Born: January 30, 1975 Primary Instrument: Piano
Paul Harrison Pianist, keyboard player and composer Paul Harrison was born in Manchester, England. He settled in Scotland after entering Edinburgh University on a piano scholarship, and in his final year at University he was the winner of the prestigious Tovey Memorial Prize for performance. After graduating he turned away from his classical background and through hard work and immersion became established on the Scottish Jazz scene, gaining significant admiration and respect. He has performed on radio and television, and was the winner of the Scottish regional Final of the Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition in 1998 and again in 1999, both years going on to compete as one of six British finalists in London. Paul travels widely and frequently, with many top Scottish performers as well as visiting international stars, having performed at the Cork, Montreux, and Shanghai Jazz Festivals and at the Conference of the International Association of Jazz Educators in New Orleans. In recent years Paul has been called on to play with many great international stars of mainstream and contemporary jazz, including Tommy Smith, Chris Potter, David Binney, Bobby Watson, John Hollenbeck, Jesse Davis, Joe Locke, Ulf Wakenius and Warren Vache. Paul made his first trip to New York City in 2006, where he attended a workshop led by Ornette Coleman collaborator and 1960’s jazz luminary Henry Grimes, and also had a consultation with radical pianist Vijay Iyer. Around the same time his growing interest in electronic music and free improvisation led him to form the group Trianglehead, an avant-garde brew of arresting sonics, trio interaction and acoustic exploration. They developed their music at regular jams, recordings and public concerts across the UK - their debut album Maths was awarded the maximum 4 stars in Jazzwise magazine, and the follow up Exit Strategy was chosen by Herald critic Rob Adams as his favourite Scottish Jazz CD of 2007.
In 2009 Paul took up a position as a member of teaching staff on Scotland’s full time Jazz Degree course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Awards:
Winner, Piano, Scottish Jazz Awards (2009)“He possesses a dazzling and fluent technique, and a comprehensive grasp of the intricacies of jazz harmony which is intelligently and imaginatively applied, whether on standards or on his own compositions.” (The Scotsman)
“Harrison's ease with different styles including ballads, big grooved salsa and gospel, gave his performance an air of authority and considerable depth... ... he seems to progress as an improviser every time he sits on a piano stool.” (The Herald)
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