NEA Jazz Master Big Chief Donald Harrison has been called a “One Man Jazz Festival.” His performances are jazz parties where he plays every jazz era, along with some soul, funk, Afro-Cuban, and R&B music then mixes all the styles up into his Nouveau Swing style of jazz. Harrison is also working on a new quantum improvisation concept with Theoretical Physicists. All these concepts represent a universal approach to music that has a danceable beat and makes your head bounce naturally.

Donald Harrison came to his sound from playing with the master innovators of every jazz era and the master innovators of many other styles of music. A short list of musicians he has played with includes jazz greats Roy Haynes, Art Blakey, Eddie Palmieri, Dr. John, Lena Horne, Dr. Eddie Henderson, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Chuck Loeb, The Headhunters, legendary hip-hop artist Digable Planets, Guru's Jazzmatazz, and the Notorious BIG, and classical music icon The Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

He passes the lessons learned from experiences to the young members of his group, who are musicians to watch. Remember these names Brian Richburg - drums, Dan Kaufman - piano, and Nori Naraoka - bass. The members are new stars on the horizon to come out of my group. Harrison's new band are new stars on the horizon, like past sidemen Christian Scott, Jonathon Battiste, Esperanza Spaulding, and The Notorious BIG.

The main thing to know is Harrison and his band's sound feeds off music concepts that logically feel good.