Jesse Harris
Jesse Harris | |
|---|---|
 Jesse White, portrait by Logan White, 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | October 24, 1969 New York City |
| Genres | Pop, folk, jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Labels | Dangerbird, Downtown, Tzadik |
| Website | jesseharrismusic |
Jesse Harris (born October 24, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and guitarist. He has worked with Norah Jones (whose version of his song "Don't Know Why" won him the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2003), Melody Gardot, Madeleine Peyroux, and Lizz Wright.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Harris and his twin sister were born in New York City. He attended Riverdale Country School in New York City. He graduated from Cornell University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.[2][3]
Career
[edit]Jesse Harris's music has been described as a "blend [of] folk, rock, jazz, and world rhythms."[4]
Harris gave guitar lessons and performed in musical groups before he formed the duo Once Blue with singer-songwriter Rebecca Martin. 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 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, Tim Luntzel, and Kenny Wollesen.[5] The band released two more albums on sublabels of Verve Records. Harris recorded three solo albums Mineral, Feel, and Watching the Sky on his own label, Secret Sun Recordings.[1]
In 2003, he was awarded a Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "Don't Know Why", performed by Norah Jones. 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 appears as a guitarist on Bright Eyes' 2005 album, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, as well as Motion Sickness. He contributed songwriting to Jones' 2008 release The Fall as well.
In 2007, Harris delivered songs for the soundtrack of the film The Hottest State, written and directed by actor Ethan Hawke.[6][7] The soundtrack featured new versions of his songs by Jones, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Feist, Cat Power, M. Ward, The Black Keys, Bright Eyes, Brad Mehldau and Rosario Ortega.[6] 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 commercial.[8][9]
Harris's 11th album, Sub Rosa, recorded in Rio de Janeiro, was released in July 2012[10] and features guest vocals from Conor Oberst, Melody Gardot, and Norah Jones.[11] Harris's 12th album, the stripped down Borne Away, was released on June 25, 2013.
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."
In 2013, Harris joined John Zorn's Song Project along with Mike Patton, Sofia Rei, and Sean Lennon, writing lyrics for various Zorn compositions and singing them at festivals worldwide with a band featuring Marc Ribot on guitar, John Medeski on keyboards, and Zorn conducting. Two of the group's albums have been released by Tzadik Records. Zorn and Harris also collaborated on a project which featured singer and violinist Petra Haden alongside the Julian Lage Trio (for whom Harris has produced two albums, Arclight and Modern Lore), plus Harris on guitar. The resulting album, Music for Petra (Petra Haden Sings the Zorn/Harris Songbook), was released in 2020 on Tzadik.
Harris already worked with Petra Haden as interpreter of his songs; the album Seemed Like a Good Idea – Petra Haden Sings Jesse Harris came out in 2016 on Sunnyside.[12] Other artists who have recorded Harris's songs include Smokey Robinson, George Benson, Pat Metheny, Kandace Springs, and Solomon Burke. Songwriting collaborations have included Madeleine Peyroux, Melody Gardot, Maria Gadú, Maya Hawke, and Vinicius Cantuária. Production credits include albums for Forro in the Dark, Sasha Dobson
