Harvie S

Any jazz fan will tell you Harvie S is one of the great bass players on the scene today. He's played with the best and he continues to challenge himself and his peers in new artistic directions. Moreover, Harvie is a producer, bandleader, composer and educator.

Harvie S has performed with masters in jazz music and masters in Latin music including Stan Getz, Pat Methany, Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon, Jim Hall, Michael Brecker, Gil Evans, Arturo O'Farrill, Lee Konitz, James Williams, James Moody, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, Houston Person, Art Farmer, Toots Thielemans, Bob Mintzer, Joe Lovano, Dave Leibman, Vic Juris, Danilo Perez, Paquito D'Rivera, Ray Barretto, Ray Vega, David Valintin and countless others. He can be heard on several hundred CDs as a sideman, eight as a leader and another fifteen as a co-leader with such greats as James Brown, Chick Corea, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Michael Brecker, Tom Harrell, Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers, Kenny Barron, Ingrid Jensen, Pat Martino, Dr. Billy Taylor, Grover Washington Jr., David Mathews, Virginia Mayhew and Tony Bennett.

Over 100 Harvie S compositions have been recorded on CDs Records and Videos.

Harvie S arrived in New York in 1973 and a short time later co-led the now legendary Double Image Band that recorded for ECM and Enja Records and performed at major festivals throughout the world.

He also was a member of the Steve Kuhn Quartet which also recorded on ECM and featured many of his compositions.

After playing a short stint with Stan Getz in 1979 Harvie decided to make his first solo effort and sent a copy to Gramma-vision records. Soon a contract was signed and Harvie's first Solo release “Underneath it All” made it's debut. Two more releases followed “Urban Earth” and “Smart Moves”. Urban Earth was on the Radio Charts for 2 months and hit 3 in the nation. It also charted on Billboard Jazz. Smart moves was #10 on the charts and received rave reviews.

Ever questing for new sounds and Harvie recorded “In a different Light”. this project included Mike Stern, John Scofield, Mick Goodrick, Leni Stern and Leon Parker(his very first recording). Gary Giddins chose this CD as one of the best of 1990 in the village Voice.

Ever broadening his musical scope, Harvie started studying Afro-Cuban music twelve years ago and has been on the Latin-Jazz scene ever since. He combines both idioms in a bold new music with The Harvie S Band. The music is best described as Jazz on the Latin side combining the melodic and harmonic sophistication of jazz and the extraordinary rhythmic intensity of Latin music. The Harvie S Band has performed throughout the world. Their recent release, Funky Cha, has garnered rave reviews.

In addition to his performance career, Harvie is an active educator; he has held the jazz bass instructor position at The Manhattan School of Music for both undergraduate and graduate divisions since 1984. He has been a guest lecturer at The Cologne Hochshule, McGill University, Berklee College of Music, SUNY Purchase, Patterson College, the Eisler School in Berlin, Teh International Association of Jazz Educators, The Eastman School of Music, The New School and numerous other colleges and universities worldwide.

Harvie is a receipiant of many major grants from the Fund for U.S. Artists, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, ASCAP, and Meet the Composer.

In 2004 Harvie S was a chosen to give lectures on Latin Jazz at The International Society of Bassists and the International Association of Jazz Educators.

IN 2006 Harvie's compostion “S” was a winner in International Song Writing competion .

In the fall of 2003 Harvie S toured Southeast Asia for 6 weeks as a Jazz Ambassador. A very successful tour that garnered rave reviews and spred goodwill abroad.

He has been a guest on NPRs “All Things Considered” and “Fresh Air.” His career is documented in Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz, the Grove Dictionary of Jazz and the All Music Guide.

Harvie S has written the themes for the documentaries The Trumpet Kings, The Piano Legends and John Coltrane and can been seen and heard on the music videos of Toots Thielemans, Pat Martino, Juan Carlos Formell, Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Jane Ira Bloom and others.

The duo project of Sheila Jordan and Harvie S set the timeless standard in bass and voice performance. they recorded seven CDs together.