United Parish in Brookline presents Jazz Sanctuary featuring Jason Palmer and Kevin Harris

United Parish in Brookline’s Jazz Sanctuary series kicks off Friday, October 23rd at 8pm with two of Boston’s most highly acclaimed jazz artists: trumpeter, Jason Palmer and pianist Kevin Harris showcasing material from their album Shorter Songs, an homage to Jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter.

Jason Palmer is an award-winning jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator based in Boston. A recipient of multiple Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowships and winner of the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition, Palmer has been named by Downbeat Magazine as one of the top trumpeters of the future. He has recorded 17 albums as a leader, appeared on over 40 albums as a sideman, and toured more than 40 countries alongside legends like Wynton Marsalis, Roy Haynes, and Common. Locally, he spent 20 years leading the weekend house band at Boston's historic Wally’s Jazz Café. Beyond the stage, Palmer serves on the faculties of Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory.

Kevin Harris is an internationally recognized pianist, composer, educator, and Yamaha Artist whose music fluidly bridges African diasporic traditions, Black Gospel, and modern jazz. Praised by NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington for his "commitment to quality," Harris has released seven albums as a leader and collaborated with top artists like Fred Hersch, Avishai Cohen, and Greg Osby. His diverse compositional catalog ranges from interdisciplinary commissions for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to major symphonic works premiered globally. A dedicated educator and clinician, Harris serves on the faculty at Berklee College of Music and sits on several prominent international arts boards.

Tonight’s Jazz Sanctuary concert features music from Palmer and Harris's acclaimed SteepleChase Records album, Shorter Songs that serves as a masterclass in duo improvisation, paying tribute to jazz icon Wayne Shorter through original, contemporary contrafacts of classics like Infant Eyes and Night Dreamer. 

Palmer and Harris famously collaborated on Upward Mothers, a multimedia project sponsored by the Boston Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture. This 12-movement social advocacy composition transformed spoken interviews with Boston mothers who lost children to violence into a musical celebration of the children's lives. The project debuted live in 2018 at the Salvation Army Kroc Center in Roxbury, Massachusetts, with later performances including the Kennedy Center. 

Performers

Jason Palmer - Trumpet

Kevin Harris - Piano

About Jazz Sanctuary

Jazz Sanctuary is a community-driven cultural initiative that transforms a historic sacred space into a vibrant hub for live music, art, and human connection. This performance marks the first of a five concert series running from October through May 2027. Operating on a "pay what you can" admission model, the series eliminates financial barriers to ensure live jazz remains open and accessible to all members of the community. Audience contributions directly support the performing artists and fund the revitalizaztion of the United Parish's magnificent sacred space as a haven for live music, community gatherings, and worship. 

Tickets

Admission is "pay what you can" by reservation