In 2017, Jesse started Cosmo, a group for only his instrumental compositions, with CJ Camerieri (trumpet, flugelhorn, and French horn), Will Graefe (guitar), Jeremy Gustin (drums), Benjamin Lazar Davis (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, Portugal, and released in September 2018, and features Gustin and Graefe, Ricardo Dias Gomes (bass, keyboards), Petra Haden, Valerie June, Sophia Brous, Thomas Bartlett, Rob Moose, Jesse Carmichael, Marcelo Camelo, and Jason Lader. On Surpresa, in 2021, Harris closely collaborated again with Vinicius Cantuária.[13]
Harris continued working with John Zorn in the beginning of the 2020s. In 2020, Zorn and Harris released Songs For Petra, which features vocalist Petra Haden and the Julian Lage Trio (for whom Harris has produced two albums, Arclight and Modern Lore).[14] Most recently, Zorn and Harris wrote a musical, Love Songs. A live album of the songs, featuring Haden, is released by Tzadik Records.[15]
He continues to work on multiple projects, both as a bandleader and as a producer. In 2022 Cosmo, Harris' instrumental project, released the album, But When?, and in 2023, Spring Song. Other production credits for Harris include albums for Papooz (2024's Resonate), Maya Hawke, Gabi Hartmann and Sasha Dobson. A new solo album, If You Believed In Me, featuring orchestral arrangements by Maycon Ananias, plus guest appearances by Norah Jones, Jake Sherman and Marine Quéméré, will be out in 2025.[16]
Discography
[edit]| Year | Album | Artist | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | La femme aux yeux de sel (Sony Masterworks France) | Gabi Hartmann | songwriter, producer, guitarist, drummer, engineer |
| 2024 | Resonate (Wide Awake) | Papooz | songwriter, producer, guitarist |
| EP “Little Song Lines” (Sony Masterworks France) | Gabi Hartmann | songwriter, guitarist | |
| Dusk (Cosmic Artists) | Gaby Moreno | songwriter, guitarist | |
| Resonate Augmented (Wide Awake) | Papooz | songwriter, producer, guitarist | |
| Chaos Angel (Mom + Pop) | Maya Hawke | songwriter | |
| dreaming (Secret Sun) | Andrew Kamel | producer, guitarist | |
| Unspoken (Secret Sun) | Anson Jones | producer, songwriter, guitarist, drummer | |
| Love Songs Live (Tzadik) | John Zorn / Jesse Harris | lyricist, producer, mixing engineer | |
| EP “Petite Folie” (Secret Sun Recordings) | Jesse Harris feat. Anson Jones, Lisa Ducasse, Ëda Diaz & Lau Noah | songwriter, producer, guitarist | |
| Single “Ride On/Wild Horse” (Secret Sun Recordings) | Jesse Harris | songwriter, producer, guitarist | |
| Ahlam EP | Maryam Turkey | songwriter, producer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist | |
| Clipped Wings EP (Mom + Pop) | Maya Hawke | songwriter, guitarist | |
| 2023 | Cosmo – Spring Song (Secret Sun) | Cosmo | Leader |
| Self‑titled (Sony Masterworks France) | Gabi Hartmann | producer, songwriter, guitarist, engineer | |
| Single “Charlie Was a Boxer” (Secret Sun) | Mads Jensen | producer, songwriter, keyboardist | |
| 2022 | But When? (Secret Sun) | Cosmo | Leader |
| Singles “Hot Drug Dealer” / “Iris” (Secret Sun) | Mads Jensen | producer, songwriter, bassist, guitarist | |
| Time Is A Healer (Secret Sun) | Todd Clouser | producer, guitarist | |
| Alegoría (Metamorfosis) | Gaby Moreno | songwriter | |
| Trio (Secret Sun) | Jon Dryden | producer, songwriter | |
| Singles “Milles Rivages” / “Buzzing Bee” (Sony Masterworks France) | Gabi Hartmann | producer, songwriter, guitarist | |
| Silver Balloon (Secret Sun) | Jesse Harris | Leader | |
