March 20, 2001 Summary Facts:
Composer and musician Stefon Harris was named best vibraphonist in the 1999-2000 Jazziz Magazine readers poll, topping a list that included the late Milt Jackson and Gary Burton. The New York Times claims “his technique is untouchable...his timing, the way he places notes against the basic pulse, is unflappable. He swings; and when he plays, he makes you feel good.” Harris makes his Santa Barbara debut leading the Stefon Harris Quartet, with accompaniment on piano, bass and drums, on Thursday, April 26 at 8 p.m. in UCSB Campbell Hall. Harris’ passionate artistry, energetic stage presence and astonishing virtuosity have propelled him from newcomer-worth-watching to the forefront of the current jazz scene. The Chicago Sun-Times hails Harris for serving “up breathtaking wide-angled runs and chiming accents. Wielding four mallets a la Gary Burton, he produced entrancing tone clusters, bathed the songs in contrasting colors and even partook of some Philip Glassian minimalism. Even when the music burst into the open with some straightforward swing patterns, it had a fetching complexity.” At Campbell Hall, Stefon Harris, performing on vibes and marimba, will be accompanied by Xavier Davis on piano, Tarus Mateen on bass and Terreon Gully on drums. USA Today called Harris’ first album, Cloud of Red Dust, which came out in 1998, “one of the year’s most heralded debuts.” Black Action Figure, nominated for a 1999 Grammy Award, was hailed by the Washington Post as “an album full of appealing melodies, mostly original, that escape the strictures of bop to create refreshingly unconventional harmonies.” Most recently, Harris can be heard on saxophonist T.K. Blue’s album Eyes of the Elders with other prominent contemporary jazz masters Randy Brecker, Lonnie Plaxico, Jeff, James Weidman, Joanne Brackeen, Eric Reed and Steve Kroon. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music where he received a bachelor’s degree in classical music and a master’s in jazz performance, Harris is the recipient, in addition to the Jazziz best vibraphonist honor, of a prestigious Martin E. Segal Award from Jazz at Lincoln Center. He was also honored as debut artist of the year by JazzTimes, Downbeat’s critics poll winner for “talent deserving wider recognition,” and Jazziz’ best new talent. His recordings have been named best jazz CD by Newsweek and debut of the year by the Chicago Tribune. Also noted for his appearances and recordings with Cassandra Wilson, Joe Henderson, Steve Turre, Wynton Marsalis, Charlie Hunter and others, Harris co-led a European tour last summer with standout pianist Jacky Terrasson. As part of their residency, members of the Stefon Harris Quartet will conduct a jazz workshop with UCSB music students on Thursday, April 26 at 2 p.m. in Geiringer Hall in the Music Building. This event is free and open to public observation. Other California dates in Harris’ spring cross-country tour are April 20 and 21 concerts at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa and an April 28 performance at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures, this residency is sponsored by Ramada, Ltd., KCSB Radio 91.9 FM and KMGQ, 106.3 FM and is supported in part with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and the California Arts Council, a state agency. The jazz workshop is sponsored by the UCSB Department of Music. For tickets or more information, Editor: For photos, please call |