Stefon Harris Quotes

I love Amsterdam. The city is vibrant and alive. It's fresh and so open. It's definitely one of my favorite places.

Every ‘mistake’ is an opportunity in jazz.

I don't really see huge barriers between any styles of music. My definition of music is "organizing sound and silence into emotion," and that's a very broad definition.

The bandstand is an incredible space. It is really a sacred space. One of the things that is really sacred about it is that you have no opportunity to think about the future, or the past.

It's about being here in the moment, accepting one another and allowing creativity to flow.

Being at home with my family always inspires me. I find it hard to be inspired when I'm on the move. I'm not creative when I'm jet-lagged and sleeping in strange hotels.

I don't really see huge barriers between any styles of music.

I'm a spa person. Massages keep me relaxed, so I always try to make time for them when I tour.

If you listen to the way I speak, I have a lot of rhythm, use a lot of accents. When I'm playing my instrument, that concept comes through very clearly.

I listen to a lot of singers, because I find phrasing to be one of the most essential elements of playing.

What happens when an art form becomes ambiguous, I think, is that the standards are lowered. You can say anything is jazz. So I think it's important to reflect on what made jazz so special.

Italy has great food and Barcelona has great energy

I think when you look back at the different eras in jazz, what leads from one to another is never a melodic revolution, but a rhythmic revolution.

Miles Davis is a major influence of mine in terms of the way that I am as a bandleader.

I grew in the inner city, listening to Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, James Brown, The Commodores - lots of soul music.

Italy has great food and Barcelona has great energy.