Who I Am & Where I Live
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Name:
Harish Raghavan
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City:
Brooklyn, NY
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Country:
United States
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Hometown:
Chicago, Illinois
My Life & Work
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Bio:
For more than a decade, bassist-composer Harish Raghavan has helped lay the foundation for a thriving generation of artists. The Thelonious Monk Competition semifinalist garners acclaim as a sound architect for myriad original projects, from Ambrose Akinmusire’s to Eric Harland’s.
Other longtime collaborators include Logan Richardson, Vijay Iyer, Gerald Clayton, Taylor Eigsti and Walter Smith III.
Born in Chicago, the New York-based artist transitioned from Mridanga to bass at age 16. His appetite for mingling lineages has allowed him to craft an inclusive, deeply personal artistry. Raghavan’s debut album Calls for Action (Whirlwind Recordings) reflects his development as a composer and band leader. Fifteen original tracks serve as a cohesive narrative for the album, as well as standalone suites on either side of its vinyl release.
Raghavan received his BA in Music from USC — where he studied under John Clayton and Dave Carpenter, and later with Robert Hurst — and has become a highly sought educator. Teaching credits include Stanford Jazz Workshop, The New School, Siena Jazz Workshop, Banff and Centrum Jazz Workshop.
He also appears regularly on the international festival circuit.
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Quotes, Notes & Etc.
“To those in the know, Mr. Raghavan is one of the most exciting young bassists in jazz, but he’s also one of the most private. That made his performance at the Owl all the more intriguing. He played six original compositions with a sturdy, quicksilver quintet: Immanuel Wilkins on alto saxophone, Joel Ross on vibraphone, Taylor Eigsti on piano and Jeremy Dutton on drums. The tunes mostly pivoted on cycles of major harmony and intertwined polyrhythms, in which everyone played a part. The low-key M.V.P. was Mr. Ross, a slight player in his early 20s whose vibraphone was sometimes like a spray of confetti, erupting in brilliant bursts; elsewhere he took solos that had the slightest tug of swing, leaning against the locked-in syncopation of the rhythm section.”
- The New York Times, Dec 31 2017
Clips (more may be added)
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