Son of the Suit of Swords: Works by Morgan Harrison and The Trio Focus

Multi-instrumentalist Morgan Harrison brings his deeply personal compositional project Son of the Suit of Swords to Black Cat for two sets on July 12th. A composer, pianist, and saxophonist who has performed throughout the Bay Area — from student recitals at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to jazz jam sessions — Harrison specializes in what he calls "Stuff Music," drawing from jazz, rock, Eastern European folk, funk, gamelan ensemble music, classical, and hip-hop. For this performance, he works through material written during a hiatus from music, compositions unified by themes of learning and lessons — some desired, others forced by change and upheaval.

The music reflects the Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea Elektric Band influences you'd expect from a post-bop and fusion pianist, but also reaches toward Stevie Wonder, Weather Report, Jaco Pastorius, and even grunge touchstones like Alice In Chains and Nirvana. Harrison performs alongside bassist Alan Jones and drummer Sheldon Alexander as The Trio Focus, a piano trio formed by three Bay Area players who immediately clicked on their shared musical language. As drummer Sheldon Alexander puts it, "the trio in Jazz specifically is a really special circumstance; it allows for the individual to be extremely expressive and play off of their improvisational skills and really is vulnerable for [them] to show [who] they are."

Expect a set that moves between exploratory improvisation and tightly composed moments, balancing reverence for the jazz lineage with a willingness to push into new territory. Guitar special guest Tri Pham joins the group for the first set, expanding the trio's sonic palette. The project's title, Son of the Suit of Swords, suggests a tarot-inspired arc — the suit of swords representing intellect, conflict, and clarity gained through challenge — and Harrison has framed these pieces as lessons made manifest, music meant to offer listeners validation in their own struggles and a path toward joy.