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Guitarist and composer Joel Harrison grew up in D.C., sneaking into Blues Alley as a teenager to see his favorite jazz musicians. Tonight, he returns as one of those musicians, headlining the venerable Georgetown jazz club in support of his dynamite new album, Harbor (High Note).
Harrison’s music is fusion in the broadest sense: he loves jazz, progressive rock (I hear Frank Zappa and Robert Fripp in his playing, though he says they’re not a conscious influence), classical, Eastern, African, and Appalachian music, and he weaves all of it into his work. Tonight he plays with a similarly wide-ranging quartet that includes Pete McCann on electric and acoustic guitar, Stephan Crump on acoustic and electric bass, and Jordan Perlson on drums and percussion. Whether they play Harrison’s own compositions, or tackle his interpretations of George Harrison’s music, it’ll be a hell of a show.
Harrison and his quartet play two sets, 8pm and 10pm, at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 337-4141. $20 cover, plus $10 food/drink minimum.