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Zacc Harris

Since moving to Minneapolis in 2005, Zacc Harris has gained a reputation as one of the area's top guitarists, being named 2017 Twin Cities Best Jazz Artist by the City Pages. He performs in a host of creative projects including Atlantis Quartet, winner of the 2015 McKnight Fellowship and named 2011 Best Jazz Artist, as well as the Zacc Harris Group, American Reverie, and Zacc Harris Trio which has had the longest running weekly jazz gig in Minnesota since 2007.  
  Harris has toured as leader and sideman throughout the US and UK, including a 2016 run with Zacc Harris Group at London's famed Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. Jazz Improv Magazine says, "Harris delivers a sound that is lucid, clear...providing rich-sounding accompaniment, and well-crafted solos" while Cadence Magazine calls some of Harris' work with Atlantis Quartet "worthy of John McLaughlin." MPR News states, "Harris makes his own mark on standards with enough new hooks to keep jazz alive."   As co-leader of Atlantis Quartet, Harris has released five critically acclaimed albums since 2006, as well as a digital anthology of the band's first decade together. Renowned jazz critic Bill Milkowski wrote for JazzTimes Magazine, "Twin Cities modern jazz renegades shift nimbly from a punk-jazz aesthetic to ECM-ish sensitivity...startlingly original stuff."   In 2012, Harris released his first album as leader, THE GARDEN, on Shifting Paradigm Records. City Pages writer Rick Mason says, "The Garden showcases Harris's compositions, which adeptly and compellingly link the past and future of jazz, and guitar work, which is consistently articulate with an enticing fluidity seemingly influenced by the likes of Wes Montgomery and Pat Metheny." The American Composers Forum chose Harris for one of its three Minnesota Emerging Composers Awards in 2016, to write and record a second album with this group, due out in September 2021.    In 2017, Harris released his second album as leader, a trio project called AMERICAN REVERIE on which he explored a range of nostalgic songs, from Americana classics to Bob Dylan, re-imagined with a jazz tilt. The album received high acclaim with the Star Tribune calling it "quietly resonant" and City Pages saying, "It’s a collection of smart contemporary jazz interpretations of folk standards...Harris’ eloquent guitar work highlights pointed commentary with a deft array of melodic abstractions, tempo shifts and harmonic changes." All About Jazz wrote, "the arrangements are full of fresh twists, all played with an understated warmth."    In Fall of 2021, Harris will release Small Wonders on Shifting Paradigm, the long awaited Zacc Harris Group follow up to The Garden. The album features 9 new originals and a allstar sextet with John Raymond, Brandon Wozniak, Bryan Nichols, Chris Bates and JT Bates.

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3
Album Review

Zacc Harris Group: Small Wonders

Read "Small Wonders" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


Accompanied by the hugely conversant John Raymond on trumpet and flugelhorn, saxophonist Brandon Wozniak, Expressionism-steeped pianist Bryan Nichols and the fluid viscosity of rhythm brothers bassist Chris Bates and drummer JT Bates, Zacc Harris—whose tonal voyage could be immediately likened to that of John Scofield (if only Harris didn't harken and manage all his influences so damn well)—creates on Small Wonders a very lucid, warm and easy vibe one cannot help being explicably drawn to. It is a vibe many ...

6
Album Review

Zacc Harris Group: Small Wonders

Read "Small Wonders" reviewed by Mark Corroto


There is a theme of currents to the music of Small Wonders, although it is not stated in the titles. Minneapolis guitarist Zacc Harris pours the music from this album into your ears, metaphorically speaking. At times it is a cascade, in other places just a trickle. Either way, listeners are encouraged to float along, and going with the flow is a natural reaction to this music. Small Wonders is the second release by the Zacc Harris Group, following The ...

4
Album Review

Zacc Harris: American Reverie

Read "American Reverie" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


Minneapolis-based guitarist/composer Zacc Harris is mainly represented as a player here, interpreting a wide variety of American songs in the company of double bassist Matt Peterson and drummer Lars-Erik Larson. The selection of material does cover some obvious Americana folk selections, but there are several surprising choices (and one original tune). The word “reverie" in the album title is appropriate, though, as all of the arrangements have a contemplative, sometimes daydream-like quality. “Shenandoah" opens in familiar territory--a beautiful ...

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"Small Wonders is big on melody, intelligent arrangements, and powerful as well as thoughtful solos." - Richard Kamins, Step Tempest

"There’s a warm, thoughtful narrative running through this recording, not surprising given the inspiration behind the tunes. With skill and focus, the sextet bring the tracks to life, making it very enjoyable to listen to..the performances matching the quality of the compositions, resulting in a fine album from the Zacc Harris Group." - Mike Gates, UK Vibe

"The Garden showcases Harris's compositions, which adeptly and compellingly link the past and future of jazz, and guitar work, which is consistently articulate with an enticing fluidity seemingly influenced by the likes of Wes Montgomery and Pat Metheny." - Rick Mason, City Pages

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Primary Instrument

Guitar

Location

Minneapolis

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Small Wonders

Shifting Paradigm Records
2021

buy

The Green Album

Koganote Records
2019

buy

American Reverie

Shifting Paradigm Records
2017

buy

The Garden

Shifting Paradigm Records
2012

buy

The Void

From: Small Wonders
By Zacc Harris

Lines In the Sand

From: The Garden
By Zacc Harris

Videos

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