Multi-Grammy Nominated Drummer
“The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation” – Eric Harland
Eric Harland is the most “In demand drummer” of his generation. He has already been on close to 400 recordings and multiple film scores at his age of 40. Eric has been recognized in the Boston Globe, New York Times, JazzTimes, Modern Drummer, All About Jazz, The New Yorker, DownBeat, L’uomo Vogue and other prominent publications.
It has been his privilege to share the stage with masters such as Betty Carter, Joe Henderson, MyCoy Tyner, Michael Brecker, Terence Blanchard, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Savion Glover, SFJAZZ Collective and many others, as well as todays up and coming artist like Esperanza Spalding, Jane Monheit, Taylor Eigsti, Julian Lage, Stacie Orrico, Robert Glasper and so on. His current list of performing groups are “JAMES FARM” with Joshua Redman, “PRISM” with Dave Holland and Kevin Eubanks, “SANGAM” with Charles Lloyd and Zakir Hussain, “Charles Lloyd New Quartet”, “OVERTONE” with Dave Holland, Jason Moran, Chris Potter and “VOYAGER” Eric’s own widely recognized group. But Eric doesn’t stop there, he also manages to fit in many collaborations with world renowned artist like Les Claypool “PRIMUS”, “DISPATCH” the band, KRS1, John Mayer, Gigi Hadid, Spike Lee, Steve Miller, Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson from “AMERICAN IDOL” and etc.
Eric Harland was the Resident Artistic Director at the SFJAZZ Center for the 2014-2016 Season. Also was Artist in Resident at the Monterey Jazz Festival 2014 Season. Harland also had the supreme privilege of being invited and attending President Barack Obama’s 2016 White House State Dinner in honor of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Through Harland’s extensive travels, he has come to realize that “The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.” When Eric Harland contributes… his intention is therefore to create the highest musical experience so that every listener may have insight… into the musical moment.
Awards…
High school Allstar Regional & State Band 1st Chair ‘92 /’93, Downbeat Magazine Rising Star Drums 2008 / 2009 / 2010,
NAACP Image Award for Best Jazz Album SFJAZZ Collective “Music of Steve Wonder” 2014
Bay Area…
SFJAZZ Collective member 2005 – 2014
SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director 2014 – 2016, Monterey Jazz Festival Artist in Resident 2014
Schools…
HSPVA ‘92 – ‘94
Manhattan School of Music ‘94 – ‘96
Houston Theological Seminary
‘96 – ‘97
Mentorships & Master Classes…
Stanford Jazz Workshop, Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program at Kennedy Center, North Carolina State Greensboro, Arizona State, Berkeley College of Music, Skidmore College, Siena Jazz Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory, University of New Hampshire, Hart School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, The New School, Lafayette College New Orleans, Lafayette College Easton, Penn State University