On June 19, Intuition Records and Innova Records present a unique concert to debut the CD release of Joel Harrison’s, The Wheel. The concert will take place at the Cornelia St Café on June 19, 2008 with two shows, at 8:30pm and 10pm. The music is a union of jazz and classical string quartet with Harrison on guitar accompanied by Miguel Zenon (sax), Jeff Hermanson (trumpet), Chris Howes (violin), Jakub Trasak (violin), Tanya Kalmanovich (viola), Wendy Sutter (Cello), Lindsey Horner (bass), Satoshi Takeishi (percussion).
The 6 movement suite was composed by Harrison and recorded with the help of a grant from the Flagler Cary Trust in February 2007. The music is a true union of the jazz and classical music traditions, with compositional influences from Appalachia and W. Africa. The impulse for this multi movement suite came from Harrison’s desire to compose a long-form work that was equal parts notation and improvisation. “I wanted to assemble a body of work that contained the intimacy, complexity, and beauty of acoustic concert music and merge it with the raw, grooving spontaneity of jazz”, says Harrison. He adds that “The Wheel is the best piece I’ve ever written, and represents a quantum leap in my development.”
While mostly known for his jazz guitar recordings, Harrison is no stranger to the world of classical compositions. He has been awarded several grants for his classical compositions from New York State Council on the Arts, Jerome Foundation, and Chamber Music America. Joel Harrison’s composition for solo marimba, Fear of Silence, was recently awarded first prize in an international competition sponsored by the Percussive Arts Society.
Tickets are $12 for the event. Call, 212 989 9319 for more information on the concert.
http://www.corneliastreetcafe.com/