Zacc Harris Group

×

Expand

Nate Ryan

Zacc Harris and guitar.

Zacc Harris

BlueStem Jazz.

media release: Minneapolis-based guitarist and composer Zacc Harris returns to Madison on Thursday, May 8 at the North Street Cabaret, performing with his long-running ensemble, the Zacc Harris Group. Known for their engaging blend of modern jazz, melodic improvisation, and strong group chemistry, the quintet will present a compelling evening of original music from Harris’s latest release and earlier works.

A cornerstone of the Twin Cities jazz scene for nearly two decades, Harris is recognized for his articulate playing, melodic depth, and compositional vision. He was named Twin Cities Best Jazz Artist by City Pages in 2017 and leads several acclaimed groups, including the genre-defying Atlantis Quartet, the folk-inspired American Reverie, and his flagship Zacc Harris Group—a quintet praised by DownBeat Magazine for its “intricate heads and chops-busting unisons” and known for its adventurous improvisations and cinematic soundscapes. All About Jazz adds, “the ease with which this group navigates and their interplay is magical.”

The group’s latest album, Chasing Shadows (2024), has earned critical acclaim for its lyricism and nuanced ensemble work. JazzWise Magazine praised the record’s “big-sky generous melodicism,” noting that Harris’s “timing and articulation are beyond reproach and his imagination extensive.” The band features some of Minnesota’s most respected improvisers and longtime collaborators: Brandon Wozniak (tenor saxophone), Bryan Nichols (piano), Chris Bates (bass), and Pete James Johnson (drums), whose collective experience and chemistry define the group’s sound.

Harris has toured extensively throughout North America and the UK, with notable performances at London’s renowned Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and on the main stages of both the Twin Cities Jazz Festival and the Iowa City Jazz Festival. The Madison performance will feature music from Chasing Shadows alongside selections from earlier albums. It’s a rare opportunity to experience one of the Midwest’s most exciting contemporary jazz groups in the intimate setting of the North Street Cabaret. This event is being put on in partnership with Blue Stem Jazz.