| 2021 | Surpresa with Vinicius Cantuária (Sunnyside) | Jesse Harris | Leader |
| Single “Da Vinci” | Demira | songwriter | |
| … ‘Til We Meet Again (Blue Note) | Norah Jones | songwriter, guitarist | |
| The Springs | Star Rover | producer, bassist, keyboards | |
| Single “Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow” (Metamorfosis) | Gaby Moreno | songwriter | |
| EP “Always Seem To Get Things Wrong” (Asterios) | Gabi Hartmann | producer, songwriter, guitarist | |
| Single “Blue Hippo” (Mom + Pop) | Maya Hawke | songwriter, producer, bassist | |
| 2020 | Everlasting Day (Secret Sun) | Jesse Harris | Leader |
| Tura Lura (Cascine) | Harrington, Gustin and Zahn | producer, guitarist, keyboardist | |
| Blush (Mom + Pop) | Maya Hawke | songwriter, producer, guitarist | |
| Songs for Petra… (Tzadik) | John Zorn & Jesse Harris | songwriter, producer, guitarist, keyboardist | |
| Angelheaded Hipster… (BMG) | Various Artists | singer, guitarist | |
| Sunset in the Blue (Universal) | Melody Gardot | songwriter | |
| 2019 | Songs Never Sung (Secret Sun) | Jesse Harris | Leader |
| Single “Always Seem To Get Things Wrong” (Secret Sun) | Gabi Hartmann | songwriter, producer, guitarist | |
| Singles “To Love a Boy” / “Stay Open” (Secret Sun) | Maya Hawke | songwriter, producer, guitarist, pianist | |
| Harmony (Blue Note) | Bill Frisell | songwriter | |
| 2018 | Aquarelle (Secret Sun) | Jesse Harris | Leader |
| Once Blue Live at the Handlebar (Core Port) – live recorded in 1996 | Once Blue with Rebecca Martin | Co-leader | |
| Modern Lore (Mack Avenue) | Julian Lage | producer, musician | |
| Indigo (Blue Note) | Kandace Springs | songwriter, guitarist | |
| Live in Europe (Universal) | Melody Gardot | Songwriter | |
| Single “Milk” (Grand Jury) | Samia | producer, piano, keys
| |
| 2017 | Music for Chameleons (Sunnyside) | Jesse Harris | Leader |
| Love Song (Ren’s Records) | Ren | producer, songwriter, guitarist | |
| Lust for Life (Polydor/Interscope) | Lana Del Rey | songwriter | |
| Single “Amuleto” (Warner Brasil) | Tia | guitarist | |
| 2016 | Hello, My Name Is Doris Roadside Attractions (2016); | film | guitarist, songwriter, actor |
| Arclight (Mack Avenue) | Julian Lage | producer | |
| Soul Eyes (Blue Note) | Kandace Springs | songwriter, guitarist | |
| Petra Haden Sings Jesse Harris – Seemed Like a Good Idea with Petra Haden (Sunnyside) | Petra Haden & Jesse Harris | producer, songwriter, guitarist, singer | |
| 2015 | No Wrong No Right with Star Rover (Dangerbird) | Jesse Harris | Leader |
| Currency of Man (Universal) | Melody Gardot | songwriter, guitarist | |
| Love Song Covers (Universal) | Tomoyo Harada | songwriter, singer | |
| Freedom & Surrender (Concord) | Lizz Wright | songwriter, guitarist | |
| Forro in the Dark Plays Zorn (Tzadik) | Forro in the Dark | producer | |
| The Song Project Live at Le Poisson Rouge (Tzadik) | John Zorn | songwriter, singer, guitarist | |
| Single “Dia Especial” (Som Livre) | Tiago Iorc | producer, piano | |
| 2014 | They Came Together Soundtrack EP (Lionsgate Records) featuring “It Was the Last Thing On Your Mind,” performed by Norah Jones Lionsgate Films (2014); | film | guitarist, songwriter, producer, actor |
| Way To Be (Universal Japan) | Amanda Brecker | producer, guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter | |
| Esmeraldas (Warner Brasil) | Tia | producer, guitarist, keyboardist | |
| Daggers (Downtown) | Ex Cops | songwriter | |
| The Song Project (Tzadik vinyl) | John Zorn | songwriter, singer, liner notes | |
| 2013 | Borne Away (Secret Sun) | Jesse Harris | Leader |
