An eclectic musical journey
It is an eclectic musical journey that has seen Katie Harris work professionally in the rock, pop, and jazz worlds as a touring musician, studio musician, songwriter, and bandleader. She has contributed to music heard in film and television including Legally Blonde (MGM), What Lies Beneath (DreamWorks), Ugly Betty (ABC), The Road To Stardom With Missy Elliott (UPN), and a most recently recorded original song “This Hollow Heart” which was featured in the 2018 film Spare Room - currently streaming on Amazon.
She shares the love of jazz music with husband/drummer Tom Brayton with their joint project “The Secret Jazz Band.” The two have performed in such venues as The Catalina Jazz Club, The House of Blues (Anaheim), and The Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
A long time love for Jazz
What's not to love about the music that brought us great artists like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee, and Sarah Vaughan!”
With The Secret Jazz Band, Katie and Tom have had the privilege of playing with some of L.A.’s best jazz musicians who have performed with the likes of Jane Monheit, Royal Crown Revue, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Jane Lynch.
Katie’s early jazz recordings were produced and recorded by her Dad, the legendary Johnny Harris who has worked with Tom Jones, Paul Anka, Petula Clark, and Nancy Sinatra.
Working with my Dad
“Getting to work with my Dad, Johnny Harris, was any child’s dream come true. When I was little, he used to play the piano and I would make some kind of put-together gown with sparkly fringe hanging from my arms. My first memory of singing was me and Dad in the living room performing “Come Rain or Come Shine.” I was 10 years old and he made me feel like a proper crooner.”
The Way You Look…
In her performances, Katie likes to tell the story behind the song. For example, “The Way You Look Tonight” (Dorothy Fields & Jerome Kern) from the Fred Estare & Ginger Rogers film “Swing Time,” proclaims that this moment with a loved one is perfect, and I want never to forget it. In the film, Fred plays Lucky, a gambler and Ginger plays Penny, a dance instructor. Lucky’s gambling habits cause him to miss an audition, and Penny is furious at him. To avoid him, she locks herself in the bathroom and washes her hair. She is vulnerable, with her hair all lathered, but as her resolve wavers, he lures her out by singing “The Way You Look Tonight.”
What’s next?
Katie, together with her husband Tom, has been working with pianist Matt Politano on writing some original jazz standards due to be released in 2024. Watch their Instagram and YouTube feeds for the newest releases! Or see the band perform live!