Lecturer, Jazz Percussion

Office: 303 Music and Media Building
Phone: (949) 824-6615

E-mail: jharnell@uci.edu

Coming from a musical family, Jason Harnell started playing the drums at the ripe old age of six, when long-time friend of the family, and jazz drumming icon, Louie Bellson gave Jason his first real drum set.  After studying privately in his younger years with teachers such as Hank Bellson (Louie’s brother), Shelly Manne, Joe Porcaro, and Vinnie Colaiuta, he attended the University of South Florida and then moved to Los Angeles in 1990. More private study was to follow with drummers such as Dave Weckl, Jeff Hamilton, and Joe LaBarbara . Shortly after moving to L.A., he landed the
prestigious Maynard Ferguson gig and toured all over North America, Europe, 
Japan, Australia, Indonesia, and China.  He also recorded an album with Maynard, in '92, entitled "These Cats Can Swing" on Concord Jazz. Since then, Jason has become one of the most sought after jazz drummers on the West Coast and a mainstay on the Los Angeles jazz scene.  He has played and recorded with some of the very best musicians playing today including Larry Goldings, Darek Oles, Larry Koonse,Kate McGarry, Sheryl Bailey, John Beasley, Adam Benjamin, Steve Cardenas, Theo Bleckman, Bob Sheppard, Ron Stout, Kei Akagi, Shelia Jordan, Steve Tavaglione, Gary Versace, Ben Wendel, and Anthony Wilson. These days, Jason is also involved in several original projects with which he performs regularly including JoE-LeSs ShOe (a bass-less trio with Matt Otto and Jamie Rosenn), 3-ish (a chordless trio with Ryan McGillicuddy and Matt Otto), and Sigmund Fudge (an electric quartet with Joe Bagg, McGillicuddy and Rosenn).  He is als an active member of the Los Angeles Jazz Collective (www.lajazzcollective.com), which is a group of creative musicians
dedicated to building a stronger jazz community within Los Angeles and a greater public appreciation for improvised music. Jason also has an extensive list of session credits including Verizon, Nissan, Chili's, Cheetos, Suntory Royal  Whisky, and "Married with Children” and can be heard in the new Judd Apatow motion picture "Funny People" (starring Adam Sandler).Jason is an active and sought after educator as well.  He is currently on faculty at University California Irvine and at the Musicians Institute (P.I.T.) in Hollywood where he teaches a class he designed entitled "Bebop and Beyond: Developing Musical Creativity on the Drum Set.”Jason has been profiled in several publications such as Modern Drummer Magazine 6/94, 7/94, 9/00, DRUM Magazine, National Drum Association 6/94, several times in LA Jazz Scene, and in Downbeat Magazine 10/09.Jason endorses Yamaha Drums, Istanbul Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, and Vic Firth Drumsticks.


www.jasonharnell.com