28th July 2015: Official launch party for Joel Harrison’s ‘Spirit House’ in New York this weekend feat: Brian Blade, Kermit Driscoll, Peter Apfelbaum and Ralph Alessi plus 5* from All About Jazz and 4* from The Financial Times amongst latest reviews.

Joel Harrison officially launches Spirit House with shows at New York’s Cornelia Street Café this weekend. Performances are 9pm and 10.30pm on Friday 31st July and Saturday 1st August. With Joel will be Brian Blade, Ralph Alessi, Kermit Driscoll and Peter Apfelbaum.
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Says Harrison,
“The new recording came about after a fruitful west coast tour about 18 months back. I kept the composing fairly simple, leaning on the remarkable intuitive skills of the players, seeking openness, soul, and spirit, while maintaining (I hope) compositional surprise. It’s a mixture of groove music, chamber sounds, psychedelia, and jazz/rock, driven by texture and melody. The name Spirit House comes from miniature structures used in East Asian societies as a shelter for the deities, a home of sorts for those invisible forces that guide the visible world. That idea seemed the very definition of an empathetic music ensemble. I am very pleased to bring Brian Blade in for this one-time appearance, as his contributions to the record were significant.”

Since it’s release, Spirit House has received an impressive collection of reviews from the UK, Europe and the US including these reproduced below and Joel has been featured in The Jazz Times Magazine (read).

“This is a refreshingly transparent performance… Spirit House blends the then and now but the music is always present.”
The New York City Jazz Record

“Spirit House is a Joel Harrison original! Original compositions, ideas, instrumentations, and grooves. While jazz sometimes repeats itself (in style, instrumentation, or choice of songs etc.), Harrison creates completely new music worth listening to, repeatedly.”
5 Stars, All About Jazz (full review)

“One of the most interesting voices in contemporary American music.”
5 Stars, The Irish Times (full review)

“Though comprised primarily of challenging yet engaging modern jazz compositions, Spirit House finds Harrison briefly crossing over into sensitive sing-songwriter territory, buttressed by a phenomenal group of sympathetic musicians. As unique as this record is in his eclectic discography, nothing in Harrison’s remarkable oeuvre could be considered conservative or conventional. ”
4 Stars, All About Jazz (full review)

“US guitarist Joel Harrison has forged resonant Americana, raw-edged rock and a rich jazz palette into densely textured originality. And with Brian Blade on drums and Paul Hanson’s bassoon in the front line, his quintet has the sonic resources to match.”
4 Stars, The Financial Times

Recommended new release – Drummer Magazine

“This new release release presents a fascinating quintet line-up – guitar, trumpet, bassoon, bass and drums – in an improvisationally-heavy exploration of originals by Harrison, plus one arrangement… Spirit House offers a real sense of discovery.”
AP Reviews (full review)

“Among that vast and eclectic back catalogue Spirit House already sounds like it will have a prominent place as one of Harrison’s most cohesive packages so far.”
The Jazz Breakfast (full review)

“…solemn, playful, wistful, impressionistic… Joel Harrison never lets technique get in the way of melody, even when the music takes a turn for the noisy (the close of the trumpet and bassoon solos on “Left Hook”, for instance). Give a close listen and you will be pleased, even moved.”
Step Tempest (full review)

“The ensemble encompases a sense of spirituality, emphasizing the melodic decorations of the compositions.”
Vinylmine (Greece) (full review)

Here’s ‘An Elephant in Igor’s Backyard’