based on aspects of his life.^[4]

Harrison also is the director of the Tipitina's Intern Program and directed the New Jazz School for the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans,.^[5]

Discography

As leader

• The New Sounds of Mardi Gras Vol 1 - (Hip-Hop)
• The New Sounds of Mardi Gras Vol 2 - (Hip-Hop)
• Evolution Revolution - with The Headhunters
• Live - with Clark Terry
• Live at The Supper Club - with Lena Horne
• 1991: Indian Blues
• 1994: The Power of Cool
• 1996: Nouveau Swing
• 1997: Free To Be
• 1999: Paradise Found
• 2001: Spirits of Congo Square
• 2002: Kind of New
• 2003: Real Life Stories
• 2004: Heroes - with Ron Carter and Billy Cobham
• 2005: Free Style
• 2006: "NY Cool" Live at The Blue Note- with Ron Carter and Billy Cobham
• 2006: The Survivor
• 2007: 3D Vol I Smooth Jazz- with Chris Botti and Chuck Loeb
• 2008: 3D Vol II Classic Jazz
• 2008: The Chosen Classic Jazz
• 2009: 3D Vol III Hip-Hop
• 2011: Quantum Leap
• 2012: This is Jazz - with Ron Carter and Billy Cobham

As sideman

With Art Blakey

• Oh-By the Way (Timeless, 1982)
• New York Scene (Concord, 1984)
• Blue Night (Timeless, 1985)

With Don Pullen

• The Sixth Sense (Black Saint, 1985)

With Esperanza Spalding

• Esperanza (Heads up, 2008)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Donald Harrison, Jr..

• Harrison's website