Atlanta-based jazz guitarist Rod Harris Jr. joins Preston Frazier to discuss his new EP ‘Exits & Options,’ key sideman gigs with Musiq Soulchild and Jagged Edge, youthful inspirations, and his plans for the future …
PRESTON FRAZIER: You seem comfortable with jazz, rock, and R&B. How would you classify your style?
ROD HARRIS JR.: I used to classify my music/style as HipHopGospedelicFunkalistickSoul Jazz! [Laughs.] But now I just let the music speak for itself. The industry always wants to place labels on music. So, I guess we can term my sound as contemporary jazz or millennial jazz.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Your first full solo album, The Counsel of Elders, is a great taste of that contemporary jazz style. How long did the project take to get off the ground?
ROD HARRIS JR.: The Counsel of Elders record was conceived as a tribute record to some of my primary jazz guitar influences – Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, George Benson, and Grant Green. I also wrote three originals, “Jimmy Speaks, “Goodbye Again” and “The Counsel of Elders.” I chose to record my debut album as an organ trio record, because all the aforementioned elders came out of organ trios and I wanted to follow in their footsteps. I was working in an organ trio group for about a year before I recorded the The Counsel of Elders album, so it didn’t take long to complete. We recorded everything in one day.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Tell our readers about your background.
ROD HARRIS JR.: I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. My parents relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, my senior year in high school. My very first instrument was trumpet in 6th grade [laughs], but I struggled with the instrument because I had no formal training. So, I quickly put it down and got more into sports – baseball and football. On my 17th birthday, my father gave me some money, and I decided to go to a local music store and buy an acoustic guitar. I fell in love with the instrument, and begin practicing relentlessly.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Where your parents musicians?
ROD HARRIS JR.: My dad, Rod Harris Sr., played piano and was a pretty good singer-songwriter. He actually was signed to a record label [Coast To Coast], and I remember hanging in and around the studio all the time. However, when my father’s musical dreams began to dissipate. He became very discouraging of any idea of me pursuing a career in music. But nonetheless, after I graduated high school, and with just one year of intense study of guitar, I was accepted to the Georgia State University School of Music.
PRESTON FRAZIER: What was your first professional gig?
ROD HARRIS JR.: My first memorable professional gig was performing at the 1999 Atlanta Jazz Festival as apart of a collective called Minority. This collective was made up of mostly Georgia State University students, but was pretty exceptional. It featured a great trumpeter in Atlanta named Lester Walker, who was a GSU graduate student at the time. And also another undergraduate student named Clyde Jones, who is now deceased. I learned so much about jazz from these two cats. My freshman year was crazy, but really informative! We used to just sit around and listen to vintage jazz records for hours. This was really my most formidable lesson in playing jazz music. I also wrote my first composition around this time. It was a song entitled “Aisha’s Theme,” and we performed it at the festival that year.
PRESTON FRAZIER: You are a noted sideman. How did you get your foot in the door to session work?
ROD HARRIS JR.: As you know, Atlanta has been a music city hub for many years now, mostly known for R&B and hip hop. Producers are always looking for guitarists for session work. My first major session was for the Sony/Columbia Records R&B group Jagged Edge. I played guitar on two songs on their 2003 album entitled Hard, “What’s It Like” and “In the Morning.” Also, as a session guitarist and sideman, I learned to play and appreciate many different styles of music, because the gig required it. At the time, most of the R&B producers really wanted more gospel guitar chops in their songs. So, I had to dig into that bag to give them what they wanted – if I wanted to get a check. [Laughs.]
PRESTON FRAZIER: How did you end up working with Musiq Soulchild?
ROD HARRIS JR.: In 2008, I got a call from a young lady, who happens to be the daughter of the late great Donny Hathaway. She was working as personal assistant to Musiq. She said Musiq was putting together a new band based in Atlanta, and asked me to send in a video audition. Needless to say, I got the gig and after only two rehearsals in Philly, I was headed to Johannesburg, South Africa. I learned a lot during my years in the Soulchild camp. I had some great experiences, and some not so great experiences, but I guess that is indicative of life. I think out of all, I was able to bring a level of versatility and flexibility that Musiq appreciated and, ultimately, it allowed me to be a part of some amazing tours and projects.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Exits & Options just came out. What was the main theme behind the album, which combines imaginative covers and an original composition?
ROD HARRIS JR.: The idea for Exits & Options really came to me while I was doing a few shows with Musiq. Some things transpired, and I decided that it was time for me to move on and really focus on my own music career. So, while I was driving my rental car on the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego to LA, the title hit me: Exits & Options. When you are in a rough space or time in your life, you must have a good exit strategy. And, when you have multiple options to choose from, life seems so much easier and less stressful. Hence the name Exits & Options. It was like a big eureka moment for me.
As soon as the eureka hit me, David Newman’s song “Symphonette” was playing on the radio, so I had to include it on the EP. Also considering that I grew up as a huge fan of hip-hop, I felt like blending hip-hop music with jazz as cleverly as possible. Not to mention I am a big fan of Kanye West, which is why I recorded my version of “Heartless.” From a child, I always loved the Eagles tune “I Can’t Tell You Why,” but I also am obvious a product of the Neo-Soul era, so I constructed a D’Angelo / “How Does It Feel”-esque arrangement. I have always dug Herbie Hancock. I mean, who doesn’t, really? But one of my favorite Herbie tunes is “I Thought It Was You,” so I created an arrangement that spoke to my influences.
“El Presidente” is the only original composition on the Exits & Options EP. Of course, the intro bass line speaks for itself. Eric B and Rakim are hip-hop royalty, and I remember when “Don’t Sweat the Technique” came out, that bass line was so great and it stuck in everyone’s mind. So, I decided to write a song around the bass riff. Exits & Options was also recorded in one day in Atlanta by drummer and engineer Marlon Patton. However, “I Can’t Tell You Why” was recorded at a different studio by Michael Schenk.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Do you plan to continue the theme of Exits & Options into a full album?
ROD HARRIS JR.: I think the next full album will be something different. It just depends on where I am in life. I always let the Creator provide my musical direction. Music, for me, is very spiritual and I pray for a constant flow of fresh ideas and creativity, daily. So, we’ll see. I will most likely shoot for another full album release sometime in 2019 or early 2020 – but it won’t be a continuation of Exits & Options.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Please share with our readers what guitars, amps and effects you used on the project.
ROD HARRIS JR.: On the Exits & Options EP, I used my 1991 Gibson ES 165. This was my first jazz guitar. I found it at a music store called Mars Music years ago and the older it gets, the better it sounds. It is an amazing instrument. I also used my Fender Tweed Blues Junior amp. This thing is a workhorse of an amp and goes with me everywhere.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Tell us your top 5 favorite albums.
ROD HARRIS JR.: There are so many favorites, but for now I will say my 5 Top Favorite Albums are Wes Montgomery’s Smokin’ at the Half Note, Mike Stern’s Standards and Other Songs, D’Angelo’s Voodoo, Yellowjackets’ Yellowjackets and Redman’s Muddy Waters.
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