Jeanette Harris - Music
Jeanette Harris
The Saxiest Lady In
Music!
The
day of women musicians being a novelty has long been over. Female musicians on every
instrument in the orchestra have actually been a reality over the last 700
years and more. The plethora of all girl bands, female lead guitarists,
drummers, bassists, keyboardist and horn players are currently in full force in
every genre of music. But as with all disciplines be it art, academics, sports
or whatever, there are always those who stand out amongst their artistic peers.
Saxophonist and flautist extraordinaire Jeanette Harris is one such musician. The Fresno, California native started with piano at age seven and took up the sax at age ten. Following graduation from high school, Harris matriculated to the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Performance. Harris has toured throughout the U.S. playing major jazz festivals and was the featured saxophonist and flutist with the late Teena Marie’s band. She has two albums out “Reflections’ and “Saxified” on the J&M label and is currently working on her next CD which will feature Grammy Award® winning guitarist Norman Brown.
Saxophonist and flautist extraordinaire Jeanette Harris is one such musician. The Fresno, California native started with piano at age seven and took up the sax at age ten. Following graduation from high school, Harris matriculated to the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Performance. Harris has toured throughout the U.S. playing major jazz festivals and was the featured saxophonist and flutist with the late Teena Marie’s band. She has two albums out “Reflections’ and “Saxified” on the J&M label and is currently working on her next CD which will feature Grammy Award® winning guitarist Norman Brown.
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| Jeanette Harris (Photo J&M Records) |
Now days many musicians of all genres
including hip hop are complaining that they are restricted from creating and
playing the type of music that they feel and want to make in order to satisfy
the demands from record labels to make music that fit certain radio formats.
Harris responds, “It’s the same in the jazz world. I think jazz is a good
example. Sometimes artists aren’t able to express themselves the way they
really want to. They have to follow that really strict format and a lot of the
jazz stations have kind of gone down hill because of that. You have to of
course please the audience, the radio listeners and people tuning in but they
had it so one-wayish, especially for jazz, that it was getting watered down a
little too much. So people who would typically listen to a jazz station would
maybe turn to an R&B station because the listeners were getting bored with
how much it was watered down.”
This situation is actually not a concern
with Harris who has her own independent label where she can do what she wants
anyway. As she puts it, “In the jazz world, a lot of the stations have died
down so I’m not going to create music for a station that don’t exit anymore. So
I create music that I love and hope that other people will love it. So having
that creative control is amazing and I can do what I want.”
Do people still trip in 2012 when they see
a female horn lead? Harris laughs, “People do trip especially when it is a more
masculine instrument like a sax or a drum. As soon as I walk in the room people
kind of look twice and they say let’s see what she can do. They figure you
sound a particular way and I guess that’s where I’m unique because I’m very
funky on the sax. I don’t follow what they may assume I sound like. It’s a
prejudgment for females, you have to prove yourself.” When Harris composes what
are the determining factors that she uses to select the type of horn she will
use i.e., alto sax vs. soprano sax? She breaks it down, “I dominantly play the
alto. I love that tone. A lot of people actually like the tenor because they
say its closer to the human vocal voice but it all depends. I do work between
alto and soprano. So some of the songs that are a little more sensual and sexy
(I call it saxy – that’s my word for sexy now), I use a soprano because I feel
I can get a little more intense with it and more sensual. And usually, if I’m
trying to get real funky and just want to go for it, I play the alto. So those
are the two main voices that I use when composing my music.”
Harris praises her alma mater Berklee
College of Music for having the complete musical program in terms of history,
theory, musicianship and an encouraging atmosphere. She also has a line of
perfume coming out with the new album and loves to play in intimate atmospheres
where she can be close to the audience. Harris is endorsed by BARI Woodwinds
and Unison Saxophones which she highly recommends for their sound and look.
(C) 2012 Rych McCain Media/Syndication tm
(You DID Hear It From Me!)
E-Mail: feedbackrych@sbcglobal.net
