JUN 7-17 | 40TH ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO JAZZ FESTIVAL
Jun 15, 2023
Miner Auditorium
PLEASE NOTE:
This page is an archive of a past production
Please visit our calendar for all upcoming SFJAZZ shows.
Original show description below.
Two generations of alto saxophone mastery come together for this exclusive double bill, featuring legendary bandleader and Charles Mingus associate Charles McPherson and 2022 NEA Jazz Master Donald Harrison, Jr.
ABOUT CHARLES MCPHERSON
An iconic figure who emerged at the start of the hard bop era in the early 1960s, McPherson came to prominence in the band of Charles Mingus, with whom he worked for over a decade. He’s led 24 albums, written over 70 original compositions, and has lent his talents to recordings and performances with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Art Farmer, Sonny Stitt, and his mentor Barry Harris, among others.
McPherson and his band will be performing original compositions and classic bop repertoire along with material from his latest Chazz Mack Music release Jazz Dance Suites — an album of suites commissioned by the San Diego Ballet and hailed as Best New Release in the JazzTimes 2020 Readers’ Poll — a poll that also named McPherson Artist of the Year.
ABOUT 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.
McPherson’s writing carries on the traditional weight of bebop and swing, buoyed with an inventive, contemporary spark
DownBeat
McPherson’s writing carries on the traditional weight of bebop and swing, buoyed with an inventive, contemporary spark
DownBeat
Personnel
CHARLES MCPHERSON PERSONNEL
Charles McPherson alto saxophone
Terell Stafford trumpet
Jeb Patton piano
Marcus Shelby bass
Akira Tana drums
DONALD HARRISON JR. PERSONNEL
Donald Harrison Jr. alto saxophone
Detroit Brooks guitar
Dan Kaufman piano
Nori Naraoka bass
Brian Richburg drums
Donald Harrison has exemplified the developments of mainstream jazz over the last two decades.
The New York Times
Personnel
CHARLES MCPHERSON PERSONNEL
Charles McPherson alto saxophone
Terell Stafford trumpet
Jeb Patton piano
Marcus Shelby bass
Akira Tana drums
DONALD HARRISON JR. PERSONNEL
Donald Harrison Jr. alto saxophone
Detroit Brooks guitar
Dan Kaufman piano
Nori Naraoka bass
Brian Richburg drums
Donald Harrison has exemplified the developments of mainstream jazz over the last two decades.
The New York Times
Watch & Listen
D. Harrison
I'm the Big Chief of Congo Square
C. McPherson
The Gospel Truth
D. Harrison
I'm the Big Chief of Congo Square
C. McPherson
The Gospel Truth