This performance is part of the Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (SPH8) tour celebrating the release of their debut album, Elemental. This collection of music is inspired by the natural and spiritual elements of water, air, earth, and fire. SPH8 performs this suite of six original compositions expressing Stephen’s original interpretation of these elements and the balance they create. Though inspired by the primary elements, these compositions are far from basic—fusing modern harmonies and driving texture, SPH8 brings these forces of nature to the aural landscape. Grounding as earth, lively as fire, fluid as water, and atmospheric as air, Elemental navigates the connections and conjunctions of our surroundings, allowing us to tune back into the world we were made from and for. The album is set to release worldwide on May 5, 2023 under Stephen’s label, Hidden Cinema Records.

Stephen Philip Harvey (he/him) is an African American saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator. As a composer and arranger, Stephen has worked with a diverse array of musicians and instrumentations. It is his practice to funnel his eclectic musical background into his compositions, fusing jazz and classical with pop, funk, hip-hop, rock, and gospel. His compositions have been performed by ensembles at the Eastman School of Music, New York University, the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and Youngstown State University, to name a few. As a musician and bandleader, Stephen has performed extensively in Western Pennsylvania, Northeast Ohio, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In addition to SPH8 he is the bandleader of electric quintet, Sphinx, and the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra. He's also performed professionally with the First Class Big Band, The Akron Symphony Big Band, The Ohio Players, The Youngstown Jazz Collective, and The Big Nasty, among others. His previous albums include Suite Childhood, his debut album as composer and bandleader, and his follow-up album with the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra, Smash!.

The Stephen Philip Harvey Octet Gets in Their Element