Stefon Harris

Infobox musical artist
Name = Stefon Harris

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Img_capt = Stefon Harris at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2007. Photo by Siebe van Ineveld
Img_size =
Landscape = yes
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Alias =
Born = 1973
Died =
Origin =
Instrument = vibraphone
Genre = Post-bop
Hard bop
Progressive jazz
Contemporary jazz
Years_active = 1998 — present
Label = Blue Note
Associated_acts = Classical Jazz Quartet
URL = http://www.stefonharris.com

Stefon Harris (born 1973) is an American jazz vibraphonist. In 1999, the "Los Angeles Times" called him "one of the most important young artists in jazz" ["Faces to Watch '99" in "Los Angeles Times", January 3, 1999 pg. 10] and is "at the forefront of new New York music" and "much in demand as a star sideman". ["The Penguin Guide to Jazz" by Richard Cook and Brian Morton, pg. 598] Harris has played with several jazz luminaries including Kenny Barron, Steve Turre, and Charlie Hunter, in addition to releasing several of his own critically well-regarded albums.

Harris is a resident of Newark, New Jersey. [Wise, Brian. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E5DE163AF93BA35751C0A9629C8B63 "Eclectic Sounds of New Jersey, Echoing From Coast to Coast"] , "The New York Times", February 8, 2004. Accessed November 22, 2007.]

Education and early career

A 1991 graduate of Albany High School, Harris earned his bachelor's (in 1995) and master's (in 1997) from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City."Alumni achievementStefon Harris ’91 – Hitting all the right notes: Stefon Harris is living his dream," Capital Education -- Spring 2008 (City School District of Albany's quarterly newsletter), p. 4, found at [http://www.albanyschools.org/district/communications/publications/Newsletters/2007-08/Spring%20edition/Alumni%20achievement-Stefon%20Harris.pdf Albany Schools official website] . Accessed July 10, 2008.] 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 education and performance in ensembles, like the Empire State Youth Orchestra, exposed me to me to other cultures and genres." He also was the captain of the high school wrestling team.

Performances

He plays the vibraphone, has composed music, and has released six CDs.

He has performed throughout North America and Australia, from New York's Lincoln Center, to San Francisco, Chicago, East Lansing, Michigan, Troy, New York, and Sydney, Australia. In April 2009, he will headline at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Orange County, California. [ [http://events.ocregister.com/costa-mesa-ca/events/show/83764398-stephon-harris OCRegister] . Accessed July 10, 2008.] [ [http://www.ocpac.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=734&NavID=92 Orange County Performing Arts Center official website] . Accessed July 10, 2008.]

Discography

As member of The Classical Jazz Quartet

*"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) [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:39fixqe0ldke~T2 allmusic ((( Classical Jazz Quartet > Discography > Main Albums ))) ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.stefonharris.com/ Official Stefon Harris website]