Don Harris began playing trumpet at age 8 and was taking music very seriously by the time he was in high school. By age 16 he was working with a number of local bands and performing with the prestigious Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble of The New England Conservatory of Music. He toured Russia and Finland with this group while only 17. After High School he moved to Boston and enrolled at the prestigious Berklee College of Music where he received his Bachelors Degree in Music. While in school Don performed all over New England, with styles varying from the Rock & Roll of Bill Chinnock, and members of the original E Street Band, to The James Montgomery Blues Band, and the folk stylings of Kate Taylor as well as local Latin and jazz groups. During this time he also recorded with Elis Hall and Gypsy (Jeff Golub's first band), and played on numerous jingles for clients such as Tech-HiFi, Tweeter Etc., and Radio Shack.
Upon graduation Don left Boston to go on tour with James Taylor. He followed that tour with a trip to Brazil to pursue a growing interest in Brazilian music and culture. The visit had a profound effect on Don's life as he stayed in Brazil and became a studio and performing musician there for the next nine years. During this time he did dozens of national and international tours including the Montreaux Jazz Festival where the album "Brazil Night- Montreaux '83" was recorded for BMG/Ariola Records. As a studio musician he also recorded some 250 albums with virtually every top name artist in the country including: Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Djavan, Roberto Carlos, Simone, and Elis Regina .
After Rio, Don moved to Rome, Italy where he worked with many local artists as well as Italian television (Rai Uno). After a year of life in Italy he came home to New York City where he continues to live and work as a performer, arranger, and producer in all styles of music. In 1997 Don became the lead trumpet player and featured soloist for the legendary soul band Tower of Power with whom he toured the world through 1998. Don went on to tour with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ben E. King and from 2000 through 2004 he was the Musical Director for Mary Wilson of The Supremes, an Ammbassador of Rhythm and Blues for the U.S. State Department.
He continues to tour along with his brother Bill as The Harris Bros Horns with Jeff Golub, Warren Hill, and Kirk Whalum. Recently The Harris Bros Horns have been busy making records for many of the top names in the world of Smooth Jazz, such as Peter White, Warren Hill, Avenue Blue, Andre Berry and the Deep Fried Funk Society. Each January they are the featured horn section on Warren Hill's Smooth Jazz Cruise where they perform with roughly fourteen of the top Smooth Jazz artists in the world. Together they also record and perform live all over the New York and tri-state area. Stay tuned for details on the upcoming CD by The Harris Bros Band entitled “East Coast Stroke”. It will turn some heads!
Some of the many artists with whom Don has performed or recorded include:
Kirk Whalum |
Bobby Caldwell |
Peter White |
Warren Hill |
Brenda Russell |
Brian Culbertson |
Michael McDonald |
Tower of Power |
Robben Ford |
The Temptations |
Bruce Willis |
Rick Braun |
Stevie Wonder |
Ben E. King |
Bob James |
Celine Dion |
Robbie Dupree |
Steve Gadd |
Maxi Priest |
The Four Tops |
John "JR" Robinson |
Patty Smyth |
Sister Sledge |
Tony Levin |
James Taylor |
Rufus Thomas |
John Hall |
Destiny's Child |
Mary Wilson |
Roger Ball |
Xscape |
Julio Iglesias |
Phil Woods |
Michael Bolton |
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas |
Hirum Bullock |
The Rippingtons |
Rick Derringer |
Jack Dejohnette |
Avenue Blue |
Paul Shaffer |
Ronnie Foster |
Spyro Gyra |
Will Lee |
Chet Baker |
The Uptown Horns |
The Spinners |
Leo Gandelman |
Tommy Bowes |
Little Anthony & the Imperials |
Roberto Carlos |
Phoebe Snow |
Ricardo Silvera |
Azymuth |