Barry Harris Jazz Memorial at Saint Peter's Church

619 Lexington Avenue,New York NY 10022

10 May, 2023

Description

Saint Peter's Church in Midtown Manhattan has been the site of many memorials and celebrations-of-life for jazz musicians throughout the decades. Please join us for a celebration of the life and legacy of jazz piano master Barry Harris on May 10. Featuring Charles McPherson, the Barry Harris Orchestra & Chorus, and other special guests! ABOUT BARRY HARRIS Dr. Barry Harris devoted his life to the advancement of Jazz and in the 1980’s founded the Jazz Cultural Theatre. For the past several decades Dr. Harris was an exponent of the classic Jazz style that was developed by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk and Coleman Hawkins. However, Harris’ earliest musical mentor was his mother who played for church and taught him his first song at the age of 4. This eventually led to him studying with different teachers in Detroit. In intermediate school he played clarinet and somehow he heard Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk and Fats Navarro. The music they played proved to be his real love. Somewhere in the late forties he sat in with Charlie Parker and Gene Ammons at dance halls. Barry Harris had musicians coming from all over for musical workouts with him, including such luminaries as Joe Henderson and Yusef Lateef. John Coltrane heard about Barry’s genius and he also came to Barry’s house to see how he was teaching some young students such as Charles McPherson, Lonnie Hillyer, James Jamerson, Paul Chambers and Harry Whitaker. In the early 50’s he traveled to New York City and recorded with Benny Golson, Thad Jones, Carmell Jones and others. Later he went to Chicago and recorded with Sonny Stitt and around that time he also played with Miles Davis in Detroit. He would join Max Roach’s band in 1956 for a short time. However, he went back to Detroit where he remained until 1960 when he joined Cannonball Adderley’s band. Barry recorded with and performed with a very long list of jazz greats in the 1960’s and beyond including Dexter Gordon, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Hank Mobley, and Lee Morgan to name a few. For the past several decades Barry Harris was recognized as the foremost interpreter and exponent of the classic bebop jazz style, traveling the world over as an Ambassador of Jazz. He has presented many concerts at venues like Symphony Space and the Manhattan Center in New York which, among other things, featured his arrangements for big band, orchestra, and chorus. Barry Harris received the Living Jazz Legacy award from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Association, and an American Jazz Masters Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He was the recipient of Honorary Doctorate degrees from Northwestern University, Lewis College of Business and the Manhattan School of Music. In addition, he received the Manhattan Borough President Award for Excellence. This award was given for recognition of his devoted public service and in honor of excellence in the field of music. He received the 1999 Mentor award for his work with youngsters at the Manhattan Country School in NYC. Dr. Harris played at Saint Peter's many times over the decades, and it was his wish to have his memorial at the church. Dr. Harris transitioned on December 8, 2021. This memorial is presented by the Barry Harris Institute of Jazz, Jazz Foundation of America, and Saint Peter's Church. A musical prelude begins at 6:30 pm, and the memorial officially begins at 7. The memorial concert runs approximately 90 minutes and is free to attend. There will be a reception afterwards at the church, ending at 9:30 pm.