A distinctive trait of internationally recognized jazz pianist Kevin Harris is his desire to constantly grow, evolve, improve, and advance. His interest to interweave traditional and contemporary music styles, visual arts,electronic media, science, and language, is what distinguishes his music and what renders his performances unique experiences, meant to activate the audience’s senses and personal curiosity.
“Participation,” Harris says, “is what keeps our souls alive.” Both live and recorded performances reflect Harris’sdetermination to capture his audience through explorative interactions that Terri Lyne Carrington describes as “an exciting commitment to quality.“
Harris’ music education has its foundation in the degrees he has received, but equally importantly in Black Gospel and Afro‐Caribbean styles of music. He possesses the unique ability to compose complex, uplifting, tempestuous,and deeply stimulating notes.
One of the captivating elements of his ensembles, from duet to orchestra setting, is the level of comfort and understanding they have with one another. Harris is known for his diving into soulfully expressive conversations and playful exchanges of ideas with his musicians, while always providing the space to improvise in the moment.
Fred Hersch talks of Harris as one who “plays and writes with flair and real soul” and DownBeat Magazine writes that “Harris’ compositions deal with themes of strength, love, courage, and self‐ awareness. It’s a heavy task he’s set up for himself, and he meets the challenge gracefully.”
Among his most notable collaborations are Dayna Stephens, Ralph Peterson, Ameen Saleem, Greg Hutchinson, Greg Osby, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Curtis Lundy, Caroline Davis, Bill Pierce, Francisco Mela, Avishai Cohen, Eddie Gomez, Duane Eubanks, Richie Barshay, Ben Street, Jason Palmer, Rudy Royston, Frank Lacey, Eric McPherson, and Terri Lyne Carrington.
As a composer, one of Harris’ most innovative projects is “Roots, Water and Sunlight: A Contemporary Octet Expedition through the Expressions of James Baldwin,” where he put music to the renowned and significant thoughts shared by James Baldwin.
In 2023, Harris has completed and released a commissioned work entitled “Pulse”, a new work for oboe, violins, cello, acoustic bass, and piano.
As an Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Neighborhood Salon Luminary, he released a solo piano work entitled “Doorways” at Calderwood Hall in the Gardner Museum. The Salon’s goal is to exchange creative ideas and dialogue with some of Boston’s most innovative artists while shaping Gardner Museum programming.
With his “Griot Series”, Harris asks his audience to broaden their perception of how the role of African Griot can be reimagined from an American historical perspective.
The collaborative project with trumpeter Jason Palmer, “Upward Mothers”, aims to bring awareness about mothers who have lost children to senseless acts of violence.
As a leader, Harris has released six albums. Harris thrives on a courageously playful style of communication in music, a style, in his opinion, that requires a very special and sincere habit of listening and an equally patient endeavor to express oneself with enthusiastic curiosity.
Harris is in demand as a clinician, lecturer, and guest artists, consistently collaborating with both public and
private organizations, nationally and internationally. He is currently on the faculty at Berklee College of Music where he coaches ensembles, theory classes, piano labs, and private piano instruction.
Additionally, he is part of Berklee’s Mentoring Program, and he leads the Piano Club.He serves as a Board member for International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers, JazzBoston, the New England Conservatory Alumni Council, and Berklee Soundboard and Piano Club.
Of Brooklyn-based saxophonist Noah Preminger, The New York Times declares: “Mr. Preminger designs a different kind of sound for each note, an individual destiny and story.” Preminger, just 36 and two-time winner of Downbeat Magazine’s Rising Star Best Tenor Saxophonist, has recorded over twenty critically acclaimed albums as a band-leader. Preminger has released multiple new recordings, including Meditations On Freedom (Dry Bridge), released on Inauguration Day, 2017, as a musical protest at ominous political developments in America. In addition, a duo album recorded in Jordan Hall with pianist, Frank Carlberg, and a Preminger Plays Preminger album– the music of Otto Preminger’s films– on French, vinyl-only label, Newvelle Records. In 2018, Preminger and co-leader, Rob Garcia, created the Dead Composers Club and released The Chopin Project (BJU), the first of the quartet’s planned annual examinations of deceased composer’s oeuvre. Their second recording, featuring music of the prolific 11th century composer, Hildegard von Bingen, will be released in 2023. In 2019, Preminger released two new recordings: After Life (Criss Cross), a collaboration with poet Ruth Lepson, and Zigsaw: Music of Steve Lampert (Dry Bridge), an exciting, new avenue for Preminger that features electrifying electronic/acoustic music. In 2020, Preminger released a new Quartet recording, Contemptment (SteepleChase), and in 2021 he released THUNDA (Dry Bridge) with bassist, Kim Cass, as well as Preminger’s second album for SteepleChase, Songs We Love, with guitarist, Max Light. In 2022, Preminger released his 3rd album for Criss Cross Records, Sky Continuous, featuring a trio with Kim Cass on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. In June 2023, Preminger and Kim Cass will release The Dank (Dry Bridge), a much anticipated follow up to THUNDA and created in part with grant funding awarded through New Music USA.
Preminger is currently focused on recording a rap album in collaboration with the rapper Tone860, and composer Steve Lampert. Additionally, Preminger has contributed music to a major motion picture, was awarded a Fellowship to compose music at Banff Centre’s Leighton Artists Studio, serves on the board of JazzBoston Organization, and has his own radio program since 2018 on NPR-affiliate 90.5 WICN on Wednesday evenings.
Born in 1986, Preminger grew up in Canton, Connecticut. Preminger released his debut album, Dry Bridge Road, just after his 21st birthday and was named Debut of the Year in the Village Voice Critics Poll. Preminger’s second and third albums as a leader came in 2011 and 2013 while signed to the Palmetto Records label. The Boston Globe hails Preminger as “A master with standards and ballads, as well as an adventurous composer.” The saxophonist has performed on key stages from the United States to Europe and Asia to Australia, and he has played and/or recorded with the likes of Jason Moran, Dave Holland, John Patitucci, Fred Hersch, Jeff Tain Watts, Dave Douglas, Billy Hart, Rob Garcia, Joe Lovano, Victor Lewis, John and Bucky Pizzarelli, Cecil McBee, George Cables, and Roscoe Mitchell. Preminger is currently on faculty at Longy School of Music of Bard College and The New School.