saxophonist
flutist
composer
Photo by Curt Sletten
BIOGRAPHY
You have probably heard him play. You may have seen him on TV in the last two episodes of Sex in the City or in a TV commercial for Diet Coke featuring Elton John.
Josh Harris has played saxophone and flute on stages with a range of artists like Whitney Houston, Branford & Wynton Marsalis at Symphony Space NYC, the Temptations, and comedian Don Rickles at the Canyon Club in Los Angeles. His introduction to music started at age 4, riding the bus with his mother to New York City for her dance classes, where he watched and heard the musicians playing for them.
Playing saxophone, flute,clarinet and keyboard, some of his sideman credits include world tours as sax and flute soloist in Whitney Houston’s band, the American Idol Show at CBS studios Los Angeles, Freddie Jackson, La Bamba from the Conan O’Brien Show, trombonist Wayne Henderson of the Jazz Crusaders , Tony Award winning vocalist Jennifer Holiday, Mary Wilson from the Supremes and hit maker Martha Reeves with “Dancing in the Streets.” He has backed up Los Angeles based jazz vocalist Barbara Morrison and toured with Matt “guitar” Murphy from the Blues Brothers.
Josh’s experiences as a multi-woodwinds player in theaters and festivals include on Broadway and Off – Broadway show’s in NYC, the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, the Kool Jazz Festival in NYC, the Stockholm Water Festival in Sweden, the Oslo, Norway Film Festival, and the Los Angeles 15th annual South Central Jazz Festival with blues artist Roy Gaines Jr.
Some of his discography as a recording artist includes the American Idol Band at Capitol Records Studios, as a featured soloist on Bohemian Production’s Bob Marley Remix, the Cover Girls for Sony Epic records, the Guiding Light Soap Opera at Clinton Studios NYC, the Geraldo Rivera Show, the History Channel and Coca Cola at A&R studios NYC.
As a front man and multi-faceted saxophonist Josh released his first solo album in 2007 entitled “Cool Water Slow.” The album, selling in over 40 countries, has received 4 and 5-star independent reviews and is still selling today.
Photo by Curt Sletten
MUSIC
by Joshua Harris
Photo by Amy Dean
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Joshua Harris
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Joshua Harris
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Joshua Harris
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Joshua Harris
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Joshua Harris
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Joshua Harris
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Joshua Harris
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Joshua Harris
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Joshua Harris
VIDEO
Morning Meditations
Film scoring studio session Berklee, Spain
PRESS
New York City, October 08 – The release of “Cool Water Slow” by the former Whitney Houston reed man opens new channels for the multi faceted saxophonist and front man of Pop exploratory from R&B, Hip-Hop and D&B Jazz. “Cool Water Slow” also offers new tracks for download featuring Harris’s distinctive horn sound, which even early in his career drew the attention of sax greats George Coleman, Sonny Stitt, Branford Marsalis and during his days as Whitney Houston’s soloist, Kenny G. The experimental D&B Jazz track “Sundriver”, was recorded live in Stockholm, Sweden with his electric band Sundriver. Look for more of Josh’s sax and flute work on Bohemian Productions new Jungle; Drum and Bass remix with Bob Marley to be released in the New Year.
Internet Reviews: Cool Water Slow
© Copyright - Joshua C Harris / Indie
Great sounding sax CD featuring Josh's trade mark sax sound, playing Drum & Bass Jazz, a live Drum & Bass Jazz track, R&B vocal/sax duet, Hip Hop and Smooth Jazz.
Genre: Jazz: Contemporary Jazz
Release Date: 2008
***** Alison Perry - These are lovely tracks, lovingly and elegantly handled and a pleasure to listen to. When is your next cd arriving?
**** Maija Laurens - elegant smooth sound.
***** Charles Miles - Love the Music. This is an awesome album, sweet, smooth jazz tunes. Mr. Harris shows great intonation a-top melodic and developed music. Great buy for any musician!
***** Greg Miller - smooth rhythms. Love the transitions, smooth vibe and interplay of instruments--the live number is awesome.
Whitney Houston’s Greatest Love Tour.
Wikipedia: Billboard magazine's Carlo Wolff said the following on his column for her show at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 28, 1986.
While on her first global tour, Houston revealed she was a creative musician; rearranging most of the songs during her shows and sometimes deviating from the album's version. During "Saving All My Love", Houston arranged the song into a bluesy jazz number that recalled Billie Holiday. Houston often scatted with sax player Josh Harris during the end of the song.
