Jesse Harris (born October 24, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and guitarist. He has worked with

Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...

Melody Gardot Melody Gardot (; born February 2, 1985) is an American jazz singer. At the age of 19, Gardot was involved in a bicycle accident and sustained a head injury. Music played a critical role in her recovery. She became an advocate of music therapy, ...

Madeleine Peyroux Madeleine Peyroux (born April 18, 1974) is an American jazz singer and songwriter who began her career as a teenager on the streets of Paris. She sang vintage jazz and blues songs before finding mainstream success in 2004 when her album ''Carele ...

, Nikki Yanofsky, and Lizz Wright.

Early life and education

Harris and his twin sister were born in New York City. He attended

Riverdale Country School Riverdale Country School is a co-educational, independent, college-preparatory day school in New York City serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is located on two campuses covering more than in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, Ne ...

in New York City. He graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

Career

Jesse Harris's music has been described as a "blend ffolk, rock, jazz, and world rhythms." Harris gave guitar lessons and performed in musical groups before he formed the duo Once Blue with singer-songwriter

Rebecca Martin Rebecca Martin (born April 24, 1969) is an American singer and songwriter from Rumford, Maine. Discography Solo * ''Thoroughfare'' (self-released, 1998) * ''Middlehope'' ( Fresh Sound New Talent, 2001) * ''People Behave Like Ballads'' (Maxj ...

. This was the first group he was in and his first experience writing for another singer. ''Once Blue'' released its self-titled debut on

EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...

in 1995 and nine additional songs were included in the album's re-release in 2003. Harris signed as a songwriter with Sony Publishing in 1998 and then made three self-released recordings with his new band, The Ferdinandos, consisting of Harris,

Tony Scherr Tony Scherr is an American jazz and folk rock bassist, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Biography Scherr was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and is a graduate of the Hammonasset School. He played with Woody Herman as a teenag ...

, Tim Luntzel, and

Kenny Wollesen Kenny Wollesen (born 1966) is an American drummer and percussionist. Wollesen has recorded and toured with Tom Waits, Sean Lennon, Ron Sexsmith, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, John Lurie, Myra Melford, Steven Bernstein, and John Zorn. He is a ...

. The band released two more albums on

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simon ...

. Harris recorded three solo albums ''Mineral'', ''Feel'', and ''Watching the Sky'' on his own label, Secret Sun Recordings. In 2003, he was awarded a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Song of the Year for " Don't Know Why", performed by

. Jones's album, ''Come Away With Me'', includes five of Harris' compositions: "Don't Know Why," "Shoot the Moon," "One Flight Down," "I've Got To See You Again," and "The Long Day is Over." Harris plays guitar throughout the whole album. Jones and Harris have collaborated numerous times since then. Jones has been a guest on many of his albums and he appears as guitarist on almost all of her albums. Harris contributed songwriting to Jones' 2008 release '' The Fall.'' Harris appears as a guitarist on Bright Eyes' 2005 album, " ''I'm Wide Awake It's Morning''," as well as "Motion Sickness." In 2007, Harris contributed songs to the soundtrack of the film '' The Hottest State'', written and directed by

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...

. The soundtrack featured new versions of his songs by Jones,

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, includin ...

, Feist,

Cat Power Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...

, M. Ward,

The Black Keys The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their ...

, Bright Eyes,

Brad Mehldau Bradford Alexander Mehldau (; born August 23, 1970) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Mehldau studied music at The New School, and toured and recorded while still a student. He was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's Qua ...

and Rosario Ortega. He also acted in the film. In August 2010 Harris released his album ''Through the Night'' and recorded a new version of his song "The Secret Sun" for a

Corona (beer) Corona is a brand of beer produced by Mexican brewery Cervecería Modelo and owned by Belgian company AB InBev. It is the top-selling brand of imported beer in the United States. It is often served with a wedge of lime or lemon in the neck o ...

commercial. Harris's 11th album, ''Sub Rosa'', recorded in Rio de Janeiro, was released in July 2012 and features guest vocals from

Conor Oberst Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint (previously named Norman Bailer), Commander V ...

, and

. Harris's 12th album, the stripped down ''Borne Away'', was released on June 25, 2013. In 2013, Harris joined

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of j ...