| Zeski (Som Livre) | Tiago Iorc | guitarist, songwriter | |
| True Crime EP(Downtown) | Butter The Children | producer | |
| 2012 | The Absence (Universal) | Melody Gardot | songwriter |
| Sub Rosa (Dangerbird) | Jesse Harris | Leader | |
| On a Ride (Nublu) | Wax Poetic | songwriter | |
| Indio de Apartamento (Naïve) | Vinicius Cantuária | songwriter, vocalist | |
| Al Posto del Mondo (Sony Music) | Chiara Civello | songwriter | |
| Viento Y Sombra (EMI Latin America) | Rosario Ortega | producer, songwriter, guitarist | |
| I Just Happen To Be Here (Biscoito Fino) | Alexia Bomtempo | guitarist | |
| Bem Me Quer Mar Me Quer (Art House) | Pierre Aderne | songwriter, guitarist | |
| 2011 | O Que Você Quer Sabe de Verdade (EMI) | Marisa Monte | Guitarist |
| Berlin 13 (ESL Music) | Federico Aubele | songwriter | |
| Verano Maldito Luis Ortega Film (Argentina); | film | songwriter, singer, actor | |
| Blossom (Universal) | Amanda Brecker | producer, guitarist | |
| Mais Uma Página (Som Livre) | Maria Gadú | songwriter, guitarist, producer | |
| Little World (Tube Jam) | Ila & The Happy Trees | guitarist
| |
| 2010 | There's a Storm Inside Featuring Dianne Reeves & Bob Mintzer (Sunnyside) | Chico Pinheiro | songwriter |
| Nikki (Decca) | Nikki Yanofsky | producer, guitarist, songwriter | |
| Through the Night (Secret Sun/Mercer Street) | Jesse Harris | Leader | |
| Cosmo (Tzadik) | Jesse Harris | Leader | |
| The Rock and the Tide (Mom and Pop) | Joshua Radin | songwriter | |
| Man Drawing The Light (Columbia Japan) | Yuichi Ohata | producer, guitarist, songwriter | |
| Single “The Secret Sun” (Secret Sun) | Jesse Harris | Leader | |
| 2009 | Watching the Sky (Mercer Street) | Jesse Harris | Leader |
| The Fall (Blue Note) | Norah Jones | songwriter, guitarist | |
| My One and Only Thrill (Universal) | Melody Gardot | Songwrite | |
| Light a Candle (Natgeo) | Forro in the Dark | songwriter, singer | |
| Trip (Jay‑Vee Records) | The Verbs | songwriter | |
| Luminous Halo (Avex) | Port Of Notes | producer, guitarist | |
| bonus track “Something Is Calling You” (Blue Note Deluxe) | Norah Jones | songwriter, guitarist | |
| 2008 | Firesight (Verve) | Jessie Baylin | Songwriter |
| Like a Fire (Shout! Factory) | Solomon Burke | songwriter, guitarist, vocalist | |
| Mais Uma Página (Som Livre/Slap) | Maria Gadú | co-written and -produced two tracks, plays acoustic guitar on one | |
| bonus track “We Were Free” (Blue Note) | Priscilla Ahn | songwriter, guitarist | |
| Music From The Magic Shop (Warner Music Japan) | Yuichi Ohata | producer, guitarist
| |
| 2007 | Not Too Late (Blue Note) | Norah Jones | guitarist |
| Feel (Velour) | Jesse Harris | Leader | |
| The Hottest State Think Films (2007) Soundtrack, featuring Willie Nelson, Feist, Bright Eyes, Emmylou Harris, The Black Keys, M. Ward, Cat Power, Brad Mehldau, Norah Jones, Tony Scherr, and Rocha (Hickory) | film | ongwriter, producer, guitarist, vocalist | |
| Arrivals Bank Street Theatre (2007) | stage play | incidental music composer | |
| You (Hickory) | Jessie Baylin | producer, songwriter, guitarist | |
| Summer Clouds, Summer Rain (Avex Japan) | Miyuki Hatakeyama | producer, songwriter, guitarist, vocalist | |
| 2006 | Slow New York (Manhattan) | Richard Julian | harmonica |
| Modern Romance (Secret Sun) | Sasha Dobson | producer, songwriter, guitarist | |
| Twenty-three (Virgin) | Tristan Prettyman | guitarist, songwriter | |
| Half the Perfect World (Rounder) | Madeleine Peyroux | songwriter | |
| 2005 | Mineral (Secret Sun) | Jesse Harris | Leader |
| I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Saddle Creek) | Bright Eyes | Guitarist | |
