Editing Craig Harris

{{Short description|American jazz trombonist (born 1953)}}
{{for|the fictional character in the British soap opera ''Coronation Street''|Craig Harris (Coronation Street)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}

{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Craig Harris
| image           = Craig Harris.jpg
| caption         = Harris in 2007
| birth_name      = Craig S. Harris
| birth_date      = {{Birth date and age|1953|9|10}}
| birth_place     = [[Hempstead (town), New York|Hempstead]], New York, U.S.<ref name="LarkinJazz"/>
| genre           = [[Jazz]]
| occupation      = Musician
| instrument      = [[Trombone]], [[didgeridoo]]
| years_active    = 1976–present
| label           = [[India Navigation]], [[Black Saint/Soul Note|Soul Note]], [[JMT Records|JMT]]
| associated_acts = [[Abdullah Ibrahim]], [[David Murray (saxophonist)|David Murray]], [[Lester Bowie]], [[Cecil Taylor]], [[Sam Rivers (jazz musician)|Sam Rivers]], [[Muhal Richard Abrams]], [[Charlie Haden]] and [[Sun Ra]]
| website         = {{URL|craigsharris.com}}
}}

'''Craig S. Harris''' (born September 10, 1953)<ref name="LarkinJazz">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-580-8|pages=191/2}}</ref> is an American [[jazz]] trombonist, who started working with [[Sun Ra]] in 1976.<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> He also has worked with [[Abdullah Ibrahim]], [[David Murray (saxophonist)|David Murray]], [[Lester Bowie]], [[Cecil Taylor]], [[Sam Rivers (jazz musician)|Sam Rivers]], [[Muhal Richard Abrams]], and [[Charlie Haden]].<ref name="LarkinJazz"/>

As leader, Harris has recorded since 1983 for [[India Navigation]], [[Black Saint/Soul Note|Soul Note]] and [[JMT Records|JMT]]. For the latter, he recorded with two groups. The Tailgater's Tales was a quintet with clarinetist [[Don Byron]], trumpeter [[Eddie Allen (jazz musician)|Eddie Allen]], [[Anthony Cox (musician)|Anthony Cox]] on double bass, and [[Pheeroan akLaff]] on drums.<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> Harris's large ensemble Cold Sweat was a tribute to the music of [[James Brown]].<ref name="LarkinJazz"/>

==Background==
Harris is a graduate of the music program of [[State University of New York at Old Westbury]] (SUNY at Old Westbury),<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> and was influenced by its founder and director [[Makanda Ken McIntyre]]. Harris's move to New York City in 1978 established him with trombonists [[Ray Anderson (musician)|Ray Anderson]], [[Joseph Bowie]], and [[George E. Lewis]].<ref>[http://www.craigsharris.com/bio/bio.htm Craig Harris Bio] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317075206/http://www.craigsharris.com/bio/bio.htm |date=March 17, 2009 }}</ref>

Harris first played alongside another of his teachers at SUNY, baritone saxophonist [[Pat Patrick (musician)|Pat Patrick]], in [[The Sun Ra Arkestra]] for two years.<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> Harris than embarked on a world tour with South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) in 1979.<ref name="LarkinJazz"/> While on tour in Australia, Harris discovered the indigenous Australian wind instrument the [[didgeridoo]], which he added to the collection of instruments he plays.<ref name="LarkinJazz"/>

Harris subsequently performed with major progressive musicians including [[David Murray (saxophonist)|David Murray]], the [[Beaver Harris]], [[Don Pullen]], [[Sam Rivers (jazz musician)|Rivers]], [[Lester Bowie]], and many others, and he also played in [[Lena Horne]]'s Broadway orchestra for a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/craig-s-harris/|title=Craig S. Harris {{!}} Biography|website=[[AllAboutJazz]]|access-date=May 9, 2025}}</ref> Leading his own ensembles, Harris has performed internationally and recorded several albums.

== Discography ==
=== As leader ===
* ''Aboriginal Affairs'' (India Navigation, 1983)
* ''[[Black Bone]]'' (Soul Note, 1984)
* ''Tributes'' (OTC, 1985)
* ''[[Shelter (Craig Harris album)|Shelter]]'' (JMT, 1987)
* ''[[Blackout in the Square Root of Soul]]'' (JMT, 1988)
* ''[[Cold Sweat Plays J. B.]]'' (JMT, 1989)
* ''[[4 Play (Cold Sweat album)|4 Play]]'' (JMT, 1990)
* ''[[F-Stops (album)|F-Stops]]'' (Soul Note, 1994)
* ''Istanbul'' (Doublemoon, 1998)
* ''Souls Within the Veil'' (Aquastra Music, 2005)

