Stephen Philip Harvey Octet

The Stephen Philip Harvey Octet (SPH8) is a collective of eight musicians from the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest of the United States, playing the original compositions and arrangements of Stephen Philip Harvey. The octet features Harvey on tenor saxophone, Chris Coles on alto saxophone, Tommy Lehman on trumpet, Reggie Watkins on trombone, Dan Bruce on guitar, Theron Brown on piano, Tony DePaolis on bass, and Dustin May on drums. The ensemble was revived post-pandemic with new compositions and this new line-up of musicians. Boasting their own individual touring histories, the ensemble assembles their combined musical talents to bring a dynamic voice to Harvey’s writing.

Elemental, the octet’s current octet project, is inspired by the classic elements of water, air, earth, and fire. SPH8 performs this suite of six original compositions to bring his original interpretation of these elements and the balance they create. Fusing modern harmonies, driving vamps, and a myriad of textures,

Harvey brings these forces of nature to aural landscape. Elemental will be released on May 5, 2023 with Harvey’s label, Hidden Cinema Records.

More about Harvey:

Stephen Philip Harvey (1992) is an African American saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator.

As a musician and bandleader, Stephen has performed extensively in Western Pennsylvania, Northeast Ohio, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Several projects under his belt include his electric quintet, Sphinx, his mid-sized jazz combo, SPH8, and his large ensemble the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra.

As a composer and arranger, Stephen has worked with a diverse array of musicians and instrumentations; composing for solo instrument to wind ensemble, jazz combo to large ensembles. It is his practice to funnel his eclectic musical background into his compositions, fusing Jazz and Classical with Popular, Funk, Hip-Hop, Rock, and Gospel. His compositions have been performed by ensembles at universities throughout the USA.

As an educator, Stephen has held instructional positions at all levels of education in diverse areas of music education. He currently holds instruction positions at Wicomico High School, Salisbury University, and Youngstown State University.

Stephen is an alumnus of Youngstown State University ('16, MM – Jazz Studies) and Seton Hill University ('14, BM – Music Education).

www.stephenpharvey.com
Instagram: @stephenpharvey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephenpharveymusic