|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Joel Harrison performing Vox Americana Guitarist/Composer Joel Harrison will be performing his musical suite Vox Americana on August 31st, 2006 at Rose Recital Hall at the University of Pennsylvania. Joel Harrison will be joined for this performance by David Binney- sax, Todd Reynolds- violin, electronics, Wendy Sutter- cello, Daniel Kelly- piano, Lindsey Horner- bass, Dan Weiss- drums & tabla. Vox Americana is a seven movement, sixty-five minute musical suite that was commissioned by Chamber Music America. Guitarist/Composer Joel Harrison has composed Vox Americana for his Free Country Ensemble. The composition delves deeply into American identity through a narrative segment which asks the listener to address what being an American is, and to look inside themselves on specific issues. It combines jazz, Appalachian, classical, electronic, country blues, Indian, African and Cuban genres to create one of the most innovating musical movements of our time. The music deals with questions in an abstract, yet highly emotional fashion. Exquisite string writing, burning grooves, fiery soloing, haunting textures, blues shouts, and lyrical melodies all play a role in this epic masterpiece. This compositional tour de force promises to be one of the highlights of this year's music calendar. Guitarist/composer/singer/arranger Joel Harrison occupies a musical space between many worlds. His medium is primarily jazz, but Joel Harrison's music has various influences that cover the entire musical spectrum and each have a place in his unique voice. Of his eclectic approach the Village Voice wrote, "Harrison is a brilliant, take-it-anywhere-guitarist." His CD, Free Country (creative Jazz renditions of old Country and Appalachian tunes) received worldwide acclaim and was chosen as one of the top 50 CD's of 2003 by Jazz Times magazine. Harrison studied composition at Bard College with Joan Tower, and has studied with Ali Akbar Khan, William Mathieu, Henry Threadgill, etc. He is a 2-time winner of the Jazz Composer's Alliance "Julius Hemphill Composition Competition." and has written numerous film scores for HBO, A&E, etc. He is a recipient of grants from Meet the Composer, Arts International, NYSCA, American Music Center, and is a MacDowell Colony and VCCA Fellow. Joel Harrison's latest CD is Harrison on Harrison (Highnote Records), Jazz explorations of George Harrison's music. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |