Donald Harrison, Jr.

Returning to the same stage where he accepted his 2022 NEA Jazz Master honor, Donald Harrison Jr. and his quintet bring a set devoted to the Nouveau Swing style he created along with music from his newest project, The Magic Touch.

A New Orleans native whose approach is infused with the city’s vibrant history and traditions, Harrison came up through the bands of Roy Haynes, Brother Jack McDuff, and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and established himself as one of his generation’s major jazz voices, first as a co-leader with his former Blakey bandmate Terence Blanchard, and as a leader, recording 20 albums. Like his father, Harrison is the Big Chief of the Congo Square Nation, and his concept manifests as a deep connection to the music and culture that was a root contributor to the formation of New Orleans jazz.