===As sideman===
'''With [[Muhal Richard Abrams]]'''
* ''[[Blues Forever]]'' (Black Saint, 1982)
* ''[[Rejoicing with the Light]]'' (Black Saint, 1983)
* ''[[Song for All]]'' (Black Saint, 1997)

'''With [[David Murray (saxophonist)|David Murray]]'''
* ''[[Murray's Steps]]'' (Black Saint, 1983)
* ''[[Live at Sweet Basil Volume 1]]'' (Black Saint, 1985)
* ''[[Live at Sweet Basil Volume 2]]'' (Black Saint, 1985)
* ''[[New Life (David Murray album)|New Life]]'' (Black Saint, 1987)
* ''[[David Murray Big Band]]'' (DIW, 1991)
* ''[[Hope Scope]]'' (Black Saint, 1991)
* ''[[Picasso (album)|Picasso]]'' (DIW, 1993)
* ''[[South of the Border (David Murray album)|South of the Border]]'' (DIW, 1995)
* ''[[Dark Star: The Music of the Grateful Dead]]'' (Astor Place, 1996)
* ''[[Fo Deuk Revue]]'' (Enja, 1997)
* ''[[Octet Plays Trane]]'' (Justin Time, 2000)
* ''[[Yonn-Dé]]'' (Justin Time, 2002)
* ''[[Now Is Another Time]]'' (Justin Time, 2003)
* ''[[Perfection (Murray, Allen & Carrington Power Trio album)|Perfection]]'' with [[Geri Allen]] and [[Terri Lyne Carrington]] (Motema, 2016)
* ''Blues for Memo'' (Motema, 2018)

'''With [[Sun Ra]]'''
* ''[[Live at Montreux (Sun Ra album)|Live at Montreux]]'' (Saturn Research, 1976)
* ''[[Cosmos (Sun Ra album)|Cosmos]]'' (Cobra, 1976)
* ''[[Unity (Sun Ra album)|Unity]]'' (Horo, 1978)
* ''Sleeping Beauty'' (El Saturn, 1979)
* ''[[Strange Celestial Road]]'' (Rounder, 1980)
* ''A Quiet Place in the Universe'' (Leo, 1994)

'''With others'''
* [[Ahmed Abdullah]], ''[[Traveling the Spaceways]]'' (Planet Arts, 2004)
* [[Ayibobo]], ''Freestyle'' (DIW, 1993)
* [[Billy Bang]], ''Hip Hop Be Bop'' (ITM, 1993)
* [[Lester Bowie]], ''[[I Only Have Eyes for You (Lester Bowie album)|I Only Have Eyes for You]]'' (ECM, 1985)
* [[Dollar Brand]], ''African Marketplace'' (Elektra, 1980)
* Dollar Brand, ''At Montreux'' (Enja, 1980)
* [[Don Byron]], ''[[Bug Music (album)|Bug Music]]'' (Nonesuch, 1996)
* [[Carla Cook]], ''Dem Bones'' (Maxjazz, 2001)
* [[Paulinho da Costa]], ''[[Sunrise (Paulinho da Costa album)|Sunrise]]'' (Victor, 1984)
* [[Joseph Daley (jazz musician)|Joseph Daley]], ''The Seven Deadly Sins'' (Jaro, 2010)
* [[Lena Horne]], ''[[Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music#Soundtrack|Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music]]'' (Qwest, 1981)
* [[Joseph Jarman]], ''[[Earth Passage - Density]]''  (Black Saint, 1981)
* [[The Roots]], ''[[The Roots Come Alive]]'' (MCA, 1999)
* [[Sekou Sundiata]], ''LongStoryShort'' (Righteous Babe, 2000)
* [[Warren Smith (jazz percussionist)|Warren Smith]], ''Dragon Dave Meets Prince Black Knight from the Darkside of the Moon'' (Porter, 2011)
* [[Henry Threadgill]], ''[[When Was That?]]'' (About Time, 1982)
* Henry Threadgill, ''[[Just the Facts and Pass the Bucket]]'' (About Time, 1983)
* [[World Saxophone Quartet]], ''[[Experience (WSQ album)|Experience]]'' (Justin Time, 2004)
* World Saxophone Quartet, ''[[Political Blues]]'' (Justin Time, 2006)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://craigsharris.com/ Craig Harrris website]

{{Craig Harris}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Craig S.}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American trombonists]]
[[Category:American jazz composers]]
[[Category:American jazz trombonists]]
[[Category:American male jazz composers]]
[[Category:American male trombonists]]
[[Category:Avant-garde jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Black Saint/Soul Note artists]]
[[Category:Free jazz trombonists]]
[[Category:India Navigation artists]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from New York (state)]]
[[Category:JMT Records artists]]
[[Category:People from Hempstead (village), New York]]
[[Category:State University of New York at Old Westbury alumni]]