Lezlie Harrison - Pure Tones of Soul

Over the last several years Lezlie Harrison’s burnished, soulful alto and striking beauty and distinctive blend of jazz, classic 70's soul, and original music has become a fixture on the New York jazz scene.Often heard around New York City in venues like Sweet Rhythm, the Zinc Bar, and St. Nick’s Pub, Harrison also plays frequently at the Jazz Gallery with her own group and with Roy Hargrove --- All About Jazz voted one such engagement with Hargrove “Best Performance” of 2006. Luminaries like Dr. Lonnie Smith and Grady Tate have brought her funky, sultry presence to their bandstands, and Alex Diaz y Son de la Calle often use Lezlie as their featured vocalist at SOB’s. Harrison performs at The Sugar Bar on the Upper West Side and emcees the “Sunday Evening Jazz Jam” at Frank’s Lounge in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. and Tuesdays at Sweet Rhythm. She was the featured vocalist at last year’s Charlie Parker Jazz festival, opening for Cassandra Wilson at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem. Lezlie recently performed at the 2008 Catskills Jazz And Rhythm and Blues Festival. International engagements include extended gigs in Paris, Istanbul and Bodrum on the Turkish Riviera.Harrison has excelled in other area of creative performance. These include early theatrical experiences with the NEC and will be playing the lead in Concrete Temple's prodution of "Imperia Saves the World opening June 5th at The Flea Theatre in Tribeca. Lezlie has also had success as an on-air radio personality, first with a weekly jazz program at WBGO, and more recently hosting the blues channel on Sirius Satellite radio. Harrison is a co-founder and Associate Director of The Jazz Gallery.Harrison is currently at work on her debut CD featuring her band, Saul Rubin on guitar,Greg Lewis on B3 organ and Fred "Catfish" Alias on drums, with a guest appearance by trumpeter Roy Hargrove. On it, Lezlie draws upon the deepest foundations of her musical orientation: the soul music that surrounded her during formative years in Harlem, the gospel music she sang as a child in her grandfather’s methodist church in North Carolina. Drawn to male vocalists Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Sly Stone, and Johnny Hartman, Harrison’s trademark has been to update classic 70’s soul repertoire with a modern outlook. She calls them “the soul standards that shaped my life.”After recently seeing Harrison sing, actor Kevin Bacon described her as “a very endearing performer.” She moves from a deeply felt blues to a swinging jazz tune, then takes it home with a soulful ballad that brings tears to your eyes. And you the audience are right there with her.