Zacc Harris’ American Reverie
Fresh interpretations of the American folk canon
Guitarist and composer Zacc Harris revisits the American songbook with American Reverie, a trio featuring bassist Matt Peterson and drummer Lars-Erik Larson. Drawing on Harris’ acclaimed 2017 album American Reverie and the new recording American Reckoning, the group reimagines American folk and popular music through inventive arrangements and modern jazz interplay. Songs including “Amazing Grace,” “Hard Times,” and “House of the Rising Sun” mingle with music by Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, The Beach Boys, Woody Guthrie, and more. All About Jazz praised Harris’ approach for arrangements “full of fresh twists, all played with an understated warmth.”
Zacc Harris: Guitar
Matt Peterson: Bass
Lars-Erik Larson: Drums
Guitarist and composer Zacc Harris is best known for his work with the acclaimed Atlantis Quartet, recipients of the 2015 McKnight Fellowship for Performing Musicians. On his 2017 release American Reverie, Harris explored the nostalgia and contradictions of the American songbook through modern jazz interpretations of music by Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, The Ronettes, Woody Guthrie, and traditional folk sources. Praising the album, All About Jazz wrote that “the arrangements are full of fresh twists, all played with an understated warmth.” The release earned Harris the honor of Best Twin Cities Jazz Artist from City Pages later that year.
Harris returns to this territory with American Reckoning, a new trio recording reimagining songs such as “Amazing Grace,” “Hard Times,” and “House of the Rising Sun,” alongside music by Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys, the album deepens Harris’ exploration of American roots music through inventive arrangements, modern jazz interplay, and a perspective shaped equally by reverence and reinvention.
“The melodic purity of the folk tunes on display here continues to shine through like a ray of hope” – JAZZWISE MAGAZINE
