Eric Harland: Playing behind/on/ahead of the Beat

from:
The Yin & Yang of Jazz Drumming - JazzHeaven.com
Click here for the full video.

Eric Harland: North Star
9/8 - 11/8 - 3/4 - 4/4
Play Along and check out the PDF below

from:
The Yin & Yang of Jazz Drumming - JazzHeaven.com
Click here for the full video.

and PLAY ALONG (without Drums)

from:
The Yin & Yang of Jazz Drumming - JazzHeaven.com

Click here to watch the video at drummerworld.com.

Eric Harland INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO to be released soon from JazzHeaven.com.

At Newport Jazz Festival: Sunday at 1 p.m. (James Farm, with Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman), 2:20 p.m. (Avishai Cohen’s Triveni), and 4 p.m. (Charles Lloyd’s Sangam, with Zakir Hussain). The Newport Jazz Festival runs tonight through Sunday at Fort Adams State Park. 800-745-3000. www.newportjazzfestival.net. Harland also performs at Regattabar on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $25. 617-395-7757. www.regattabarjazz.com

Any decent investigation of the jazz scene is likely to yield these near-conclusive findings: First, Eric Harland is everywhere. Second, Eric Harland can do anything.

Evidence? Just look at his schedule for the next few days. At the Newport Jazz Festival this weekend, Harland, a 34-year-old drummer with an absurdly lavish body of work, appears in three groups with utterly different sensibilities.

Click here for more at boston.com.

"A drummer of superhuman abilities, Eric Harland has spotlighted his own music sparingly, in comradely ensembles like the SFJAZZ Collective and James Farm. “Voyager: Live by Night” (Space Time/Sunnyside) — his first album as a leader, astoundingly — tries to make up for lost time, with five Harland originals played by a hungry young quintet."

Click here for the full article at the NYTimes.

July 1 Charlie Jezz Festival, Vitrolles, France
Charles Lloyd New Quartet

July 2 Ljubliana Jazz Festival, Ljubliana Slovenia
Charles Lloyd New Quartet

July 4 Ancona Jazz Summer Festival, Ancona, Italy
Charles Lloyd New Quartet

July 6 Copenhagen Jazz Festival
Charles Lloyd New Quartet

July 8 Kongsberg Jazz Festival, Kongsberg, Norway
Charles Lloyd New Quartet

July 9 North Sea Jazz Festival, Rotterdam, NL
Charles Lloyd New Quartet

July 10 Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto, Portugal
Charles Lloyd New Quartet

More dates here…

Eric Harland
For The Love Of All
By John Ephland
Harland, a drummer who has toured and made more than 80 recordings with some of jazz’s top artists, including the acclaimed SFJAZZ Collective, gets deeply into his own artistic vision.

Click here for more info.

Julian Lage with Eric Harland at Skidmore College. October 16, 2008. Photo by Rudy Lu.

The sublime drummer Eric Harland brought a band into Skidmore College’s Zankel Music Center in Saratoga Springs New York on Feb. 17 and put on a show that potentially will rank among the region’s best for 2011 by the time December rolls around. The musicians --Taylor Eigsti, piano; Chris Potter, sax; Julian Lage, guitar; Harish Raghavan, bass -- are all part of New York City’s vibrant jazz scene

“I feel like the drums was just a way in. I like to think of myself as a human being first. … My greatest love is life. I have a real love for life and spirituality. Oneness. Everything that encompasses. It doesn’t necessarily mean these things are religious or anything like that. From my perspective, it’s more about just being there. Paying attention to it. Being conscious of it."

Click here for more from R.J. DeLuke.

Eric Harland: Voyager Live by Night

It's hard to believe that this is Eric Harland's first official recording as a leader. That's because he's been around so much, including on recordings by Charles Lloyd, Jason Moran, the SF Jazz Collective, McCoy Tyner, and Dave Holland. So maybe it should be no surprise that his first recording sounds so professional and mature. This is from a live concert (that always helps) and the band he brings is first-rate. Besides Harland on drums, it includes Julian Lage on guitar; Taylor Eigsti, piano; Harish Raghavan, bass; and Walter Smith III, saxophone. Everybody shines in this live recording from Paris. Julian is in Pat Metheny mode, and Taylor sounds just like Herbie Hancock. This is a truly listenable recording that holds up after many repeated listenings.

