Howard Rees

Photo Credit: Alan Dunlop

Howard Rees apprenticed with Jazz Master  Barry Harris  from 1978 – 1984 in New York City. Upon returning to Toronto, he founded Howard Rees’ Jazz Workshops (Canada’s Oldest Independent Jazz School), now in its 26th year.  Focusing on the wisdoms of Jazz Master Barry Harris, the Jazz Workshops have attracted more than 2,500 students from as far a field as France, Holland, Japan, Serbia, Switzerland, Trinidad, the UK and the USA.

As a pianist, Howard has performed at numerous venues in Canada and abroad.  Some highlights have been performances with Charles McPherson, Ray Drummond, Barry Harris, Akira Tana, Leroy Williams, Earl May, Kenny Burrell and Jaki Byard.

As a clinician, Howard has been invited to teach at high schools and colleges in Canada, Holland, Japan, Serbia, Spain, the UK and the U.S., most recently at Stanford University.

In 1992 Howard and Dr. Harris formed a partnership which resulted in ‘The Barry Harris Workshop Video’ series. These instructional book/dvd sets mark the formal documentation of Dr. Harris’ world renowned teaching method (for which Howard is the author of the accompanying workbooks). This work which has been dubbed “The Bebop Bible”, has received critical acclaim worldwide and is part of course curriculum in schools throughout Europe, the Middle East, Japan and North America. In 2002, Jazzworkshop Productions was formed to document, publish and distribute the teaching methodologies of Barry Harris.

In 2008, Howard formed a partnership with Marilyn Field of the DAREarts Foundation. His concept of organizing  children in ‘at risk’ neighborhoods in large scale jazz choirs, was so successful in its first year, that a 5-year plan was soon developed.  Known as ‘We Are One’,  weekly rehearsals over a four month period lead to a high profile public performance.  The ensemble consisting of a large children’s choir (300 participants from North Etobicoke in ’08/’09, and 500 inner city participants in ’09/’10), a teen choir, big band, string section and the Toronto Jazz Chorus, serves a 2nd purpose – having the beautiful orchestral music of Barry Harris performed in Canada.  Dr. Harris has taken an active role in the Project, leading special rehearsals and performing as guest artist along with Charles McPherson and Howard Rees at the Project’s concluding concert.

A contributor to Keyboard Magazine’s ‘Master Class’ series, some of Howard’s current projects include; directing the Toronto Jazz Chorus (TJC) a unique 11 piece ensemble consisting of 8 vocalists and Howard’s piano trio.  The TJC’s repetoire is made up almost exclusively of beautiful 4 and 8 part arrangements and original compositions by Barry Harris. In addition, he is currently building jazzschoolonline.com, a virtual jazz school set to launch in the spring of 2010 with 250 video lessons for all instruments, and authoring two new books on jazz harmony and improvisation, also to be released later in 2010.

Howard is a practitioner of Shotokan Karate, studying under O Sensei Tsuruoka and Shihan T. Jungblut. He currently holds the rank of godan.

Below is an audio clip recorded in concert at Stanford University on August 8, 2008. It features Barry Harris (vocal), Charles McPherson (alto), Howard Rees (piano), Ray Drummond (bass),  Akira Tana (drums) and the Stanford Jazz Choir.

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