Blackout gives jazz a new sound

When people think of jazz, they usually think of adult
contemporary music or the WAVE radio station, or even a musical
genre that becomes more appreciated with age. But jazz musician,
vibraphonist and composer Stefon Harris has made it his life to
evolve the sound of jazz and the way people think about the
genre.

Harris and his group Blackout will be performing sets from their
latest album, “Evolution,” which incorporates the
sounds of jazz, hip-hop and R&B, making their music accessible
to all ages Feb. 11 at Royce Hall.

While “Evolution” is Harris’ fifth album, it
is his first with Blackout. But as the sounds of the album range
from classical music to hip-hop, it is difficult to categorize it
under one musical genre.

Harris describes the band’s sound as soulful ensemble jazz
on a melodic R&B tip laced with a grooved down hip-hop
beat.

“There is a wide variety of musical influences on our
album. It’s whatever inspires us at that moment in
time,” Harris said. “I’ve made a record for
people who don’t necessarily like jazz.”

Harris has been approached by people who tell him that they have
enjoyed his concerts despite not being traditional jazz fans.

“Everyone can get something out of it because I feel we
have that thump, that vibe that everyone can relate to and
enjoy,” Harris said.

His recent performance at the Lincoln Center in New York was
widely attended by old and young music lovers alike, which Harris
believes is due to Blackout’s versatility.

“Our music still has the traditional jazz elements that
jazz lovers want, but we also have the ability to make hip-hop
beats that the younger generation can relate to,” Harris
said.

The name Blackout came because Harris wanted to forget what
everybody else said jazz had to sound like.

“I chose the name Blackout (because) I was thinking about
it as blacking out a lot of the opinions that exist already,”
Harris said. “In that process, I’ve started including
my direct influences.”

His influences range from ’70s soul to current hip-hop
artists such as Mos Def and Common. To Harris, music is just
organized sound, and if it sounds interesting, then he will
probably like it.

“We’re looking to find a way of letting go and
taking ownership of our music without letting anyone else define
it,” Harris said. “(Blackout) grew up listening to
music that thumped. We love jazz and respect it, and we think jazz
should thump.”

Harris grew up in Albany, New York and was a musical prodigy,
having taught himself to read music at an early age. From then on,
he was the advanced kid in class, and teachers pushed him to learn
many instruments. By the time he was in high school, Harris was
able to play about 20 instruments, including the clarinet and
drums. His background was always classical music, and jazz did not
come into play until college.

“I loved the freedom jazz allowed and wanted to be part of
it to tell my own story,” Harris said. “Jazz was the
perfect vehicle for that.”

Harris is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and holds
a bachelor’s degree in classical music and a master’s degree
in jazz performance. He is also a recipient of three Grammy
nominations for previous albums.

Harris believes his musical future will continue to evolve as he
strives to continue his growth as an artist each year.

“My goal every year is to improve as an artist, and so far
I am very happy in my development,” he said.