Click here for the full list of top 10 jazz CDs of 2010 on bebopified.

2011 Spring U.S. Tour Lineup

Miguel Zenón – Alto Saxophone
Mark Turner – Tenor Saxophone
Avishai Cohen – Trumpet
Robin Eubanks – Trombone
Stefon Harris – Vibraphone
Edward Simon – Piano
Matt Penman – Bass
Eric Harland – Drums

2011 Spring U.S. Tour Schedule

Miguel Zenon, Member Listening Party, San Francisco Conservatory of Music February 24
Newmark Theatre, Portland Jazz Festival, Portland, OR February 26
Napa Valley Opera House, Napa, CA March 6
Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA March 10
Herbst Theatre, SFJAZZ, San Francisco, CA March 11
Schwartz Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA March 18
University Auditorium, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL March 19
University of North Florida Arts Center, Beaches Fine Arts Series, Jacksonville Beach, FL March 20
Sewanee University of the South, Sewanee, TN March 22
Hogg Memorial Auditorium, University of Texas, Austin, TX March 24
R. Don Cowan Fine & Performing Arts Center, University of Texas, Tyler, TX March 25
Annette Strauss Artist Square at AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX March 26
Alys Stephens Center - Jemison Concert Hall, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL March 27
Roland Hayes Concert Hall Fine Arts Center, University of Chattanooga, TN March 29
Jazz Standard, New York, NY March 31 — April 3


Click here for more about the SFJazz Collective.

"Eric Harland's unique approach to time was about as far as you can get from conventional swing. There was nothing straight about his playing with flourishes and accents, commentary and monologue; there was sometimes a pulse but rarely anything resembling an anchor: That job was handled by Moran, Rogers or Lloyd. Such was the comfort level of this band that an anchor may be something some listeners would need amid the free-ranging chemistry. But did the band need one? Not so much."

Click here for the full review at spinner.com.

My first prediction of 2011: twentysomething jazz students and maybe even some of the music's older practitioners will be copping from this disc big-time, emulating drummer Eric Harland's simple but stirring songs and his group's wide-open approach to interpreting them. However, unless those under the sway of Voyager Live By Night, are monstrously adept individually and as thick as thieves collectively, some pretty pale imitations will ensue.

Click here for the full review by Peter Hum in the Ottawa Citizen.

UPCOMING SHOWS
Overtone Quartet
Wed. January 5th, 2011 to Sun. January 9th, 2011

Birdland Jazz Club NYC, NY
Chris Potter - Sax
Jason Moran - Piano
Larry Grenadier - Bass
Eric Harland - Drums

Dave Holland will not be there due to a family emergency.



Charles Lloyd 4tet Tour
Thu. January 20th, 2011 to Sun. January 30th, 2011

Various Cities... USA
January 2011

20 Hopkins Center, Hannover, NH
21, 22 Regatta, Cambridge, MA
23 Flynn Center, Burlington, VT
26 U Mass, Amherst, MA
28 Weslyan, Middletown, CT
29 Rose Hall, New York, New York
30 Albright Knox Gallery, Buffalo, NY


Aaron Goldberg Trio + Mark Tuner
Tue. February 1st, 2011 to Sun. February 6th, 2011

Village Vanguard NYC, NY


Chris Potter Quartet @ Village Vanguard
Tue. February 8th, 2011 to Sun. February 13th, 2011

NYC, NY

Click here for all the dates.

Click here for more.

Genre: Experimental / Jazz / Other
Location Houston-Texas, Pennsylvania, US
Profile Views: 128295
Last Login: 12/15/2010
Member Since 10/23/2006
Website iharland.com
Record Label ..Eland Productions..
Type of Label Indie

Click here for more.

I have this great friend, Billy Higgins, who was one of the greatest drummers ever, and on his deathbed in 2001, he said, ‘We have to keep working on this music.’ And I said, ‘You have to get off this bed and come back and play with me.’

He said, ‘No, I didn’t say I’ll be there, but I’ll always be with you.’ And a few months later, he sent me the young drummer who’s playing with me now, Eric Harland, from the other shore. Billy left in May of 2001. In September, I was in New York, and I heard this young drummer, Eric Harland. I said, you know, we’re to play together, and he said, oh man. And so he’s been with 9 or 10 years by now.

