Composer, arranger, and educator Stephen Philip Harvey has worked with various musicians across genres, composing for solo instrument to wind ensemble, jazz combo, and large ensembles.
Touring throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions of the United States, the artist has led ensembles with a drive to explore a vast array of avenues in improvisation and composition. These include his chordless trio SPH+2, his electric quintet, Sphinx, his mid-sized jazz combo, the Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (SPH8), and his large ensemble the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra (SPHJO). As an educator, Stephen has held instructional positions at all levels of education in diverse areas of music education.
He has four full album releases: Suite Childhood (2016, Self-Released) and Smash! (2022, Next Level an imprint of Outside In Music). Elemental (2023) and his recent eponymous quintet release, Sphinx (2023). The latter two releases were released on Harvey’s label, Hidden Cinema Records. His latest offering is Library Card, is an original collection of music inspired by children’s and young adult literature. Each title is a nod to different works by authors Dr. Seuss (2-3), Rick Riordan (4), Margaret Wise Brown (5), Mary Pope Osborne (6), and Bill Watterson (7). These original pieces are headed by the popular Rodgers and Hart standard with an apt title.
This release coincides with National Reading Month as they jointly celebrate reading as a vehicle for learning, imagination, and social-emotional development. (Much like music and improvisation!) It’s Harvey’s goal to pair this release with educational performances to encourage both interest in music and reading to the next generation.
The release features Harvey on tenor & soprano saxophones, Max Murray on bass, and Jordon Stanley on drums. Watch out for two promotional singles, “I Could Write a Book” and “Son of Poseidon” (released 2/9/2024). The album is due for release this March 1st.
For further information on the artist, visit
https://www.facebook.com/stephenpharveymusic
https://www.instagram.com/stephenpharvey/
Images provided by Chris DiGirolamo, courtesy of the artist
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