Craig Harris

Throughout his professional journey, Craig Harris has distinguished himself as a singular voice among the more obscure trombonists operating in avant-garde circles. His beginnings involved performances with R&B ensembles, followed by earning a college degree in 1976 and subsequent engagements alongside Sun Ra from 1976 to 1978 as well as Abdullah Ibrahim between 1979 and 1981. The decades of the 1980s and 1990s saw him collaborating extensively with prominent figures in experimental jazz such as the octet and big band led by David Murray, along with Henry Threadgill, Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy, Olu Dara, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Muhal Richard Abrams, and the Liberation Orchestra of Charlie Haden. In addition, Craig Harris has directed several ensembles of his own, most notably Tailgater's Tales and the rhythm-and-blues oriented Cold Sweat, while issuing leader recordings on imprints like India Navigation, Soul Note, and JMT.