Photo by Amy Dean
RESUMÉ
POP/R&B
Whitney Houston’s sax soloist, Greatest Love and Moment of Truth World Tours
The Temptations
Jennifer Holiday
Freddie Jackson
Mary Wilson of the Supremes
Matt Guitar Murphy, The Blues Brothers
La Bamba with South Side Johnny, the Stone Pony, N.J.
Gary U.S Bonds
Dr. John
Martha Reeves
JAZZ
The Umbria Jazz Festival Perugia, Italy
Trombonist Wayne Henderson from the Crusaders
The Kool Jazz Festival, State University of New York
Symphony Space New York City, featuring Wynton and Branford Marsalis
The 15th Annual Los Angeles South Central Jazz Festival
The Playboy Jazz Festival
The Stockholm Water Festival in Stockholm, Sweden
The New Jersey Jazz and Blues Society Festival
The LIghthouse Cafe w/ Al Williams & The Jazz Society
Jazz vocalist Barbara Morrison
Jazz vocalist Andy Bey
TELEVISION & THEATER
ï American Idol Band for CBS Television
ï MTV Awards with Whitney Houston
ï The Full Monty on Broadway, NYC
ï The Don Rickles Show, Canyon Club and the Saban Theater, LA
ï National Tour of Sing Mahalia Sing, with Jennifer Holiday
ï Friday Night Live, Gert Fylking Show TV 4 Stockholm, Sweden
ï Hoboken to Hollywood, Edgemar Theater Santa Monica, CA
ï Harlem Nocturne, Cross Roads Theater New Brunswick, NJ
ï Opera Noir, El Portal Theater, Los Angeles
ï Saturday Morning Show with Sam & Ann, TV 4 Stockholm, Sweden
Tommy Nilsson & Mary Wilson from the Supremes, Stockholm Theater, Sweden
Off Broadway production of West Side Story
Discography & Recording History
• Capitol Records with Rickey Minor and the American Idol Band
• Solo CD independent release of “Cool Water Slow”
• Special guest, sax & flute soloist for “Bob Marley Remix”, Bohemian Productions
• Sax solo, the Cover Girls CD, “Here It Is” on Epic Records Sony Music
• The Guiding Light soap opera soundtrack, Clinton Studios NYC
• Featured soloist, Bjorn J:Son Lindh “In The Air” Stockholm, Sweden
• Composer, arranger & player, three-piece horn section, “Turn It Up & Lay It Down”
Rebirth of the Cool Four compilation series, “Street Player”
TV commercial with singer Vickie Sue Robinson “Turn the Beat Around”
• Whitney Houston Band, Quadra Sound Studios, New York City
• China Bridgewater’s “China” Source Records, France
• Black History Month Series, The History Channel, New York City
• Live recording; The Sundriver Band at the O’Bar in Stockholm, Sweden
• Live recording; The Josh Harris Group at the Turning Point in Piermont, New York
• The Hi & Low Exhibit for MOMA, New York City, Rob Khan Music NYC
• The Geraldo Rivera Show, recorded at Horizon Sound Studio in Brooklyn, New York
• John Catler & the micro tonal guitar sessions, Electric Lady Land Studios, NYC
• Leif Karlquist documentary film soundtrack, Stockholm Records, Sweden
• As the World Turns soap opera, King Size Music, New York City
• Adam Baptiste “ADL” Stockholm Records, Sweden
• Lutricia McNeal’s “Ain’t That Just the Way” & “Someone Loves You Honey”
• Rhythmn Avenue, Scandinavian Songs Stockholm, Sweden
• Addis Black Widow and Mega Record’s “Bus 75”, EMI publishing, Sweden
• Archer Films sound track “The Money Juggler”, New York City
• Singer, Atlas Travel produced by Patrick Forsberg, Sweden
• Stonefunker’s Material remix of “Individuality”, Stockholm, Sweden
• Film soundtrack “The Little Red Package” Luv Music, Sweden
• Cat Guthrie, Carriage House Studios, Connecticut
• Fire House Studios Pasadena, CA
• Saab, at Breaking Bread Studios Stockholm, Sweden
• Volvo, at Saatachi & Saatchi Advertising, New York City
• Chimney Pot Studios Stockholm, Sweden
• Tylenol, Grey Advertising, New York City
• Dove Soap, Grey Advertising, New York City
• Coca Cola, A&R Studios, New York City
• Compaq Computers, Jonas Aukerlund Productions Stockholm, Sweden
Private Instruction
(Mastering tone, technique & the art of practice)
Structuring your practice sessions
Striving for tone, intonation and projecting your best sound in and out of the studio
Ergonomics of playing ie; posture, embouchure, breathing technique, hands and finger positions
False fingerings & harmonics, the upper register, circular breathing
Jazz improvisation, in both theory and practice
Photo by Rebecca Bogdanoff
