Stefon Harris – A Cloud of Red Dust

A Cloud of Red Dust is the debut album by jazz vibraphonist Stefon Harris. It was recorded in 1997 and released by Blue Note Records.

Personnel: Stefon Harris – vibraphone, balafon, orchestra bells Dwayne Burno – double bass Kamati Dinizulu – harp, percussions June Gardner – vocals Alvester Garnett – drums Mulgrew Miller, Jason Moran – piano Greg Osby – alto saxophone Steve Turre – trombone, shells Kaoru Watanabe – flute Steve Wilson – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone

Critical perception

AllMusic review awarded the album 4 stars and stated:”A Cloud of Red Dust marks Stefon Harris’ solo recording debut. The classically trained Harris plays both the vibraphone and percussion on this release, and his classical influence is never far from the surface. … As a whole, A Cloud of Red Dust offers a fine baseline from which to track Stefon Harris’ development as perhaps the next great vibraphone stylist.”

Stefon Harris & Blackout – Evolution

The Pace Report: "Sonic Vibes" The Stefon Harris Interview

Welcome to another edition of The Pace Report featuring vibraphonist Stefon Harris and Blackout live at the Yamaha Artist Services for this year's 2018 APAP Winter Conference festivities. Karen Kennedy of 27 Seven Artist Development organized this meet and greet with music fans, industry reps, and journalists to hear the new music from Stefon's new record "Sonic Creed" to be released on Motema Music later this fall.

Stefon has been on the frontlines backing his group Blackout which came off their Grammy-nominated recording "Urbanus." The Albany, New York native is now the Associate Dean and Director of Jazz Arts at the Manhattan School of Music.

Over the years he's backed and toured with the likes of Joe Henderson, Buster Williams, and Wynton Marsalis.