Detroit Jazz Legend Wendell Harrison Wants You To “Get Up Off Your Knees” On New Album

Detroit saxophonist Wendell Harrison’s new album “Get Up Off Your Knees” mixes various subgenres of jazz and spoken word performances into a wide ranging musical affair with a simple message: “Get up and manifest your dreams,” says Harrison.

Wendell Harrison is more than “just a Detroit guy” as he describes himself.

Courtesy of Wendell Harrison
Courtesy of Wendell Harrison

The tenor saxophonist, record producer and educator is a living legend in jazz. He made a name for himself in the New York jazz scene in the 1960s before returning home to Detroit to help found Tribe — a record label and magazine that became a hub for Black experimental music, publishing and platform to discuss social politics.

Over the years, Tribe has become one of the most sought after underground jazz labels.


Dive deeper into the legacy of Tribe Records in Detroit with WDET’s original series “Between Takes”


On his new album “Get Up Off Your Knees” (out now), Harrison marches forward with his career with an undeniable passion for recording and producing music.

“This is like searching and investigating different musical possibilities with music and spoken word,” says Harrison.


Click the audio player above to hear a preview of Wendell Harrison’s new album “Get Up Off Your Knees”:

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Author

  • Ryan Patrick Hooper
    Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host and producer of CultureShift on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.