Click here for the full interview with Charles Lloyd.

‎"A sense of exploration runs throughout the set—global rhythms, intense grooves, and emotive dialogues—a vivid imaging of Harland's itineraries and experiences. He can recall Elvin Jones's freedom, but can also conjure aboriginal patterns as evinced in "Voyager," where Lage lays down colorful African-influenced guitar phrases, as Smith stokes the fire with acrid soloing."

Click here for the full review at All About Jazz.

Harland's group on Voyager Live By Night plays with the kind of commitment, prowess and plain good taste that enriches the album with countless "wish you were here" moments; Hopefully it won't have to be just a wish, if the album can successfully spread the word about a drummer who, impressing almost everyone who encounters his playing, has finally made the leap to composer and bandleader with the same exhilarating balance of aplomb and humility that's imbued his rapidly growing work as a sideman.

Click here for the full article at All About Jazz.

Click here for more.

"It’s Harland’s around-the-world-without-ever-leaving-the-drum-kit playing that fuels the journey…"

Click here for the full review of the Charles Lloyd New Quarter recording, Mirror.

"Eric Harland's debut recording really grasps the energetic drum firestorm that is Eric Harland. His drumming and composing fuse a pop sensibility with his propulsive grooves, making Voyager ... a thrill of a ride."

Click here for more great recommendations on Vulture Recommends at NYMag.

"When Lloyd heard drummer Eric Harland playing in New York's Village Vanguard eight years ago, he was convinced that Higgins had sent him as a replacement. Harland in turn recommended bassist Reuben Rogers and pianist Jason Moran. All are first-call musicians, but Moran -- a headliner in his own right -- said he and the rest of the quartet will always make time to play with Lloyd."

Click here for the full article on Mirror, the new recording from the Charles Lloyd New Quartet featuring Eric Harland.

"This band – with the dazzling Jason Moran on piano, eloquent Reuben Rogers on bass and elemental Eric Harland on drums – is widely regarded as one of the heaviest combos in jazz, and they proved it time and again on this night."

Click here for the full review at The Jazz Observer.

"it was a remarkable show! Jason Moran was just great and Eric Harland almost stole the show. Charles Lloyd is a true master indeed."

Click here for the full discussion.

The debut recording from Eric Harland is now available on iTunes.
Check it out…

Treachery / Intermezzo 1 / Turn Signal / Voyager / Intermezzo 2 / Development / Eclipse / Intermezzo 3 / Cyclic Episode / Get Your Hopes Up Part 1 / Get Your Hopes Up Part 2 / Get Your Hopes Up Part 3 / Get Your Hopes Up Part 4

Eric Harland, drums
Julian Lage, guitar
Taylor Eigsti, piano
Harish Raghavan, bass

Click here to buy Voyager Live by Night.

Fall Tour Dates - Charles Lloyd New Quartet
September

22, 23 Yoshi's, Oakland, CA
24 Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA
25 Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, Los Angeles, CA
30 Dakota, Minneapolis, MN

October

2 Quebec City Jazz Festival, Quebec City, Canada

November

10 Caen, France
11 Cergy Pontoise, France
16 Auditori, Barcelona, Spain
17 The Barbican, London Jazz Festival
18 Guimares Jazz Festival, Guimares, Portugal
20 Padova Jazz Festival, Padova, Italy

25 Oldenburg, Germany
27 Wroclaw Jazz Festival, Wroclaw, Poland

December

2 Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria

January 2011

20 Hopkins Center, Hannover, NH
21, 22 Regatta, Cambridge, MA
23 Flynn Center, Burlington, VT
26 U Mass, Amherst, MA
28 Weslyan, Middletown, CT
29 Rose Hall, New York, New York

June
3 Orchestra Hall, Chicago, Illinois


Click here for more information on Eric Harland with the Charles Lloyd New Quartet.

Check out the new release from Eric Harland on iTunes.
Treachery
Intermezzo
Turn Signal
Development
Eclipse
…


Click here to preview and purchase!

Skidmore invited Eric Harland of Houston, Texas to campus as part of this year's Filene Concert Series. Harland has been to Skidmore twice before as part of the Aaron Goldberg trio, but this was his first opportunity to play at the college under his own name.

With him came a number of accomplished musicians: Taylor Eigsti on piano, Julian Lage on guitar, and Harish Raghavan on upright bass.

