BILL HARRIS
Bill Harris began his musical training on the clarinet at the age of nine in the small Boston suburb of Topsfield, Massachusetts. He began to get serious about music around the age of 17, at which point he also began playing the saxophone and flute. Sure that this was the career he wanted to pursue, he enrolled at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, to receive a Bachelor of Music degree as a clarinet major. During his freshman year of college Bill heard the Woody Herman Band with its unusual saxophone section of three tenors and one baritone, and knew at that moment that sax was to be his instrument.
After a year off from school to concentrate on playing the sax, he completed his college studies and moved to New York City where he studied privately with Bob Mintzer of the Yellowjackets. Although playing mostly sax at this time, Bill soon found that there was a demand on the Off-Broadway scene for an R&B sax player who could also play classical clarinet and flute. He made his living in this field for many years performing on such shows as " A My Name is Alice" and "Personals" (two shows written by the creators of HBO's "Dream On" and the hit TV series "Friends"), "Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down" (starring Scott Bakula) and "Angry Housewives." At this time Bill was also active in the studios doing jingle work for such products as "Dawn Dishwashing Detergent," "Pampers," "Ivory Shampoo," "Stroh's Beer" and "Orangina."
Bill has more recently been pursuing a career as a soloist and as the other member of the "Harris Bros Horns" and newly-formed "Harris Bros Band" with his trumpet player brother, Don Harris. For the past three years Don and Bill have been part of the Warren Hill Band and appear each January as featured artists on “Warren Hill's Smooth Jazz Cruise.” In 2005 Bill released his debut solo CD "THE EXTRA MILE" to rave reviews and is currently performing material from that CD with his band "Saxual Harrisment". Bill’s latest project is the Bill Harris Quartet - a traditional jazz quartet exploring a more contemporary concept. He is also very busy as a woodwind teacher, teaching both privately and at the University of Bridgeport.
Some of the many people Bill has performed or recorded with over the years include:
Vocalists: Chaka Khan, Joss Stone, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Dr. John, Celine Dion, Natalie Merchant, Bobby Caldwell, Brenda Russell, Jonathan Butler, Bruce Willis, Maxi Priest, Patty Smyth, Robbie Dupree, Isacc Hayes, Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), Jose Feliciano, Kevin Whalum, Sweetpea Atkinson, Henry Butler, Rufus Thomas, Mary Wilson, Percy Sledge, Steven Stills, Patti Labelle, Brian McKnight, Lilias White, Foxy Brown and Faith Evans.
Vocal Groups: Average White Band, 98 Degrees, Take 6, Destiny's Child, The Temptations, Little Anthony & the Imperials, The Four Tops, The Spinners and The Dells.
Horn Players: Michael Brecker, Gerry Mulligan, Phil Woods, Lenny Pickett, Warren Hill, Dave Koz, Kirk Whalum, Richard Elliot, Everette Harp, Eric Marienthal, Jeff Kashiwa, Marion Meadows, Kim Waters, Euge Groove, Lou Marini, Eddie Daniels, Chris Hunter, Craig Handy, Clarence Clemons, Eric Darius, Rick Braun, Marvin Stamm, Randy Brecker, Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff, and Tom Malone.
Keyboard Players: Paul Shaffer, Richard Tee, David Sancious, Brian Culbertson, Bobby Lyle, Brian Simpson, Bob Baldwin, Garth Hudson, Chris Fischer, Tio Banks, Mike Logan and Henry Butler.
Drummers: Jack Dejohnette, Omar Hakim, Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl, Chris Parker, Sean McCurley, Joel Rosenblatt, Thierry Arpino, Rayford Griffin, Dave Hooper, JR Robinson and Gerardo Velez
Guitar & Bass Players: Tony Levin, Will Lee, Cornell Dupree, John Tropea, Hiram Bullock, B.B. King, Russ Freeman & the Rippingtons, Jeff Golub, Peter White, Paul Brown, Waymon Tisdale, Paul Jackson Jr., Norman Brown, Randy Jacobs, Julio Fernandez, Dwight Sills, Chieli Minucci, Gil Parris, Steve Oliver, Mike Ripoll, Dave Anderson, Andre Berry, Nate Phillips, Mike Manson, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Larry Hoppen, John Hall, Artie Traum
SAXUAL HARRISMENT
SAXUAL HARRISMENT is the new band lead by saxophonist Bill Harris. Together for a little over a year, the band has been wowing audiences wherever they play. Bill’s jazz influenced R&B style has earned him performance credits with some of the biggest names in the music business. Stevie Wonder, Dr. John, Celine Dion, Natalie Merchant, Jeff Golub, Warren Hill, Peter White and Destiny's Child, to name just a few, have all enlisted Bill’s talents over the years. His debut CD, "THE EXTRA MILE" has garnered rave reviews from critics, fans and musicians alike.
