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Jason Harnell Jazz Drummer/Educator Coming
from a musical family, Jason Harnell started playing the drums at the ripe old age of six, when long-time friend of the family,
and jazz drumming icon, Louie Bellson gave Jason his first real drum set. After studying privately in his younger years
with teachers such as Hank Bellson (Louie’s brother), Shelly Manne, Joe Porcaro, and Vinnie Colaiuta, he attended the
University of South Florida and then moved to Los Angeles in 1990. More private study was to follow with drummers such as
Dave Weckl, Jeff Hamilton, and Joe LaBarbara . Shortly after moving to L.A., he landed the prestigious Maynard Ferguson gig
and toured all over North America, Europe,
Japan, Australia, Indonesia, and China. He also recorded an album
with Maynard, in '92, entitled "These Cats Can Swing" on Concord Jazz. Since then, Jason has become one of the most
sought after jazz drummers on the West Coast and a mainstay on the Los Angeles jazz scene. He has played and recorded
with some of the very best musicians playing today including Larry Goldings, Darek Oles, Larry Koonse, Kate McGarry, Sheryl
Bailey, Eric Rasmussen, John Beasley, Adam Benjamin, Steve Cardenas, Theo Bleckman, Ron Stout, Kei Akagi, Bruce Forman,
Shelia Jordan, Steve Tavaglione, Gary Versace, Ben Wendel, and Bob Sheppard. These
days, Jason is involved in several original projects with which he performs regularly including JoE-LeSs ShOe (a bass-less
trio with Matt Otto and Jamie Rosenn), 3-ish (a chordless trio with Ryan McGillicuddy and Matt Otto), and Sigmund Fudge (an
electric quartet with Joe Bagg, McGillicuddy and Rosenn). He is also an active member of the Los Angeles Jazz Collective
(www.lajazzcollective.com), which is a group of creative musicians dedicated to building a stronger jazz community within
Los Angeles and a greater public appreciation for improvised music. Jason also has an extensive list of session credits including
Verizon, Nissan, Chili's, Cheetos, Suntory Royal Whisky, and
"Married with Children” and can be heard in
the new Judd Apatow motion picture "Funny People".
Jason is an active and
sought after educator as well. He is currently on faculty at University California Irvine and at the Musicians Institute
(P.I.T.) in Hollywood where he teaches a class he designed entitled "Bebop and Beyond: Developing Musical Creativity
on the Drum Set.”
Jason has been profiled
in several publications such as
Modern Drummer Magazine 6/94, 7/94, 9/00; DRUM Magazine; National Drum Association 6/94; several times in LA Jazz Scene; and
most recently in Jazziz Magazine Fall 2009 edition, and Downbeat Magazine 10/09.
Jason
endorses Yamaha Drums, Istanbul
Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, and Vic Firth Drumsticks.
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