Donald Harrison
A New Orleans saxophone visionary who effortlessly bridges modern jazz innovation with the deep, ceremonial rhythms of his city's Mardi Gras Indian tradition.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American jazz saxophonist·Birthday: June 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Donald Harrison Jr. moves through two worlds with the grace of a natural-born citizen. In one, he is a formidable alto saxophonist, a product of the rigorous jazz lineage who played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and co-led a forward-looking group with trumpeter Terence Blanchard. His sound is sleek, harmonically sophisticated, and utterly contemporary. In the other world, he is Big Chief of The Congo Square Nation, a mantle inherited from his father. Here, he designs breathtaking beaded suits, leads chants, and embodies the centuries-old traditions of the Black Masking Indians. Harrison doesn't just switch between these identities; he synthesizes them, creating a unique musical language where complex jazz improvisation rides over second-line grooves and Indian rhythms. He is a cultural ambassador, proving that the most advanced art is often rooted in the deepest soil.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Donald was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Donald Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Donald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the early 1980s, a classic proving ground for jazz talent.
- Co-led a influential quintet with trumpeter Terence Blanchard, recording several acclaimed albums in the 1980s and 90s.
- Succeeded his father as Big Chief of The Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group.
Did You Know?
He is the godson of legendary New Orleans saxophonist and composer Harold Battiste.
Harrison created the 'Nouveau Swing' style, which blends jazz with hip-hop, R&B, and Caribbean rhythms.
He has acted in television shows, including a recurring role on the HBO series 'Treme,' which explored New Orleans culture.
“My saxophone has to speak with the rhythms of the Mardi Gras Indians and the logic of bebop.”
