TOM HARRELL - THE TIME OF THE SUN

Tom Harrell is widely recognized as one of the most creative and uncompromising jazz instrumentalists and composers of our time. He is a frequent winner in Down Beat and Jazz Times magazines' Critics and Readers Polls and a Grammy nominee. Harrell is also a Trumpeter of the Year nominee for the 2010 Jazz Journalists Association Awards. Each of Harrell’s 24 albums has found its way onto various critics "Top Ten" lists worldwide.

Roman Nights (2010) is the third album and the latest Harrell offering that features the current members of his quintet. The unit includes tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, pianist Danny Grissett, drummer Johnathan Blake, and his bassist of 12 years, Ugonna Okegwo. The quintet's previous albums, Light On (2007) and Prana Dance (2009), were released to wide critical acclaim and won SESAC awards for topping the radio charts in the U.S. Roman Nights once again reached the #1 spot in the US radio charts during 2010.

In contrast to his signature recordings during the RCA/BMG years (1996 - 2003) where much of his focus was on projects involving large ensembles, the latest albums on Highnote demonstrate Harrell's skills as a leader of a tight, smaller unit that calls to mind the energy and rapport of Art Blakey’s and Horace Silver’s bands. The trumpeter-composer weaves complex harmonies together with rhythms and melodies while utilizing the available colors to full effect.

Harrell divides his time between writing projects, live performance, and recordings, and actively tours with his quintet around the world. Recent television broadcasts of concerts include: San Javier Jazz Festival in Spain; Viersen Jazz Festival in Germany; Red Sea Jazz Festival in Israel; Jazz a Liege in Belgium; and Chivas Jazz Festival in Brazil. Harrell was featured as the Artist in Residence at the Barga Jazz Festival (August 2009) and Vicenza Jazz Festival (May 2009). At the latter festival he performed duo, quintet and big band concerts over several days. Harrell also performed music from his Wise Children and Paradise albums with the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra at Traumzeit Festival (July 2009) and as a guest soloist and arranger at the Concertgebouw with the Concertgebouw Jazz Orchestra (July 2009). This year’s special projects include several concerts with his quintet plus strings (July and November 2010) and concerts with his quintet and the Yakima Symphony Chamber Orchestra (October 2010).

A graduate of Stanford University with a degree in music composition, Harrell is a prolific composer and arranger. Carlos Santana, Cold Blood, Azteca, Vince Guaraldi, Hank Jones, Kenny Barron, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Danish Radio Big Band, WDR Big Band, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra and Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra are among the many who have recorded or performed his work. Harrell's composition and arrangement, "Humility," was recorded for the latter's 2008 release, which just won a Grammy for the Best Latin Jazz Album.

Some of Harrell's notable RCA/BMG recordings include Wise Children, a project in which he combines woodwinds, brass, horns, strings, guitars, percussion and the vocals of Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Jane Monheit and Claudia Acuna with his quintet; Paradise and The Art Of Rhythm, both of which feature chamber groups with strings; and his big band project, Time's Mirror.

In addition to the 24 albums and hundreds of concerts worldwide as a leader, Harrell has worked with important figures in jazz history including Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Dizzie Gillespie, Horace Silver, Bill Evans, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Sam Jones (with whom he briefly co-led a big band in the 70s), Jim Hall, Charlie Haden and with contemporaries such as Joe Lovano and Charles McPherson.

Harrell's latest album is The Time Of The Sun.

This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.