| Motion Sickness (Team Love) | Bright Eyes | Guitarist | |
| Dreaming Wide Awake (Verve) | Lizz Wright | songwriter | |
| Trouble Is Real (Warner) | Johnathan Rice | guitarist, drummer, songwriter | |
| 2004 | While the Music Lasts (Verve) | Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos | Leader |
| Careless Love (Rounder) | Madeleine Peyroux | songwriter | |
| Feels Like Home (Blue Note) | Norah Jones | guitarist | |
| 2003 | The Secret Sun (BlueThumb/Verve) | Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos | Leader |
| Ken's Bar (DefStar Japan) | Ken Hirai | songwriter, guitarist | |
| Rewind (Virgin) | Ricky Fante | songwriter, guitarist | |
| Once Blue Reissue (EMI Toshiba) | Once Blue with Rebecca Martin | co-leader, guitarist, vocalist | |
| 2002 | Come Away with Me (Blue Note) | Norah Jones | songwriter, guitarist |
| Without You (Bean) | Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos | Leader | |
| 2001 | Crooked Lines (Bean) | Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos | Leader |
| First Sessions (Blue Note) | Norah Jones | songwriter, guitarist | |
| The Colossus of Rhodes (DIW) | Sean Wayland | guitarist | |
| 1999 | Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos (Bean) | Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos | Leader |
| Stranger Things Have Happened (Fresh Sound) | Seamus Blake | guitarist | |
| Ancient Pleasures (BMG Denmark) | Marie Frank | songwriter, guitarist | |
| 1998 | Dragon Tales – TV show – opening theme song | TV Show | guitarist, songwriter |
| 1996 | Single “You Were Meant For Me” (Atlantic) | Jewel | guitarist |
| 1995 | Once Blue (EMI) | Once Blue with Rebecca Martin | co-leader of band, songwriter, guitarist, singer |
| Tails (Geffen) | Lisa Loeb | guitarist | |
| You Will Be You (Atlantic) | The Hatters | guitarist
|
References
[edit]- ^ a b Discography, JesseHarrisMusic.com, retrieved March 29, 2013
- ^ Weiss, Rebecca (November 7, 2007). "The Cornell Connection: Jesse Harris '92 Grammy-Winner succeeds in life despite (or because of?) low GPA". The Cornell Daily Sun. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
- ^ "Notable Cornell University Alumni: Music". Cornell University. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- ^ Gorce, Tammy La (July 1, 2007). "Feel – Jesse Harris : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- ^ Johnson, Zac. "Jesse Harris – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- ^ a b Soundtrack, Original (August 18, 2007). "'The Hottest State' Gets an All-Star Soundtrack". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- ^ Farber, Jim (August 5, 2007). "'State' of the art". Daily News. New York. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- ^ "MediaPost Publications New Corona Efforts Redefine 'Beach' 09/16/2010". mediapost.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2010.
- ^ Biography, JesseHarrisMusic.com, retrieved March 29, 2013
- ^ "Dangerbird Records store: Jesse Harris, Sub Rosa". Store.dangerbirdrecords.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- ^ Chris Rutledge (June 14, 2012). "Watch Two New Trailers For Jesse Harris' Sub Rosa". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
- ^ Seemed Like a Good Idea as presented by the Sunnyside label on Bandcamp.
- ^ "MarlbankWebsite".
- ^ "Tzadik Records". Tzadik Records. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- ^ "Jesse Harris Music". Jesse Harris Music. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- ^ "Jesse Harris Music". Jesse Harris Music. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
