Joel Harrison And Anthems Of Unity at BOP STOP

Guitarist, composer, arranger, lyricist, writer, educator, and vocalist Joel Harrison has “created a new blueprint for jazz” (New Orleans Times-Picayune). A Guggenheim Fellow (2010) whose compositions have been commissioned by a number of prominent advocacy organizations, he has released 25 CDs as a leader on seven different labels. Harrison’s music may be founded on jazz but veers into classical, rock, country, and all manner of American roots music. Succinctly described by the New York Times as “protean… brilliant,” he has also written multiple works for chamber ensembles and is an active film composer, having worked on the Oscar-nominated Traffic Stop and the Sundance awardee Southern Comfort. The latest effort is on Highnote Records, Anthem of Unity, featuring an all-star quartet of Gary Versace (organ), Greg Tardy (sax), and special guest Jack Dejohnette....

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Guitarist, composer, arranger, lyricist, writer, educator, and vocalist Joel Harrison has “created a new blueprint for jazz” (New Orleans Times-Picayune). A Guggenheim Fellow (2010) whose compositions have been commissioned by a number of prominent advocacy organizations, he has released 25 CDs as a leader on seven different labels. Harrison’s music may be founded on jazz but veers into classical, rock, country, and all manner of American roots music. Succinctly described by the New York Times as “protean… brilliant,” he has also written multiple works for chamber ensembles and is an active film composer, having worked on the Oscar-nominated Traffic Stop and the Sundance awardee Southern Comfort. The latest effort is on Highnote Records, Anthem of Unity, featuring an all-star quartet of Gary Versace (organ), Greg Tardy (sax), and special guest Jack Dejohnette.

Now based in Brooklyn, Harrison is the founder and director of the Alternative Guitar Summit, a yearly festival and camp devoted to new and unusual guitar music. Pat Metheny has called the Summit “one of the most interesting and distinguished forums for guitar on the planet. Harrison is the author of “Guitar Talk: conversations with visionary players,” “Modern Jazz Standards for Guitar,” as well as “Pity The Genius—a Journey Through American Guitar Music in 33 Tracks.”

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