SAXUAL HARRISMENT is a jazz-rock-blues fusion band featuring some of New York's finest musicians. On guitar is Chieli Minucci, the founder and leader of the hugely successful jazz group Special EFX. Chieli has also worked with artists including Eartha Kitt, The B.B. & Q. Band and the legendary Lou Reed. Drummer Thierry Arpino is the son of well known French drummer Andre Arpino and began playing drums at the age of three! He has traveled the world with artists as varied as Jean Luc-Ponty, Michel Legrand, and jazz saxophonist Bill Evans. On bass is Dave Anderson, one of the truly unsung heroes of his instrument. Dave has performed with the likes of Michael McDonald, Special EFX, Regina Carter and Joe Beck. Featured on trombone is John Fumasoli. As well as leading his own “little big band” The Jones Factor, he has recorded with The Average White Band, Bob Baldwin, Jose’ Feliciano and Shelby Lynn. Last, but certainly not least, is keyboard whiz-kid Chris Fischer. Chris has been the keyboardist and/or musical director for such artists as The Main Ingredient, Atlantic Starr and Blood, Sweat & Tears. He is also a very talented writer and arranger producing material for television and radio as well as his own band Skin Tight.
With a line up like this you can't go wrong. At the end of a show you'll know you've been "saxually harassed" and you will definitely have enjoyed it!
BILL HARRIS QUARTET
The Bill Harris Quartet is a group of old friends exploring the traditional jazz quartet format with a more contemporary concept. Their music consists primarily of original material composed by both Bill and his wife Patti Preiss. From blues to gospel and swing to latin this group covers it all in a modern and accessible way.
BILL HARRIS: Bill Harris was born in Cincinnati, OH and grew up on the North Shore of Boston, MA, where he studied clarinet, sax and flute. After attending Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY, he moved to New York City and began his career as a professional woodwind player in the clubs, on Broadway and in the studio. His debut CD “The Extra MIle” was released in 2006 to rave reviews from critics and musicians alike. Bill has performed or recorded with such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Dr. John, Jose Feliciano, Stevie Wonder, Robbie Dupree, Natalie Merchant and Celine Dion.
PATTI PREISS: Patti Preiss has been performing on the piano since the age of seven. During her career as a professional musician, she has appeared at such venues as New York's Carnegie Recital Hall and the Bottom Line; The Hague Jazz Festival, The Netherlands; Norway's Molde Jazz Festival; the Jazz Festival at Cannes, France; and "At My Place" in Los Angeles. She has concertized with jazz greats Jimmy Giuffre, Ed Blackwell and Karl Berger; toured with renowned jazz composer Carla Bley; and recorded with legendary folk artist Arlo Guthrie.
ANDY EULAU: Born in Sleepy Hollow, NY, bassist Andy Eulau is a musical product of the vast diversity that defines the New York metropolitan area. An active bass player on the New York music scene, his “drive and rich sound” (Downbeat Magazine) has led to associations with the Village Vanguard Orchestra, the BMI Jazz Orchestra, as well as several theater and symphony orchestras. He has performed in concert halls and jazz clubs in the USA, Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East with a long list of artists, most notably Ray Barretto, Anthony Braxton, Freddie Bryant, and Bobby Sanabria.
THIERRY ARPINO: Thierry Arpino was born outside of Paris, France. He first studied piano and classical percussion in the French capital, but he quickly developed an interest for modern drumming and started performing with rock, jazz and world music groups in Europe. He toured and recorded with West African star Manu Dibango before joining forces with Jean Luc Ponty, who hired him in 1997 for his amazing virtuosity and great sensitivity. Thierry now lives in New York where he also performs with some of the areas finest musicians between tours with JLP's band.