Jazz Articles about Stefon Harris

Kenny Drew Jr. Trio with guests: Wallace Roney & Stefon Harris: Remembrance

by Glenn Astarita
June 1, 2001

It’s difficult to fathom that the wondrously adept pianist Kenny Drew Jr. (son of jazz trumpeter Kenny Drew) is a self-taught musician. And with his latest release titled Remembrance, he pays homage to three sadly departed jazz luminaries; Milt Jackson, Art Farmer and Manfredo Fest. Here, the pianist garners additional support from vibraphonist Stefon Harris and trumpeter Wallace Roney who appear on selected tracks.

Essentially, Drew is a musician who can successfully equalize his vast repertoire and altogether enviable technique ...

T.K. Blue: Eyes of the Elders

by James Nichols
May 1, 2001

Saxophonist and flutist T.K. Blue, the artist formerly known as Talib Kibwe, continues to evolve his own brand of post-bop on Eyes of the Elders, his second release as a leader for Arkadia Jazz. Despite the pretentious title, this album contains some worthy performances by a cadre of jazz veterans and young lions. Though T.K. Blue fits the ubiquitous description of the contemporary jazzer infatuated with jazz tradition, he actually spent years paying his dues with jazz veterans including Abdullah ...

T.K. Blue: Eyes Of The Elders

by AAJ Staff
February 1, 2001

When he was the artist known as Talib Qadir Kibwe, T.K. Blue spent a good many years as Randy Weston's musical director, and he performed on some of Weston's now-classic recordings with Melba Liston like The Spirits Of Our Ancestors and Volcano Blues. Previously, Kibwe lived in Paris for eight years after a three-year association with Abdullah Ibrahim in the late 1970's. Journeying to Africa from his Paris base throughout the 1980's, Kibwe delved deeper and deeper into the spiritual ...

Harris/Moran/Osby/Shim: New Directions

by C. Andrew Hovan
February 1, 2000

For the second time since Blue Note Records was revived in 1985, the label has gathered a resourceful group of jazz lions to present an up-to-the-minute glimpse of the hard bop legacy. And if New Directions proves to be as critical in launching jazz careers as it's precursor was, recalling that Out of the Blue introduced the names of Kenny Garrett, Ralph Peterson, and Rob Hurst, then we are likely to be hearing more from the six gentlemen that make ...

Stefon Harris: Black Action Figure

by C. Michael Bailey
October 1, 1999

Deux! Stefon Harris’ second Blue Note release is every bit as satisfying as 1998’s Cloud of Red Dust. On the current Black Action Figure we are faced with a septet that includes and is produced by label mate and altoist Greg Osby and includes Steve Turre on the ‘bone. But make no mistake, Harris is not lost among all of these players. This is very much his recording. The originals here are angular wonders of compositions readily dispatched by Harris ...

Jason Moran: Soundtrack to Human Motion

by David Adler
October 1, 1999

Can we all just agree that this is the debut of the year, if not the record of the year? Jazz has seen its share of excellent young players, but 24-year-old pianist Jason Moran really raises the bar with his superb Soundtrack to Human Motion. Moran explains the title as follows: “I like to think this recording could serve as the soundtrack to all movements a human might make in a given dayï." If only my daily movements were anywhere ...

Stefon Harris: Black Action Figure

by Jim Santella
October 1, 1999

Action is the keyword when most jazz vibraphonists take the stage. With eighty percent of the program his own material, and surrounded by a stellar cast, Stefon Harris has followed up his debut with a project that merely extends his introduction to the jazz world. A modern mainstream session from the twenty-something young lion, Harris’ sophomore album presents bebop-derived anthems near and dear to our hearts. Yet, he seems to be holding back on us. In another year, folks will ...