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Stefon Harris

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description Stefon Harris Overview

Stefon Harris is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, bandleader, and educator. He began recording as a leader with A Cloud of Red Dust in 1998, and his subsequent Blue Note album Black Action Figure received a Grammy nomination. Harris is known for treating the vibraphone as both a melodic and harmonic instrument within modern jazz ensembles, including projects that combine post-bop writing with contemporary rhythmic ideas.

help Stefon Harris FAQ

Which Stefon Harris album should a new listener start with?

A Cloud of Red Dust is the clearest introduction to his early Blue Note sound and was released in 1998. Black Action Figure followed in 1999 and expanded the instrumentation and compositional ambition.

What Grammy recognition did Black Action Figure receive?

Black Action Figure earned a nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group. The album includes pieces such as Club Madness, The Alchemist and its title track.

Does Stefon Harris play only the vibraphone?

Harris is primarily known as a vibraphonist, but he also performs on marimba and related percussion instruments. Those contrasting sounds are prominent in both his solo recordings and projects with his band Blackout.

Which musicians has Stefon Harris recorded with outside his own groups?

His credits include work with jazz figures such as Steve Turre, Charlie Hunter and Kenny Barron. He also joined David Sánchez and Christian Scott for the Afro-Caribbean project Ninety Miles.