"We love having Eric here," said artist-in-residence John Nazarenko, organizer of the event. "He is wonderful to work with. He is not only an impeccable technician, but also one of the most spiritual drummers I have ever had the pleasure to see. His interpretation is soulful, almost meditative."

Click here for more about Harland at Skidmore College and the upcoming European Tour.

"Charles Lloyd and his companions are nomadic storytellers, wandering through centuries and continents."

Click here for more at JazzInkBlog.

Last night at the Jackson Theater, Charles Lloyd and his quintet gave an utterly transforming performance. Aided by Jason Moran, Ruben Rogers, Eric Harland and Zakir Hussain, Lloyd led his group on a frighteningly inventive sojourn which plunged into unchartered depth and redefined the rules of collective creativity. Amidst a furious storm of talent, the centered Lloyd remarked to the crowd, “It’s better to stick with the ship—and go down with it, if necessary.”

Lloyd and the group were unbelievable—but it was really all about Eric Harland.

Click here for more on Eric Harland now touring with The Charles Lloyd New Quartet.

A cool blog post from Yonga Sun:

"Eric Harland is an incredible and innovative drummer with a style totally his own. He's got unbelievable drive, groove, speed, can rock with a light touch to boot!

I asked him how he managed to always be in-the-moment and freshly inspired at every gig. His answer came down to: "Don't give in to fear." He used more words to elaborate on this. This idea is an affirmation of what I've been trying to implement in my approach to music for a couple of years now."

Click here for the full article.

"And the drummer Eric Harland’s rewriting of “Yes or No,” with a rhythm in alternating four- and five-beat measures, became a sneaky concerto. Mr. Harland always plays as if he’s soloing, so as the piece went through its slow buildup you weren’t expecting the actual solo in the middle. It arrived and stayed for a few minutes; then the drumming became enfolded again into the group without a change in style, flowing onward."

Click here for BEN RATLIFF's full article at NYTimes.

I know this has been posted before but thought I would revisit with a link to the full article by Ken Micallef at ModernDrummer.com.
-jmo

"A young man who ran with gangs and preached the gospel - who found his future from a chance meeting with jazz trumpeter and historian Wynton Marsalis - and who successfully fuses the styles of Steve Gadd and Jack DeJohnette, Eric Harland is a unique presence. His work on records by such artists as Terence Blanchard, Mark Shim, and Ravi Coltrane is a study in orchestral drumming. Where many drummers approach conventional jazz rhythms using the ride cymbal as the lead voice, Harland uses the entire set and its variety of sounds to underpin, elaborate, and explore the rhythm.

As likely to play a funky Bernard Purdie pattern as a floating Jack DeJohnette pulse, Harland is musical to a fault, but extremely creative--and even courageous. But that's not surprising for a man who has not only weathered the storms of life, but prospered, finding himself in the process."

"I think we're all going through a process in life of gaining a sense of identity and having to defend it at the same time," Harland says. "You have what flows with it and also what contradicts it. That's where you get your strength, from the perseverance of being yourself and the balance of understanding your place in this world."


Click here for the full interview.

"His style is described as dynamic, with an ability to play straightahead and free with equal aplomb, and to move from delicate passages to ferociously bombastic soloing."

Lots of great links to the artist that Eric Harland has played with over the years over at wikipedia.org.

Click here to chek it out.

A leading drummer on the national scene, 28-year-old Texas-born Eric Harland has performed with jazz legends like Betty Carter, Joe Henderson, and McCoy Tyner, and has played on more than 35 recordings with such artists as Terence Blanchard, Greg Osby, Charles Lloyd, and Stefon Harris. In Down Beat's 65th Annual Readers Poll, he was included in the short list of top drummers, in the company of masters like Roy Haynes and the late Elvin Jones.

Click here for more.

With Charles Lloyd and others.

Click here.

Production Notes: Originally filmed for broadcast on French Public television, the DVD captures the all- star octet live in concert in Vienne, France on July 10, 2007. Live at Jazz Vienne is available exclusively via sfjazz.org and from the SFJAZZ Store located at 3 Embarcadero Center, Lobby Level, San Francisco, CA 94111. All region DVD format.

Click here for full coverage and links to buy the DVD.

