Donald Harrison – A Celebrated Artiste.
DONALD Harrison Jr. is a Jazz saxophonist, bandleader, composer, cultural participant, singer, actor, master costume maker, custom furniture designer, builder, inventor, and educator.
Born in New Orleans in 1960, Donald grew up in a home environment saturated with the city’s traditional music of brass bands, parades, modern jazz, R&B, classical, world ethnic and dance music. His connection to the New Orleans roots were deepened by his father, a Big Chief in the African and Native American influenced culture of New Orleans’ Black Mardi Gras Indians.
Harrison is credited with creating ‘Nouveau Swing,’ a style of jazz that merges modern dance music like R&B, Hip-Hop, Soul, Rock and Combined Jazz with Afro-New Orleans traditional music. Harrison is also credited for creating and patenting an invention that depicts a new way to record and playback music.
A decorated, celebrated and award winning recording artiste, Harrison has performed with an illustrious list of distinguished musicians, among them Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Lena Horne, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
Harrison is coming to the St Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival which starts April 29.