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Joel Harrison

About Me

JOEL HARRISON BIOGRAPHY: 2007

As guitarist, composer and vocalist, Washington D.C. native Joel Harrison resists categorization: jazz, African and Indian, contemporary classical, blues and rock all have a place in his unique approach. Remarking on his eclectic approach All About Jazz concluded that “Harrison’s ability to integrate renders irrelevant the identification of his sources in compositions that range from edgy angularity to sheer beauty…he dispenses with boundaries and creates his own mélange that’s as timeless as it is thoroughly modern.”

Harrison graduated from Bard College with a BA in composition and performance in 1980 studying with Joan Tower; in the ensuing years he worked privately with Allaudin Mathieu, Charlie Banacos, Ali Akbar Khan and others. While living in the San Francisco area in the 1990’s Harrison released two cd’s of original works for jazz octet and sextet, Range of Motion and Transience, as well as 3+3=7, works for three guitars and three percussionists featuring Nels Cline. After moving to New York City in 1999, he continued his headlong rush into ever-inventive bands and projects including: Free Country (radical renditions of old country and Appalachian music); Passing Train (pop/world/Americana songs); Harrison on Harrison (re-composed improvisations of the music of George Harrision featuring Dave Liebman), String Choir (string quartet and two guitars play music of Paul Motian), and The Wheel, an extended work for String quartet and jazz quartet plus guitar. He just released a new cd for Highnote Records entitled Harbor with renowned guitarist Nguyen Le, David Binney, and Jamey Haddad.

Harrison is best known for his composing and arranging skills. He has twice been selected as the winner of the Jazz Composer’s Alliance Julius Hemphill Composition Competition, and has been the recipient of grants from Chamber Music America, Meet the Composer, the Cary Trust, NYSCA, and others. His recent chamber works include solos for marimba, violin, and cello as well as a two movement work for four percussion and piano. Harrison has been a guest of the MacDowell and VCCA artist colonies. His allies in his various projects have included Dave Liebman, Mark Feldman, Marty Ehrlich, David Binney, Dan Weiss, Dewey Redman, Norah Jones, Uri Caine, Todd Reynolds, Wendy Sutter, Christian Howes, and Caleb Burhans.