"The Garden showcases Harris's compositions, which adeptly and compellingly link the past and future of jazz, and guitar work, which is consistently articulate with an enticing fluidity seemingly influenced by the likes of Wes Montgomery and Pat Metheny." - Rick Mason, City Pages
"This CD is no offhand affair, no jamming session. Every track, even that hoary old operetta standard “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise,” is arresting and well thought-out, delivering freshness, fire and filigree. Harris’ quintet features the cream of the Twin Cities scene: Bryan Nichols (piano, Fender Rhodes), Brandon Wozniak (tenor sax, and a bit of bass clarinet), Chris Bates (bass), and J.T. Bates (drums). Harris did all the composing, and gets an A grade for penmanship..."
- Tom Surowicz, Star Tribune
The Garden is twin cities guitarist Zacc Harris' first album as leader, released in May 2012 on Shifting Paradigm Records. Harris is well-known for his work with Atlantis Quartet, winner of the City Pages 2011 Best Jazz Artist, which he co-leads.
Zacc Harris Group was formed in 2009 so that Harris could focus on his own compositions. The band features a powerhouse lineup with Harris on guitar, Bryan Nichols (Gang Font, Halloween Alaska) on piano and rhodes, fellow Atlantis member Chris Bates (Dean Magraw's Red Planet, A Love Electric) on bass, and jt Bates (Fat Kid Wednesdays) on drums. Another member of Atlantis Quartet, Brandon Wozniak (Dave King Trucking Company) guests on saxophone for several tracks.
The music on The Garden is modern jazz for certain! Harris penned 9 new compositions for the album, along with a captivating arrangement of the standard Softy As a Morning Sunrise. The tunes range from post-bop to modal, free form to impressionist, heavily modern to a touch of classic jazz. Melody and harmony are at the forefront, but the rhythmic drive of the Bates brothers makes the music soar. Here are some reviews.
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