's, ''The Song Project'', along with Mike Patton, Sofia Rei, and

Sean Lennon is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The ...

, writing lyrics for various Zorn compositions and singing them at festivals worldwide with a band featuring

Marc Ribot Marc Ribot (; born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer. His work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, rock, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Wai ...

on guitar,

John Medeski Anthony John Medeski (born June 28, 1965) is an American jazz keyboard player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano ...

on keyboards, and Zorn conducting. Two of the group's albums have been released by

Tzadik Records Tzadik Records is a record label in New York City that specializes in avant-garde and experimental music. The label was established by composer and saxophonist John Zorn in 1995. He is the executive producer of all Tzadik releases. Tzadik is a n ...

. Harris and Jones appear together in the 2014 David Wain/Michael Showalter film, They Came Together, performing his song, "It Was The Last Thing On Your Mind," which Harris produced. In 2016 he appeared in Showalter's film "Hello, My Name Is Doris," performing his song, "Anything Was Possible." Recently, Zorn and Harris have begun a new project, ''Songs For Petra'', which features

Petra Haden Petra Haden (born October 11, 1971) is an American musician and singer. She is the daughter of the jazz bassist Charlie Haden, and is the triplet sister of bassist Rachel Haden (her bandmate in That Dog) and cellist Tanya Haden (married to ...

and The

Julian Lage Julian Lage ( ; born December 25, 1987) is an American guitarist and composer. Career A child prodigy, Lage was the subject of the 1996 short documentary film ''Jules at Eight''. At 12, he performed at the 2000 Grammy Awards. Three years later ...

Trio (for whom Harris has produced two albums, Arclight and Modern Lore), plus Harris on guitar. Other artists who have recorded Jesse's songs include

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progr ...

, Kandace Springs, and

Solomon Burke Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1936 or 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been ...

. Songwriting collaborations have included

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent r ...

, Maria Gadu,

Maya Hawke Maya Ray Thurman Hawke (born July 8, 1998) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. The daughter of actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, she began her career in modeling. She made her screen debut as Jo March in the 2017 BBC adaptation of '' ...

, and Vinicius Cantuaria. Production credits include albums for

Forro in the Dark Forro in the Dark is a New York-based collective of Brazilian expatriates that formed in 2002. The group combines the musical style of forró (pronounced "faw-HAW"), "the percussion-heavy, rhythmic dance music" of their native Brazil, with elemen ...

, Sasha Dobson, and Petra Haden. Haden recorded an album of Harris' songs entitled "Seemed Like A Good Idea – Petra Haden Sings Jesse Harris" ( Sunnyside). In 2017, Jesse started Cosmo, a group for only his instrumental compositions, with CJ Camerieri (trumpet/flugelhorn/french horn), Will Graefe (guitar), Jeremy Gustin (drums),

Benjamin Lazar Davis Benjamin Lazar Davis is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, arranger, composer and record producer. He is a member of several bands including Okkervil River and Cuddle Magic. Davis attended New England Conservatory of Music. E ...

(bass), Michael Boshcen (trombone), and Harris (guitar). They are currently working on an album with producer Jason Lader. Harris's album ''Aquarelle'' was recorded in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...

, Portugal, and released in September 2018, and features Gustin and Graefe, Ricardo Dias Gomes (bass, keyboards),

Valerie June Valerie June Hockett (born January 10, 1982),Hubbell, John (2009),, '' The Commercial Appeal'', May 28, 2009.(aged 27 in May 2009). known as Valerie June, is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Memphis, Tennessee, Unite ...

, Sophia Brous, Thomas Bartlett, Rob Moose,

Jesse Carmichael Jesse Royal Carmichael (born April 2, 1979) is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist and rhythm guitarist for the pop rock band, Maroon 5. He also has a solo project called 1863 and a side project titled Circuit Jerks. Life and c ...

Marcelo Camelo Marcelo de Souza Camelo (Rio de Janeiro, February 4, 1978) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, and poet. He is best known as composer and lead guitarist of the Brazilian band Los Hermanos. Since the end of the band, he continues composing ...

