Lafayette Harris Jr.

A five, six, seven, eight… Come on down and swing along to the best ragtime, stride, and jazz the Big Apple has to offer. With special performances on select Thursdays and sprinkled spontaneously throughout the season. Find Piano in Bryant Park on the Upper Terrace at the base of the William Cullen Bryant statue behind the New York Public Library. Lafayette Harris Jr. (Jazz, blues, stride, gospel) is known as a “go to” pianist by many musicians and band leaders. Born in Philadelphia & raised in Baltimore, Lafayette currently performs and records with Houston Person, Archie Shepp and with his own bands. He’s toured with late great music pioneer Max Roach, performed with the Duke Ellington Legacy Orchestra, and has recorded and toured with four-time Grammy nominee the late, Ms. Ernestine Anderson. Lafayette has released 10 CDs including “ You Can’t Lose With The Blues ” - one of the most-played tunes on the radio. Another CD, The Melody Lingers On made its way to #2 on Jazzweek . A fun fact: way back in 1993 his former teacher and mentor Kenny Barron referred him to master drummer Max Roach. This new relationship resulted in almost 10 years of touring and collaborating, prompting Mr. Roach to describe Lafayette as a “phenomenal new voice on the music scene today.”