Donald Harrison in Los Angeles

Donald Harrison is an American alto saxophonist, composer and bandleader born in New Orleans in 1960. His post-bop jazz draws on the city’s Mardi Gras Indian and second-line traditions, an approach documented on albums including Indian Blues and Nouveau Swing. He also co-led a group with trumpeter Terence Blanchard. In the 1980s, he toured as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, performing in the band alongside Blanchard. He later led his own ensembles in jazz clubs and at festivals, including engagements at the Blue Note in New York.