Kevin Harris Project...The Artist

The Artist

"Harris has worked to refine the creative push and pull of a music that demands it".

Boston Globe

“Kevin is a brilliant improviser in which every rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic phrase he plays is cohesive and logically developed. Most importantly, his playing is consistently soulful and in the pocket. In my opinion, Kevin will be a significant voice in the world of jazz piano for the new millennium. I'm proud to share the bandstand with him.”

Andrew Hayward
Lincoln Jazz Center Orchestra and SF Jazz Collective

Jazz pianist Kevin Harris plays a distinctive combination of traditional and contemporary music. The native Kentuckian's compositions and arrangements vary from explosive polyrhythmic pieces to introspective ballads. Harris has performed at the Blue Note (NYC and Milan), Scullers Jazz Club, Regatta Bar, Wang Theatre, Jordan Hall, Berklee Performance Center, Wally's Jazz Café, and has participated in the Boston Jazz festival of the past few years. His music contains the varied influences of Marcus Roberts, Chopin, Keith Jarrett, Danilo Perez, and Thelonious Monk.

In earlier years, Harris was invited by the Mayor of New Orleans to perform for the Alpha Phi Alpha Forum at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in New Orleans. During high school, he was selected to appear on the nationally broadcast Black Entertainment Television program Teen Summit, a showcase for US talent.

Harris' Boston-based trio includes drummer Steve Langone and bassist Kendall Eddy. One of the captivating elements of the group is the level of comfort and understanding they have with one another as they dive into passionate music conversations as well as playful exchanges. Both his live performances and his recordings reflect Harris’s determination to capture his audience through thoughtful music interactions and very complex solo sections.

Kevin holds a master's degree in jazz performance from the New England Conservatory and an undergraduate degree in music education (Morehead State University, KY). At the NEC, he studied with Fred Hersch, Mike Cain, Cecil McBee, George Garzone, and Danilo Perez, and performed with George Russell, Benny Golson and Bob Brookmeyer.

After graduating from the New England Conservatory, Harris worked at defining himself and his music through partnerships with key musicians and also studying and arranging the music of jazz’s masters such as Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker as well as elaborate classical composers as J.S. Bach and Beethoven. The continuing search for growth and new expression is clearly recognizable in his albums.

Harris has produced two CDs, The Butterfly Chronicles, mainly his own compositions, where he demonstrates his ability to create an energetic interaction using odd meters and advanced harmony, a true treat for any listener. His newest CD entitled Freedom Doxology holds a number of through-composed originals that take listeners through the stories told by the engaging notes played; the album also displays Harris' interest in exploring and arranging Monk and Coltrane's tunes. This CD was released at his performances at the Regatta Bar in Cambridge, MA and also at the Blue Note in Milan, Italy.

Committed to the community and to getting youth involved in music, Kevin has also conducted instrumental improvisation clinics in both public and private schools throughout the USA, as well as in Italy and Poland.

In the summer of 2007 and 2008, Harris served as jazz piano instructor for students from Brazil, India, and South Africa during the North Eastern University Fusion Art’s Program.

In 2000 he started five separate band programs with help from “Arts In Progress,” a Boston based arts organization. Currently, Harris teaches trumpet, piano, and jazz band at the Cambridge Friends School and Charles River School. Harris also teaches private lessons from his studio in Boston. As Harris thrives on communication, his typical educational performance involves interacting with the audience.

" Participation,” he says, "is what keeps our souls alive."