DONALD HARRISON "BIG CHIEF"

JAZZ FORUM ARTS / APRIL 17

Alto saxophonist and bandleader Donald Harrison—widely known as “Big Chief” for his role in New Orleans Black Indian culture—brings a gumbo of hard bop, funk, and Crescent City tradition to Jazz Forum Arts. Harrison’s sound combines a burnished alto tone with incisive rhythmic phrasing, equally comfortable in swinging small-group settings and groove-based contexts. Donald’s longstanding project of fusing second-line rhythms, church-influenced harmony, and modern jazz vocabulary is on full display here. Listeners may hear nods to Art Blakey, Eddie Harris, and NOLA brass bands within a single set. As a mentor, Harrison has shaped the paths of several younger stars, and that nurturing spirit animates his bandleading style: he builds frameworks where sidemen can stretch without losing the music’s danceable core. Expect high energy, soulful burners, and ballads that never lose their sense of street-level pulse. JZZ