Three time Grammy-nominee vibraphonist/ composer Stefon Harris is a remarkable example of what the perfect blend of modern and classic jazz should sound like. Named ''one of the most important young artists in jazz'' by The Los Angeles Times, Harris began his road to musical superiority at the Manhattan School of Music where he earned a B.M. in Classical Music and an M.M. in Jazz Performance

Since graduating, Harris worked fiercely at establishing himself as a musical powerhouse. He has released six CDs for Blue Note Records including the Duke Ellington inspired 2006 African Tarantella …Dances With Duke and the Grammy-nominated The Grand Unification Theory (2003), Black Action Figure (1999), and A Cloud of Red Dust (1998). His work, which is recognized and celebrated by fans and critics alike, includes honors such as Best Mallet player by the Jazz Journalist Association (2000-2005), Debut Artist of the Year by Jazz Times and Chicago Tribune, Downbeat's Critics Poll Winner for Vibraphone & Rising Star, Vibraphone (2004) Newsweek's Best Jazz CD, Best New Talent and 1999-2000 Readers Poll Best Vibraphonist by Jazziz Magazine.

After a few years of exploring the boundaries of his talent as a solo artist, Harris brought together a phenomenal group of young, hard-driving musicians to form Blackout, considered one of the most compelling and entertaining bands in jazz. Praised by The Washington Post for ''pursuing contemporary jazz on its own terms'', Blackout’s debut Top Ten CD Evolution (2005, Blue Note Records) featured an exciting blend of modern acoustic sounds and was named one of the year’s Top 50 CDs by Jazz Times. After four years of touring, Blackout has emerged as a cohesive musical collective that continually surprises audiences with their arsenal of melodic improvisation. The band includes Marc Cary on keyboards, Ben Williams on bass, Terreon Gully on drums and Casey Benjamin on alto sax. They have performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Egg (Albany), Jazz At Lincoln Center, and Herbst Theater (San Francisco) among many others.

A multi-tasking extraordinaire, Harris also teaches at New York University and has been Artist in Residence at Fontana Chamber Arts (Kalamazoo) The Lied Center (Lincoln, NE), and San Francisco Performances. He also has served on the Executive Board of Directors for Chamber Music America and was the first musician elected to the WBGO-FM Board of Directors.

Continuing his ground-breaking collaboration with the Blackout band members, Harris follows up Evolution with his Concord Records debut and 7th CD as the leader of the group. Urbanus highlights the kinetic interplay that has become the band’s signature and will undeniably serve as another brilliant piece of modern acoustic sounds for all to enjoy!