The Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (SPH8) returns!
This upcoming spring, Harvey will be going on a regional tour with the his octet and premiering an array of new music and arrangements. These performances will feature reductions of some of his big band music, expansions of some of his small group music. The new music featured will be from Harvey’s newest octet suite, Elemental. The compositions from this suite are inspired by the classic elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water.
About the Band
To learn more about Harvey, visit his biography page.
Chris Coles (alto saxophone) is a Yamaha performing artists based in the Greater Akron Area. He serves on the faculty of Kent State University, Aurora School of Music and Tri-C Creative Arts Academy. Recently, Chris composed, recorded, and released a 40-minute suite, Nine Lives. This project was written in memory of the nine lives lost at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal in Charleston, SC.
Tommy Lehman (trumpet) is another active musician in the Greater Akron Area. Currently, Lehman is celebrating the release of his album Tommy, and keeping an active performance schedule in the Greater Akron/Cleveland area.
Jeff Bush, Reggie Watkins, and Sam Blakeslee will share the role of trombonist on separate dates. This collection of trombonists represents the height of trombone performance in their prospective areas. Each musician continues their own performance schedule, appearing with ensembles such as the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Big Heart Machine, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Terraza Big Band, Remy LeBouef’s Assembly of Shadows, to name a few.
Dan Bruce (guitar) is a graduate of the University of North Texas. He now resides in the Cleveland area after spending years as a musician in the Chicago area. Bruce has performed on more than thirty albums as a side man and has two recordings under his name. Bruce is on faculty at Youngstown State University.
Theron Brown (piano) currently resides in Akron, OH where he coordinates the Rubber City Blues Fest. Brown is also an active musician in the area, releasing his debut album in 2019 and is currently working on his follow up album. Brown is faculty at Kent State University in addition to other teaching roles.
Tony DePaolis (bass) is Brooklyn based musician and composer. He can now be seen daily playing at iconic New York City venues such as Smalls, Mintons, and The Django. Prior to relocating to Brooklyn, DePaolis was active in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA as a sideman and leader.
Dustin May (drums), is a Youngstown based musician and educator. He actively performs as a side man with many ensembles in Northeast Ohio and is on faculty at Youngstown State University and Kent State U.