On Wednesday, March 5 at 8:30 p.m., the SFJAZZ Collective brings to Zankel Hall new compositions by the ensemble's members and the works of one of jazz's quintessential modernists: iconic saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter. Named “Rising Star Jazz Band of the Year" in DownBeat's 2006 International Critics Poll, the Collective includes Joe Lovano (saxophones), Dave Douglas (trumpet), Miguel Zenn (alto saxophone and flute), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Renee Rosnes (piano), Matt Penman (bass), Eric Harland (drums), and Stefon Harris (vibraphone and marimba). The SFJAZZ Collective's composer focus this season is on Wayne Shorter, best known for carefully conceived and complex tunes, and whose body of work as a composer includes writing for such illustrious groups as Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis's famous mid '60s quintet, and fusion supergroup Weather Report. This performance is a part of Nonesuch at Carnegie and Carnegie Hall's 2007–2008 The Shape of Jazz series. The Shape of Jazz series is presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with Festival Productions.

Click here for the full article at All About Jazz.

You may not have heard about the Aaron Goldberg Trio -- but jazz aficionados will have heard Aaron Goldberg. As a sideman, the pianist has toured with the likes of trumpeter and jazz preservationist Wynton Marsalis, saxophonist and jazz orchestra leader Joshua Redman and guitarist frontman Kurt Rosenwinkel.

Ten years into his game, Goldberg is ready to make his mark as a bandleader. For him, 2008 will be the year of the trio, and he kicks it off this weekend at the Jazz Standard. In an interview, he got fired up about his music, jazz tradition and even politics.

Click here to read more by EVELYN SHIH.

In the East Coast/West Coast debate, the West just won another point. As a native New Englander, the SFJAZZ Collective was a wholly foreign entity to me until a month ago, when I first heard Live 2007: 4th Annual Concert Tour, the Collective's limited-edition double album containing their entire repertoire last year. SFJAZZ, the non-profit giant behind the San Francisco Jazz Festival and countless educational initiatives, has been commissioning an octet of musicians known as The Collective to compose and perform elegant jazz all around the world for the past four years. The ensemble had been directed until 2008 by Joshua Redman, saxophonist to the stars and frequent collaborator on a number of national projects. While Redman's background is impressive (eleven albums; recordings with Corea, Mehldau, & Metheny), the rest of the team shines with an equal brilliance.

The horn section is rounded out by André Hayward (trombone), Miguel Zenón (alto saxophone) and Dave Douglas (trumpet). The legendary Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone) makes his distinct impression on the album, as well as Matt Penman(bass), Renee Rosnes (piano) and Eric Harland (drums).


Click here to read the rest of Trevor Pour's article at jambase.com.

June 22
Also on that night, at Zankel Hall: Sangam. The saxophonist and flutist Charles Lloyd’s broad instincts come to the fore in his current trio, featuring the trap drummer Eric Harland and the tabla master Zakir Hussain. The three players find common ground between jazz and Eastern rhythms and modalities, and their playing is highlighted by Lloyd’s lyricism, Hussain’s virtuosity, and Harland’s responsiveness

Click here to see the full schedule for the JVC Jazz Festival at the New Yorker.

Despite the title of his debut recording, saxophonist Walter Smith III give us far more than a casual introduction to his formidable chops as performer and composer. Featuring two ensembles of young rising stars and a playlist alternating original compositions with gems from Sam Rivers, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, and collaborator Lionel Loueke, Casually Introducing Walter Smith III (Fresh Sound/New Talent, 2006) hopefully should be all the introduction this artist will need to bring him justified and widespread attention.

Click here for the full review at Jazz Police.

The stripped-down saxophone and percussion trio of “Sangam” makes it a successor to 2004’s excellent “Which Way Is East,” an intimate set of duets recorded in Lloyd’s living room with drummer Billy Higgins. Tabla master Zakir Hussain carries some of the melodic load, dropping quotes from Sonny Rollins’ “St. Thomas” and “The William Tell Overture” into a solo. Drummer Eric Harland is a revelation.

Click here to read the full review of Sangam at Style Weekly.

"Along with Redman, drummer Harland was also a crowd favorite Sunday night. Considered a rising star, and also a member of the SF Collective, he has a loose-limbed but rhythmically precise style that avoids jazz-drumming clichés. Harland has a knack for unexpected moves that enhance each song, such as using his bare hands to coax a bongo-like sound from his snare drum and floor tom on the Brazilian, bossa nova standard "How Insensitive.""

