Harrison Barritt

Bass

Raised in the Swiss Alps by cattle herders, Harrison’s first true love was yodeling across the open meadows and deep valleys of the old country. But it was during the summer of ’69 when, Zona, an exchange student from Detroit Michigan, staying with his family played for Harrison on a cassette tape, a scratchy version of Pinball Wizard by The Who.  Mesmerized by this new sound, Harrison could only hear the four strings of John Entwistle’s thunderous bass notes. Instantly, hooked, he kissed his parents and sister goodbye and headed off to New York City, where he purchased his first Fender Bass.  After a few private lessons with Ray Brown, Stanley Clark, Charles Mingus and Larry Graham,  almost magically, he found himself getting calls to sub for Jefferson Airplane, Frank Zappa, and Creedence.  Over the next 10 years Harrison played with  Sly and Family Stone, The Meters, Jethro Tull and  The Doobie Brothers.  His signature sound can be heard on many Chaka Khan and Janis Joplin recordings. Today he describes that as “another life, far far away,” and prefers the smaller more manageable crowds of New York’s Hudson Valley’s bars and pubs, where Harrison lays down the bottom end of his favorite funk band yet, still promising to make you feel something low.