Don Harvey
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photo © Todd V. Wolfson
Links Record/CD release: Facebook: CD Baby: Selected tracks from: Light Shines Through Light Shines Through Whirl Whirl Selected tracks from: Dance in Red Dance in Red Desert Meets Sky at Twilight Desert Meets Sky at Twilight Don Harvey: A is Red from Smithee on Vimeo.
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New Record Release: Light Shines Through - February 10, 2012 with a show at the Cactus Cafe.
"I compose music that conveys mood & emotion free from the confines of a specific genre or conventional arrangement. Growing up in New York from the ages of 5 until about12, I listened to symphonic & classical music constantly. Stravinsky's Firebird Suite was my first record, while music was an amazing visual 'trip.' I wanted to be a composer & conductor. By the time I turned 13, all I wanted to be was Charlie Watts. I became a drummer, touring & recording from Tel Aviv to Tokyo. Until relatively recently I worked as a sideman & studio owner and dedicated time to starting a non-profit for musicians called the SIMS Foundation. In my early 50's I made the choice to re-connect with the child (still) within me and began composing music. It is influenced by all the music I've loved throughout my life, and, for me, it's a visual trip."
-Don Harvey
"Light Shines Through has a romantic quality with the feel of a dreamy landscape that takes me into a world of colors and sound."
-Alejandro Escovedo
Ruthie Foster, Ephraim Owens, David Grissom, David Broza, Stefano Intelisano, Kevin McKinney and Glenn Fukunaga shine brightly on this swirling mix of rock, world, soul, jazz, ambient & classical elements.
Don Harvey is a soulful drummer & composer living in Austin, Texas. He was raised in New York, in a home filled with art and classical music. Don started drumming at age 14 & hit the road when he turned 19. He made his first recordings in Tel Aviv, where he resided from 1975-1980, with David Broza & Yonathan Geffen. After moving to Los Angeles, Don toured the world with Charlie Sexton. Don's performed or recorded with Ronnie Lane & Ian McLagan (an 18-year veteran of McLagan's Bump Band), Joe Ely, Billy Bragg, Tonio K, Storyville, Alejandro Escovedo, Iain Matthews (Fairport Convention), Martha Davis (the Motels), David Halley, Broken Homes, Jo Carol Pierce, Rob Laufer and Michael Hall. Don received the "Best Drummer" award at the 2006-2007 Austin Music Awards. He began composing instrumental music in his early 50's. Don describes it as "Open Music" influenced by many genres. Its sound reflects his musical journey & includes middle-eastern, rock, ambient, jazz & classical influences. Don's debut solo release, "A Dance in Red" (2009) is one of KUT/NPR Austin's DJ Picks for Top-10 Releases of 2009.
Don's produced recordings for Beaver Nelson--including a duet with Lucinda Williams, Billy Harvey & many others. He's had the honor of performing with Bruce Springsteen (with Joe Ely), Pete Townshend & Ronnie Wood (with Ian McLagan) and Wilco (with Billy Bragg on the Mermaid Avenue Tour). He's co-written songs with Tonio K, Charlie Sexton, Martha Davis and David Halley.
In 1995 Don co-founded the SIMS Foundation which provides access to mental health and addiction recovery services for Austin-area musicians and their families. He co-owned the legendary Austin Rehearsal Complex ("the ARC"), a hub of Austin's music scene in the 1990's.
What the critics are saying:
Top-10 Albums of 2009: DJ Picks, KUT: A Dance in Red "A first class collection of moody, almost 'ambient' instrumental landscapes. Rock with jazz overtones or vice-versa? Either way, the sleeper of the year." -David Brown, KUT/NPR
"Crescendos wonderfully." - Austin Monthly
"One listen to the opener "Dance in Red" and it's apparent that one should brace themselves for an engaging blend of Middle Eastern, blues, rock, ambient, jazz and classical influences ... In the Middle East, the color red symbolizes sacrifice, courage, love and passion. Harvey and his star-studded affair capture that mood. Whereas Harvey was more of a timekeeper in the Bump Band, here he is able to display the full extent of his talents in a thoroughly engrossing musical setting."
--Jeff Boyce, Jupiter Index
Top-10, 2011 Austin Music Awards: Don Harvey & A is Red: Best Instrumental Band, Best Drummer, Best Jazz Band