Harvie S: A Stellar 2025 Year in Review
Harvie S, the New York jazz bassist renowned for his warm tone, inventive solos, and decades-long collaborations with icons like Sheila Jordan and Alan Broadbent, delivered one of his most prolific years in 2025. [see footnotes below 1 & 2].
From landmark album releases and international tours to heartfelt tributes following Sheila Jordan’s passing on August 11, Harvie’s schedule brimmed with creative output, blending intimate duos, high-profile sideman work, and leadership projects [footnotes 3, 4, 5]. This review chronicles his achievements, spotlighting performances at storied venues and recordings that underscore his enduring vitality in jazz.
Sheila Jordan’s Final Chapter and Tributes
Harvie played a pivotal role in Sheila Jordan’s swan song album Portrait Now, released February 2025 on Dot Time Records, featuring his bass alongside guitarist Roni Ben-Hur in a stark trio setting that highlighted Jordan’s bebop purity and improvisational daring. Harvie played bass on this record. He also engineered, mixed and produced this wonderful recording. [footnotes 6, 7, 4]. The trio did a CD release at Chicago’s Green Mill Cocktail Lounge—a legendary Uptown venue since 1907 known for hosting Von Freeman and Kurt Elling— on February 14-15, marking Jordan’s final performances before her health declined. These were the last performaces of this legendary singer [footnotes 8, 4].
In August, Harvie released three Harvie S On Tap (see episodes on this page) podcast episodes honoring Jordan, delving into their decades-spanning partnership that began in the 1970s with duo explorations redefining voice-bass interplay [footnote 9].
Post her August 11 passing, Harvie anchored November two tributes: a musical send-off at Dizzy’s Jazz Club in Manhattan’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, joined by Kenny Barron, Billy Drummond. and Roni Ben-Hur in sets evoking Jordan’s bebop devotion; and a poignant memorial at St. Peter’s Church in Citicorp Center (which also featured Alan Broadbent and Kurt Elling, and Christian McBride), where he shared his “beret story”—a personal anecdote of their early bond—amidst a gathering of jazz luminaries [footnotes 10, 11, 12, 13].
Tours and Signature Performances
Harvie and wife Yukimi Maeda, the Japanese pianist whose poetic bop and lush elegance complement his orchestral bass lines, toured Japan February 24 to March 16, captivating audiences with duo material from their catalog including the heartfelt I Believe in You, released earlier in 2025 as her third album with Harvie. Harvie recorded, engineered, mixed, played the bass and produced the record [footnotes 14, 15].
September brought a West Coast swing with pianist Alan Broadbent, hitting spots like the Jazz Bakery in Culver City—revived as a key LA hub for straight-ahead jazz—the Piedmont Piano in Oakland, and Deer Head Inn in Pennsylvania’s Delaware Water Gap, a rustic 50-year-old mainstay for intimate sets. [footnotes 2, 16, 17] Harvie also joined saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi for quintessential two nights at Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village, the basement icon fostering new talent since 1994 with its no-frills vibe and live streaming. These two greats will be returning to Smalls in May 2026 [footnotes 2, 18].
Acclaimed Releases and Studio Sessions
Harvie’s bass anchored Alan Broadbent’s Threads of Time, a 2025 standout featuring a sextet with Sam Dillon on tenor and Scott Wendholt on trumpet; critics lauded its sophisticated originals and arrangements, performed live at venues like Klavierhaus and Smalls. Harvie also produced and mixed this record [footnotes 19, 20, 21, 2].
Looking to 2026, Harvie completed sessions with pianist James Weidman; vocalist Sherri Roberts and drummer Akira Tana at San Francisco’s Keys Jazz Bistro; young vocalist Honami Aoki and tenor sax giant Houston Person; and composer Gene Pritzker with Jerry Brown— Diana Ross drummer—on drums. [footnotes 9, 2] Early 2026 brings dates with saxophonist Greg Abate, the Peter Hand Big Band, and promotion for Harvie’s leader album Bright Dawn, slated for March release [footnotes 22, 9].
Harvie’s 2025 trajectory—from bidding farewell to a mentor to forging tomorrow’s jazz—affirms his status as a bassist whose strings tell stories of resilience, collaboration, and swing [footnotes 9, 1].
Sources
[1] press
[2] GIGS – Jazz Bass New York
[3] Sheila Jordan
[4] Vocalist and Free-Spirited Jazz Icon Sheila Jordan: A Glorious Life…
[5] Sheila Jordan, Fearless Vocal Improviser, Is Dead at 96
[6] Sheila Jordan’s album Portrait Now is Out Now! – Dot Time Records
[7] Sheila Jordan: Portrait Now – Dot Time Records
[8] Sheila Jordan concert – Chicago, The Green Mill, Feb 15, 2025, 8:00 …
[9] Every String Tells a Story: Life According to Harvie S | Jazz’halo
[10] Celebrating Sheila Jordan: A Tribute to the Legendary Jazz Vocalist …
[11] The Sheila Jordan Memorial NYC – Instagram
[12] Celebrating Sheila Jordan with Kenny Barron, Billy Drummond
[13] Celebrating Sheila Jordan’s Enduring Legacy of Love with Music
[14] Yukimi & Harvie S Jazz concerto @Cunningham Piano – YouTube
[15] Yukimi – I’m so excited for “ Riverdale Jazz Series “ Joe Magnarelli
[16] September 2025 Music Schedule | Deer Head Inn
[17] Jazz Bakery on Instagram
[18] Jerry Bergonzi(ts), Phil Grenadier(t), Harvie S(b), Jason Tiemann
[19] Alan Broadbent – Threads of Time – Jazz Views
[20] Alan Broadbent’s ‘Threads of Time’ featured on New Day New Play
[21] Alan Broadbent: ‘Threads of Time’ – by Marc Myers – JazzWax
[22] Harvie S Part One (S5 | E243)
[23] [PDF] JEFF PARKER AROOJ AFTAB ROGER GLENN CHARLIE ROUSE
[24] Bandori fan favorite band combination and song wishes – Facebook
[25] [PDF] 16th September 2024 – Malaysia-Japan Academic Association
[26] Kenjiro Tsuda – Wikipedia
[27] BIOGRAPHY – Yukimi Maeda
