October 9, 2019 at 4:35 p.m.
Coming home
Jay native Harris performs Saturday
Coming home
By Sophie Edens-
A Jay County native is coming home to play again.
Pianist Larry Harris will perform with bassist Mark Sonksen at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Arts Place in Portland to kick off the Boundless Music Series.
Harris, a Jay County native who now lives in Chicago, developed his love of the piano from a young age. He recalls playing piano at his aunt’s house, learning that different combinations of keys created different sounds. Later, his parents purchased a piano, but were not prepared for the enthusiasm Larry possessed.
“Years later I was practicing so much that my brothers and sister couldn’t hear the TV,” he said. “Out of the kindness of his heart, my dad built a room onto the front of the house and moved me and the piano into the new room.”
His love of jazz came from his mother, who listened to the genre on the radio. He enjoys the improvisation and expressive quality of jazz music. When playing together, he and Sonksen tune into each other’s sound and react to each other.
Sonksen and Harris have been playing together for 20 years, originally meeting during a gig in which they played the background music for a wedding reception cocktail hour at a downtown Chicago hotel. When Harris played on the keys and Sonksen plucked his bass, they immediately recognized a musical affinity.
Pianist Larry Harris will perform with bassist Mark Sonksen at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Arts Place in Portland to kick off the Boundless Music Series.
Harris, a Jay County native who now lives in Chicago, developed his love of the piano from a young age. He recalls playing piano at his aunt’s house, learning that different combinations of keys created different sounds. Later, his parents purchased a piano, but were not prepared for the enthusiasm Larry possessed.
“Years later I was practicing so much that my brothers and sister couldn’t hear the TV,” he said. “Out of the kindness of his heart, my dad built a room onto the front of the house and moved me and the piano into the new room.”
His love of jazz came from his mother, who listened to the genre on the radio. He enjoys the improvisation and expressive quality of jazz music. When playing together, he and Sonksen tune into each other’s sound and react to each other.
Sonksen and Harris have been playing together for 20 years, originally meeting during a gig in which they played the background music for a wedding reception cocktail hour at a downtown Chicago hotel. When Harris played on the keys and Sonksen plucked his bass, they immediately recognized a musical affinity.
During their first break, they chatted and learned each other’s backgrounds. Both had grown up on farms in rural areas — Harris in Indiana and Sonksen in Iowa. Ever since, they leap at every performance opportunity together.
Now they return to Jay County to share their jazz collaboration to launch Arts Place’s 2019-20 performance series. Their musical selection will include tunes from Broadway shows, movies, television, classical and jazz.
Tickets to the Harris and Sonksen performance are are $15 for adults and $9 for students and are available at Arts Place, 131 E. Walnut St., Portland, online at artsland.org or by calling (260) 726-4809.
Arts Place’s goal for the Boundless Music Series is to showcase a variety of musicians from around the world
Eric Rogers, executive director of Arts Place, said the decision to bring Harris back to Jay County was an easy one.
Rogers first met Harris when he was the assistant band director for Jay County High School and the choir director for Portland’s First Presbyterian Church, where Rogers was the regular substitute organist and sang in the choir. Rogers was taken with Harris’ ability to improvise, his sense of humor and his approaches to life and music.
“I thought it was way past time to bring Larry back to Jay County,” Rogers said. “Our community should be very proud to have a little something to do with nurturing Larry’s career.
“Let’s face it, when you think of jazz, piano and bass just go together like peanut butter and jelly.”
Harris is excited and honored to launch the series, perform with Sonksen and reconnect with family and childhood friends.
Those included Glen Priest and Dave Humbert, who taught music when Harris was in school in Jay County. They noticed his enthusiasm, and Harris went on to arrange pieces for the school band and choir to perform.
“I am honored to have been asked to play at Arts Place,” Harris said. “Although I have lived in the Chicago area for 33 years, Jay County still feels like home to me.”
Now they return to Jay County to share their jazz collaboration to launch Arts Place’s 2019-20 performance series. Their musical selection will include tunes from Broadway shows, movies, television, classical and jazz.
Tickets to the Harris and Sonksen performance are are $15 for adults and $9 for students and are available at Arts Place, 131 E. Walnut St., Portland, online at artsland.org or by calling (260) 726-4809.
Arts Place’s goal for the Boundless Music Series is to showcase a variety of musicians from around the world
Eric Rogers, executive director of Arts Place, said the decision to bring Harris back to Jay County was an easy one.
Rogers first met Harris when he was the assistant band director for Jay County High School and the choir director for Portland’s First Presbyterian Church, where Rogers was the regular substitute organist and sang in the choir. Rogers was taken with Harris’ ability to improvise, his sense of humor and his approaches to life and music.
“I thought it was way past time to bring Larry back to Jay County,” Rogers said. “Our community should be very proud to have a little something to do with nurturing Larry’s career.
“Let’s face it, when you think of jazz, piano and bass just go together like peanut butter and jelly.”
Harris is excited and honored to launch the series, perform with Sonksen and reconnect with family and childhood friends.
Those included Glen Priest and Dave Humbert, who taught music when Harris was in school in Jay County. They noticed his enthusiasm, and Harris went on to arrange pieces for the school band and choir to perform.
“I am honored to have been asked to play at Arts Place,” Harris said. “Although I have lived in the Chicago area for 33 years, Jay County still feels like home to me.”
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