Click here to read the rest of Dan Emerson's article at Twincities.com.

IT'S a Herculean task for a drummer to steal the show when he's playing behind mega-talents such as Berkeley-born saxophonist Joshua Redman and San Mateo County's own vibes-legend Bobby Hutcherson.

Meet Eric Harland, now known in these parts as Hercules.

The fiery Texas-born drummer, who has set the beat for the likes of McCoy Tyner, Greg Osby and Charles Lloyd, was an absolutely dominating presence during the SFJAZZ Collective concert Friday night at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.

Click here to read Jim Harrington's review at Inside Bay Area.

ALBUM: SANGAM (ECM Records)

Recorded in 2004 live in Santa Barbara, Calif., "Sangam" is Lloyd‘s mesmerizing homage to late drummer/collaborator Billy Higgins. Lloyd delivers rapturous journey music with his trio mates, tabla master Zakir Hussain and fine young drummer Eric Harland. Lloyd‘s signature probing lyricism embellished by high-note flights of passion (the exhilarating title track and the jog-paced "Tender Warriors") certainly serve as the CD‘s calling card. But the engine propelling the set is the double-percussion drive, which showcases the underexposed talents of Hussain. His rapid-fire tabla flutters and gallops; "Tales of Rumi" and the "Lady in the Harbor" fascinate with North Indian hue and weave. Noteworthy tracks include "Nataraj," Lloyd‘s relatively short piano muse; "Little Peace," fueled by his jaunty melodic flute lines; and "Dancing on One Foot," the slowly simmering album opener.

Reuters/Billboard

CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS
SFJAZZ Collective

Zankel Hall
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006 at 8:30 PM

SFJAZZ Collective
·· Joshua Redman, Artistic Director and Tenor and Soprano Saxophones
·· Bobby Hutcherson, Vibraphone and Marimba
·· Nicholas Payton, Trumpet
·· Miguel Zenón, Alto Saxophone and Flute
·· Andre Hayward, Trombone
·· Renee Rosnes, Piano
·· Matt Penman, Bass
·· Eric Harland, Drums

With an all-star line-up including vibes legend Bobby Hutcherson and renowned saxman Joshua Redman, the SFJAZZ Collective celebrates the sound of jazz as a vital and ever-changing art form. Each season, the 8-person Collective divides its repertoire between all-new compositions by the band members themselves and works by a modern jazz master. In this concert, in addition to the group’s own cutting-edge compositions, the Collective will focus on music by the celebrated jazz innovator Ornette Coleman.


Click here to read more about the upcoming show and SFJazz.

In 1992, after spending two-and-a-half years studying jazz guitar at the Berklee School of Music, Rosenwinkel dropped out, leaving Boston for the greener pastures of international jazz stardom. This weekend, he returns to his college town—only this time he’ll be playing across the Charles in Cambridge’s Regattabar Jazz Club.

In the past, Rosenwinkel has worked with an impressive array of supporting sidemen (including former Tribe Called Quest frontman Q-Tip), and this weekend is no exception. Expect smart accompaniment from saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Eric Harland when Rosenwinkel comes back to school.

Click here to read more of JAKE G. COHEN's article at the Harvard Crimson.

Pianist McCoy Tyner is one of the working legends of his generation, an artist whose long and diverse career spans the heyday of bop, the emergence of Coltrane, and the evolution of the complex structures that are hallmarks of modern jazz. His percussive attack, orchestral voicings, and modal harmonics have influenced several generations of musicians, and his ongoing work exemplifies the life of a creative artist constantly seeking to grow and respond. In the context of this never-ending exploration, Tyner began an annual series of residencies at the famed Oakland club, Yoshi’s, back in 1995. Tyner celebrates eleven years of a gig that combines workshop and showcase with his usual two-week format: Week One (January 24-29) features the pianist in an amazing quartet with contemporary legends Joe Lovano (tenor sax), Dave Holland (bass), and Lewis Nash (drums). Week Two (January 31-February 5 will reunite Tyner with his 2005 compatriots of a younger generation, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, bassist Charnett Moffett, and drummer Eric Harland, along with vibes master Bobby Hutcherson.