, and Jason Lader. On ''Surpresa'', in 2021, introduced by the song 'Waiting' Harris closely collaborated again with Vinicius Cantuária.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* ''Once Blue'' with

( EMI, 1995) * ''Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos'' (Bean, 1999) * ''Crooked Lines'' (Bean, 2001) * ''Without You'' (Bean, 2002) * ''The Secret Sun'' ( Verve, 2003) * ''While the Music Lasts'' (Verve, 2004) * ''Mineral'' (Secret Sun, 2005) * ''Feel'' (

Velour Velour, occasionally velours, is a plush, knits, knitted fabric or textile similar to velvet or velveteen. It is usually made from cotton, but can also be made from synthetic materials such as polyester. Often, it contains a percentage of ela ...

, 2007) * ''Watching the Sky'' ( Mercer Street, 2009) * ''Through the Night'' (Mercer Street/Secret Sun, 2010) * ''Cosmo'' (Tzadik, 2010) * ''Sub Rosa'' ( Dangerbird, 2012) * ''Borne Away'' (Secret Sun, 2013) * ''No Wrong No Right'' (Dangerbird, 2015) * ''Music for Chameleons'' (Sunnyside, 2017) * ''Aquarelle'' (Secret Sun, 2018) * ''Once Blue Live at the Handlebar'' with Rebecca Martin (Core Port, 2018) – live recorded in 1996 * ''Songs Never Sung'' (Secret Sun, 2019) * ''Everlasting Day'' (Secret Sun, 2020)

As sideman

* Bright Eyes, ''I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning'' (

Saddle Creek Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993 (as Lumberjack Records). Mogis soon turned over his ...

, 2005) * Bright Eyes, ''Motion Sickness'' (

Team Love Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...

, 2005) * Chiara Civello, ''Al Posto Del Mondo'' (Sony Music, 2012) *

Chico Pinheiro Francisco de Assis Pinheiro, known professionally as Chico Pinheiro (born 17 June 1953, in Santa Maria), is a Brazilian newscaster and journalist. He is the current editor-in-chief and anchorman of Bom Dia Brasil, the Brazilian news program, a ...

, ''There's a Storm Inside'' (Sunnyside, 2010) * Federico Aubele, ''Berlin 13'' (ESL Music, 2011) *

, ''Light a Candle'' (Natgeo, 2009) * Forro in the Dark, ''Forro in the Dark Plays Zorn'' (Tzadik, 2015) *

Jessie Baylin Jessica Baldassarre, known as Jessie Baylin, is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter. Career Her album ''Firesight'' was written by Baylin, Jesse Harris, Mike Daly, Mark Goldenberg, Greg Wells and Danny Wilde, and was produced and engineered by ...

, ''You'' (Hickory, 2007) * Jessie Baylin, ''Firesight'' (Verve, 2008) * Johnathan Rice, ''Trouble Is Real'' ( Warner, 2005) *

Joshua Radin Joshua Radin (born June 14, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter. He has recorded nine studio albums, and his songs have been used in a number of films and TV series. His most successful album, '' Simple Times'', was released in 2008. Beginni ...

, '' The Rock and the Tide'' (Mom and Pop, 2010) *

, ''Arclight'' (Mack Avenue, 2016) * Julian Lage, ''Modern Love'' ( Mack Avenue, 2018) *

Kandace Springs Kandace Springs (born January 17, 1989) is an American jazz and soul singer and pianist. She has released four studio albums. Biography Kandace Springs was born in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, in 1989. Her father Scat Springs was a ses ...

, ''Soul Eyes'' (Blue Note, 2016) * Kandace Springs, ''Indigo'' (Blue Note, 2018) *

Ken Hirai is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and brand ambassador. During his career, Hirai has released 45 singles and nine studio albums as of January 2019.Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent r ...

, '' Lust for Life'' (Polydor/Interscope, 2017) *

Lisa Loeb Lisa Loeb (; born March 11, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author and actress. She started her career with the number 1 hit song "Stay (I Missed You)" from the film '' Reality Bites,'' the first number 1 single for an artist ...

