Donald Harrison Quartet

When saxophonist Donald Harrison (b. 1960) performed in Finland for the first time in summer 1987, his hotel in Pori was opposite to a construction site for a new post-modern shopping centre called Bepop. The name was more than fitting as Harrison and his travel partner at the time, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, were post-modernists who tried to emulate the history of bebop jazz down to the way they dressed – and to save its future. The traditionalist duo, who were in their 30s, had earned their spurs in drummer Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and were called the Young Lions.

Since then, Harrison hasn’t performed in Finland with a group of his own, and the other visits can be counted with two fingers – the most recent in summer 2013 as the alto saxophonist of the bebop supergroup The Cookers. And what about now in 2024? Tampere Jazz Happening will welcome Harrison’s newish quartet whose repertoire includes both bebop classics and “nouveau swing”. That is how Harrison – dubbed as “a one-man jazz festival” – describes his own style combining jazz, soul, funk and hip-hop.

But it might be wise not to draw firm conclusions from the Pakkahuone concert. If Harrison’s 30 or so albums since 1984 have taught us anything, he is a seeker who draws inspiration from various directions. For example, he has composed symphonic works and discussed the link between improvisation and physics with Professor Stephon Alexander. This resulted in an album, Quantum Leap (2010), and a book, The Jazz of Physics (2016).

And let’s not forget what is most essential: Harrison is also a New Orleans-based teacher, mentor, activists and the “Big Chief” who has delved deep into the cultural and musical history of his hometown, the birthplace of jazz. This is one of the reasons why Harrison can be seen in David Simon’s acclaimed drama series Treme (2010–2013), for which he worked as a consultant – or rather as a source of inspiration. One of the central characters, a young trumpeter returning to New Orleans from New York called Delmond Lambreaux, is loosely based on Harrison’s experiences.