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All Music Guide:
Vibraphonist/percussionist Stefon Harris originally planned to pursue his musical ambitions as a member of the New York Philharmonic, but his first exposure to the music of Charlie Parker convinced him to play jazz instead. Emerging during the mid-'90s on sessions led by Steve Turre, Charlie Hunter, and others, he made his solo debut in 1998 with the Blue Note release A Cloud of Red Dust. The Grammy-nominated Black Action Figure followed a year later. A collaboration with labelmate, pianist Jacky Terrasson, was a defining moment for Harris. Their week-long showcase at the Village Vanguard in summer 2001 was a success, encouraging both artists to work together in the studio. Kindred, a set of standards woven around a few original tracks, was issued in 2001.
The Grand Unification Theory pushed Harris' boundaries yet again. The 12-piece ensemble jazz suite appeared in 2003, eventually earning Harris the prestigious Martin E. Segal Award from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Dates with the Kenny Barron Quintet coincided with the spring 2004 release of Evolution. African Tarantella appeared in 2006, followed three years later by Urbanus in 2009.
Wikipedia:
Stefon Harris (born March 23, 1973) is an American jazz vibraphonist. In 1999, the Los Angeles Times called him "one of the most important young artists in jazz" who is "at the forefront of new New York music" and "much in demand as a star sideman". Harris has played with several jazz luminaries including Kenny Barron, Steve Turre, Kurt Elling, and Charlie Hunter, in addition to releasing several of his own critically well-regarded albums.
Harris is a resident of Newark, New Jersey.
Education and early career
A 1991 graduate of Albany High School, Harris earned his bachelor's (in 1995) and master's (in 1997) from Manhattan School of Music in New York City. He credited his teachers in High School, saying they recognized 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. Of Manhattan School of Music 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 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, Eilat, Israel, and Sydney, Australia. In April 2009, he will headline at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Orange County, California.
Collaboration
Harris collaborated with saxophonist David Sánchez and trumpeter Christian Scott in 2011 on the album Ninety Miles. They recorded the album in Havana, Cuba.