, ''Tails'' (Geffen, 1995) * Lizz Wright, ''Dreaming Wide Awake'' (Verve, 2005) * Lizz Wright, ''Freedom & Surrender'' (Concord, 2015) *

, ''Careless Love'' (Rounder, 2004) *

Marisa Monte Marisa de Azevedo Monte (Brazilian Portuguese: /maˈɾizɐ dʒi azeˈvedu ˈmõtʃi/) (born 1 July 1967) is a Brazilian singer, composer, instrumentalist, and producer of Brazilian popular music and samba. As of 2011, she had sold 10 million ...

, ''O Que Voce Quer Sabe De Verdade'' (EMI, 2011) *

, '' The Absence'' (Universal, 2012) * Melody Gardot, '' Currency of Man'' (Universal, 2015) * Melody Gardot, '' Live in Europe'' (Universal, 2018) * Melody Gardot, '' My One and Only Thrill'' (Universal, 2009) *

, ''First Sessions'' (Blue Note, 2001) * Norah Jones, ''

Come Away with Me ''Come Away with Me'' is the debut studio album by American recording artist Norah Jones, released on February 26, 2002, by Blue Note Records. Recording sessions took place at Sorcerer Sound Studio in New York City and Allaire Studios in Shok ...

'' (Blue Note, 2002) * Norah Jones, '' Feels Like Home'' (Blue Note, 2004) * Norah Jones, '' Not Too Late'' (Blue Note, 2007) * Norah Jones, '' The Fall'' (Blue Note, 2009) * Richard Julian, ''Slow New York'' (Manhattan, 2006) * Ricky Fante, ''Rewind'' (Virgin, 2003) * Sasha Dobson, ''Modern Romance'' (Secret Sun, 2006) *

Seamus Blake Seamus Blake (born December 8, 1970) is a British-born Canadian tenor saxophonist. Early life and education Blake was born in London, England and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His mother introduced him to jazz when he was a ...

, ''Stranger Things Have Happened'' (Fresh Sound, 1999) *

Tiago Iorc Tiago Iorczeski (born November 28, 1985) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and record producer. As a child, he lived in England and in the United States. Despite having no musical background in his family, Tiago started playing the acoustic guita ...

, ''Zeski'' (Som Livre, 2013) * Tomoyo Harada, ''Love Song Covers'' (Universal, 2015) * Tristan Prettyman, ''Twenty-three'' (Virgin, 2006) * Vinicius Cantuaria, ''Indio De Apartamento'' (Naive, 2012) *

Wax Poetic Wax Poetic is a New York-based trip hop band. The band came together in 1997 founded by Turkish musician Ilhan Erşahin, who is still a current member, playing tenor saxophone and keys. The group originated at the now defunct club Save the Robo ...

, ''On a Ride'' (Nublu, 2012)

Film/theater/television

Dragon Tales ''Dragon Tales'' is an animated educational television, educational fantasy children's television series created by Jim Coane and Ron Rodecker and developed by Coane, Wesley Eure, Jeffrey Scott, Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser and produced by Sony Pi ...

– TV show – opening theme song (1998); guitarist, songwriter * Arrivals – stage play – Bank Street Theatre (2007); incidental music composer * The Hottest State – film – Think Films (2007); guitarist, songwriter, score composer, actor * Verano Maldito – film – Luis Ortega Film (Argentina, 2011); songwriter, singer, actor *

They Came Together ''They Came Together'' is a 2014 American satirical romantic comedy film directed by David Wain and written by Wain and Michael Showalter. It is a parody of romantic comedies infused with Showalter and Wain's absurd approach. The film had its w ...

– film –

Lionsgate Films Lionsgate Films (formerly known as Cinépix Film Properties) is an American film production and film distribution studio, headquartered in Santa Monica and founded in Canada, and is the flagship division of Lionsgate Entertainment. It is the la ...

(2014); guitarist, songwriter, producer, actor * Hello, My Name Is Doris – film –

Roadside Attractions Roadside Attractions is an American production company and film distributor based in Los Angeles, California, founded on July 27, 2000, by Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff, specializing largely in independent films An independent film, in ...

(2016); guitarist, songwriter, actor

References

External links

*
NPR story on ''The Hottest State''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Jesse 1969 births Living people American folk guitarists American male guitarists American singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters Cornell University alumni Grammy Award winners Dangerbird Records artists Downtown Records artists Tzadik Records artists