Stephen Philip Harvey Octet
The Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (SPH8) is a collective of eight musicians from the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest of the United States, playing the original compositions and arrangements of Stephen Philip Harvey. The ensemble was revived post-pandemic with new compositions and this new line-up of musicians. Boasting their own individual touring histories, the ensemble assembles their combined musical talents to bring a bold voice to Harvey’s writing. With a rotating roster of dynamic musicians, SPH8 showcases the immense musicianship located throughout these regions.
In 2023, the octet released their debut album, Elemental, a collection of original music inspired by the classic elements of water, air, earth, and fire. Fusing modern harmonies, driving vamps, and a myriad of textures, Harvey brings these forces of nature to aural landscape. To culminate its release tour, the octet recorded their live performance at Radio Artifact in Cincinnati, OH. This exciting evening generated two separate recordings that are slated for release in 2024 with Hidden Cinema Records. Elemental (Live) will release May 3, 2024, containing live versions of the compositions from their debut album. Live at Radio Artifact releases August 23, 2024, with dynamic arrangements of tunes by Wayne Shorter and Tim Green, and more original tunes from Harvey’s pen.
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More about Harvey:
Stephen Philip Harvey (1992) is an African American saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator.
As a musician and bandleader, Stephen has toured throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions of the United States. He leads his ensembles with a drive to explore a vast array of avenues in improvisation and composition. These ensembles include his chordless trio SPH+2, his electric quintet, Sphinx, his mid-sized jazz combo, the Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (SPH8), and his large ensemble the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra (SPHJO).
As a composer and arranger, Stephen has worked with a diverse array of musicians and instrumentations; composing for solo instrument to wind ensemble, jazz combo to large ensembles. It is his practice to funnel his eclectic musical background into his compositions, fusing Jazz and Classical with Popular, Funk, Hip-Hop, Rock, and Gospel. His compositions have been performed by ensembles at universities throughout the USA.
As an educator, Stephen has held instructional positions at all levels of education in diverse areas of music education. He currently holds instruction positions at Wicomico High School, Salisbury University, and Youngstown State University.
Stephen is an alumnus of Youngstown State University ('16, MM – Jazz Studies) and Seton Hill University ('14, BM – Music Education).
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“Sophisticated accessibility! When I listen to Stephen Harvey’s music, that’s what hear. Thoughtful construction of complex structures and orchestrations that take the listener on a beautiful sonic ride without speaking over their heads. A beautiful pairing of the complex and the elementary.”
- Trumpeter/Composer/Bandleader/Educator Sean Jones
"Harvey’s arrangements emphasize riffs and melodies over improvisation, though he certainly leaves room for his crew to express themselves when called upon. But his focus on tunes keeps the songs effervescent and accessible”
- Michael Toland, The Big Takeover
"There's a fine indiscipline to Harvey's big band writing. Ominous horror-film riffs sit comfortably alongside soaring album-rock guitar solos, urgent, cop-show horn fanfares and creamy unison sax-section passages straight out of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra's book. It's a fridge-raid omelette of sounds held together by the audaciousness of Harvey's conception and the joy with which his players bring it to life.”
- John Chacona, All About Jazz