Charley Harrison

The story behind the sound

Having joined the Chicago Jazz Orchestra as a guitarist in 1991, Charley Harrison is now their Associate Director and principal composer and arranger. His music has been performed by some of the biggest names in jazz, including Kenny Burrell, Marcus Miller, Kurt Elling and the Count Basie Orchestra. Charley spent a decade in the Chicago advertising industry, working for clients such as McDonald’s, before moving to Los Angeles to focus on film and television. In 2006, his critically acclaimed album Keeping My Composure spent 13 weeks in the JazzWeek radio charts. In addition, he is Director of the UCLA Jazz Orchestra. Taking a multidimensional approach to music, his expansive scope is matched by his ambition. As he explains, “If I can make jazz more accessible to a larger number of people, that’s my goal.”