Saxophonist DONALD HARRISON is one of the few musicians who can play it all, from traditional to swing, bop, post-bop, modern, smooth, avant-garde, and beyond. He has developed his own personal style, one that traverses and synthesizes all these mediums with great success. Through talent and perseverance, Harrison has developed into one of the most significant artists to emerge in the last 20 years. In the classic jazz genre, he is the originator of the Nouveau Swing style which merges acoustic swing with modern R&B, second-line, hip-hop, Mardi Gras, Indian music, and reggae rhythms. His 1994 smooth jazz recording, The Power of Cool, went to the top of the smooth jazz chart in Billboard and is considered a classic. Harrison’s Heroes, a 2004 trio recording with the great bass innovator Ron Carter and drum innovator Billy Cobham, also featured three bonus tracks from his young working band. This past January he released Free Style, which features his Nouveau Swing in an even funkier presentation.

Harrison, who remains inextricably tied to his New Orleans roots, has also discovered and nurtured some of the finest young jazz musicians and worked with a wide variety of world-class talents. In the new millennium, Harrison has written and performed major orchestral works. It is all of this diverse experience that fuels his dynamic sound.