Event

Joel Harrisons Free Country

On September 23rd at 7:00 pm at UVAs Brooks Hall, The Charlottesville Jazz Society and WTJU are please to present the return of guitarist/vocalist Joel Harrison and his roots/jazz band Free Country. Harrison has recorded several well-received CDs with this band. The latest iteration features a powerhouse two-guitar lineup with young sensation Anthony Pirog on the other guitar.

In 2003 and 2004 Harrison recorded Free Country and So Long Second Street on the ACT label. These recordings, which featured Norah Jones and others, seemed to defy categorization and were widely acclaimed. Harrison now revisits this concept with his new CD Angel Band, including enormously diverse and imaginative arrangements of timeless tunes by Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, Olabelle Reed, Johnny Cash, and more. Each song bears a unique imprint, wherein country music, African rhythms, R&B, modern jazz, rock and psychedelia all beautifully blend. The band on the recording is a "who's who" of the modern jazz scene, including Stephan Crump, Brian Blade, Darol Anger, and Uri Caine.

For this East Coast tour including the stop in Charlottesville, Harrison will strip the group down to a quartet. Out front will be Harrison on guitar and vocals, joined by guitarist Anthony Pirog, who is a powerful, innovative new voice for his generation. The rhythm section consists of the great bassist Jerome Harris, who has performed and recorded with Sonny Rollins, Jack DeJohnette, and Bill Frisell, and the multi-faceted drummer Jeremy Clemons, who played on Harrison's acclaimed Mother Stump album.

Tickets to hear Joel Harrisons Free Country at UVAs Brooks Hall at 7 pm on September 23rd may be purchased in advance online at Freecountry.brownpapertickets.com. General Admission tickets are $20; $15 for paid supporters of The Charlottesville Jazz Society, and $10 for all students. If there are any unsold tickets, they will be available for $25 for all. For more information call Gary at (434) 249-6191 or visit Cvillejazz.org. And be sure to listen for Joel Harrisons music on WTJU-FM.