FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
EASTON, MD – FEBRUARY 27, 2023
Chesapeake Music is thrilled to present the exuberant jazz sounds of composer, arranger, and saxophonist Stephen Philip Harvey and his octet, SPH8, on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The concert begins at 8 p.m. at the Ebenezer Theatre in downtown Easton, Maryland.
Harvey and his octet, many of whom are leaders in their own right, will be performing Elemental, a new suite of compositions inspired by the classical elements: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Harvey will also be entertaining the audience with octet reductions of his big band music and original arrangements.
“We are fortunate to bring Stephen and his exuberant and joyful jazz to Easton,” says Don Buxton, Executive Director of Chesapeake Music. “You won’t want to miss this one.”
As a musician and bandleader, Harvey has performed extensively in the Mid-Atlantic region and the surrounding area. Several projects under his belt include his electric quintet, Sphinx, his mid-sized jazz combo, SPH8, and his large ensemble, the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra.
As a composer and arranger, Stephen has worked with a diverse array of musicians and instrumentations; composing for solo instrument to wind ensemble, jazz combo to large ensembles. It is his practice to funnel his eclectic musical background into his compositions, fusing Jazz and Classical with Popular, Funk, Hip-Hop, Rock, and Gospel. SPH was selected for the Jazz Education Network’s 2022 Young Composer Showcase. His piece, Projectile Dysfunction, was played during the 2022 Conference.
His compositions have been performed by ensembles at the Eastman School of Music, New York University, the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, Youngstown State University, Kent State University, Seton Hill University, and Westminster College. Stephen has also collaborated with avant-garde jazz artist Roscoe Mitchell, with his project Conversation for Orchestra, which has been performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the SEM Ensemble of Brooklyn, New York.