Click here to read more at JazzPolice.com.

"Eric Harland (Drums): An ordained minister as well as a leading drummer on the national scene, Eric Harland has performed with jazz legends like Betty Carter, Joe Henderson, and McCoy Tyner, and has played on more than 25 recordings, including Terence Blanchard's Let Get Lost and Stefon Harris' Black Action Figure. In Down Beat 's 65th Annual Readers Poll, he was included in the short list of top drummers, in the company of masters like Elvin Jones and Roy Haynes."

Click here to read more about SFJazz.

Charles Lloyd, "Jumpin the Creek" (ECM)

"Over the past decade, Lloyd has not-so-quietly re-emerged with a series of critically received recordings. With pianist Geri Allen, bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Eric Harland, "Jumping the Creek" is typical Lloyd: reflective, alluring and impassioned free blowing. Some of the best moments occur on "Georgia Bright Suite," which is ostensibly two songs, "Pythagoras at Jeckyll Island" and "Sweet Georgia Bright," and provides the best example of Lloyd's tenderness and tenacity."

Click here to read more from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette .

The SFJAZZ Collective will make its Orange County Performing Arts Center debut on March 17 and 18 with a program honoring the works of Herbie Hancock. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. both evenings in Founders Hall.

Led by artistic director Joshua Redman, the SFJAZZ Collective celebrates jazz as a vital and ever-changing art form. Each year, the eight member all-star group divides its repertoire between new works written by each of the band’s members and works by a modern jazz artist. Legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock is the focus of this year’s tour.

Members of the 2006 SFJAZZ Collective are Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Joshua Redman (saxophone), Eric Harland (drums), Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Matt Penman (bass), Renee Rosnes (piano), Miguel Zenón (saxophone) and Andrew Hayward (trombone).

Click here to read more and here to go to sfjazz.org.

Modern Drummer has a great bio and interview with Eric Harland.
Here's an excerpt:

"I think we’re all going through a process in life of gaining a sense of identity and having to defend it at the same time," Harland says. "You have what flows with it and also what contradicts it. That’s where you get your strength, from the perseverance of being yourself and the balance of understanding your place in this world."

In April of 2004 Lloyd and Hussain incorporated the young drummer, Eric Harland (a regular member of Charles Lloyd’s quartet who has also played with Terrance Blanchard, Joe Henderson, Greg Osby, Ravi Coltrane, Betty Carter, Stefon Harris, Jason Moran, McCoy Tyner and Jacky Terrason) to present San Francisco with another extraordinary evening of music at the Palace of Fine Arts. They entitled this concert Which Way Is East, Homage to Billy Higgins (the late great drummer and close friend and associate of Charles Lloyd since the 1950s). Other concerts have followed and the trio has become an ongoing ensemble/project . . .

Click here to read more at outpostspace.org.

Charles Lloyd / Eric Harland / Zakir Hussain
Minneapolis MN, 18 November 2004

Fast-forward to November 2004 and Lloyd’s somewhat surprising one-night tribute to Higgins at Minneapolis’ Dakota Jazz Club & Restuarant, accompanied by young drummer Eric Harland and renowned tabla master Zakir Hussain—a combination that seemed rife with the possibility of furthering the loose, spiritual vibe of Lloyd and Higgins’ recorded duets.


Click here to read more.

"young drum lion Eric Harland. . ."

Click here to read more.

On Nov. 11 the mighty saxophonist Charles Lloyd hits the Boulder Theater with a hypnotic threesome that includes Zakir Hussain and Eric Harland (303-786-7030).

"I don't know how I would describe it," Charles Lloyd said of his current trio project with percussionist Zakir Hussain and drummer- pianist Eric Harland. "I think labels can be misleading. I can tell you this, it swings like a (expletive), and you can hear the blues. And you can hear prayers, and it can put a smile on your face and a lift in your step.

Click here.

Eric Du'sean Harland, composer and drummer, is a native of Houston, Texas who currently resides on the east coast. During a workshop in high school, Wynton Marsalis discovered him and encouraged him to study in New York City. Therefore, after graduation, Eric went on to Manhattan School of Music with a full scholarship in their music program.

Click here to read more.

Great, old photos of Eric at Drummer World.
Check em out.

Click here.

Look out!

Click here.