November 1, 2007

Vibraphonist Stefon Harris to perform Ellington-inspired works

Stefon Harris
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Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "one of the most important young artists in jazz," Harris is committed both to exploring the rich potential of jazz composition and to blazing new trails on the vibraphone, said Todd Wetzel, director of Purdue Convocations.

"Stefon Harris' passionate artistry, energetic stage presence and astonishing virtuosity have propelled him into the forefront of the current jazz scene," he said.

A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Harris received a bachelor's degree in classical music and a master's degree in jazz performance. He is a recipient of the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center and Grammy nominations for "Black Action Figure" (1998), "Kindred" (2001) and "The Grand Unification Theory" (2003).

Harris has performed at many of the world's concert halls, including Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center and Sydney Opera House, and he has recorded and performed as a sideman with a range of musicians, including Wynton Marsalis, Joe Henderson, Cassandra Wilson, Steve Coleman and Charlie Hunter. Harris is currently artist in residence at San Francisco Performances.

On his latest project, "African Tarantella … Dances with Duke," Harris pays tribute to Ellington by reinterpreting his extended suites as well as by presenting new works inspired by him.

From 1927 until his death in 1972, Ellington wrote close to 3,000 jazz compositions - arguably the most influential singular body of original 20th century American music, Wetzel said. While Ellington's compositions inspired generations of jazz and pop composers to come, many musicians believe that his extended suites reveal his vision and genius. Wetzel said through the extended suite format, Ellington gave his jazz songs a far deeper meaning, context and purpose than his shorter works, and exalted and mythologized the African-American experience on a grand scale.

Harris is no stranger to large-scale compositions, having composed and recorded "The Grand Unification Theory," a concert-length suite for a 12-piece ensemble. On "African Tarantella … Dances with Duke," Harris offers his rendition of Ellington's "New Orleans Suite," as well as the "Queen's Suite." "The Gardner Meditations" is Harris' own suite of songs based on Ellington's music.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Source: Kerry Schutt Nason, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, (765) 494-5045, knason@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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