Umbria Jazz will be present at the Spoleto Festival by virtue of the collaborative spirit established between the two events.
The participation will take the form of the participation in the fifty-second edition of the Spoleto festival of the quintet of Allan Harris (winner of the 2009 NY Nightlife Award for Outstanding Jazz Vocalist), who in the last summer edition of Umbria Jazz and in its winter version in Orvieto achieved considerable critical and public acclaim for his personal tribute to the music of the great Nat "King" Cole. A sincere and special tribute to the quintessential crooner made possible by his warm and elegant voice and from unparalleled respect and love. This is what Allan Harris offers with his quintet. More than an hour-long show in which fans of "soft" jazz music embark on a journey to back in time. And, in the warm atmosphere that he manages to to recreate, Allan Harris retraces all the greatest hits of the "King," from Unforgettable, to Mona Lisa, the song with which the African-American artist reached the top of the charts and great success in 1950. But that´s not all. Harris also reprises the famous Don´t Forget. Brano that was recorded from Nat King Cole with this title (preferred to the English one of Don´t forget), who had heard it while he was in Italy for some television broadcasts. Between 1958 and 1959 he took it to the U.S. hit parades and made it an international hit. A show from not to be missed, a trip down memory lane to the sweet melodic music of the ´50s.

"Since from young, my voice has led me to sing and perform sentimental and love songs in the remotest places of the world for the many people I have met. As the years went by, I was compared to one of the world's best known singers, the great Nat king Cole. As I grew as an artist, I received numerous requests from from friends, fans and critics to record a record that would pay tribute to this legendary man. I now feel that my voice and the level I have achieved can do justice to the memory of one of the most beloved talents of the 21st century. So when the Kennedy Center asked my agent if I would be interested to in doing two evenings in honor of Nat King Cole, we both felt that a live recording would be the best way to capture the intimate feel of the songs I intended to sing. This tribute to Mr. Cole composed from thirteen songs is my heartfelt thanks for the years of love and appreciation of those who have been so kind from comparing me to this unforgettable man, Nat King Cole. Long live the king."
Allan Harris

Allan Harris
Jazz vocalist, producer, composer, guitarist, actor and teacher, three-time winner of the New York Nightlife Award for "Outstanding Jazz Vocalist," has left his mark as an apostle of the American Songbook. His innate gift as an entertainer and strong stage presence have made him a mainstay on the stages of from concert halls, theaters, jazz clubs and jazz festivals around the world. Tony Bennett calls him "My favorite singer." The Miami Herald wrote that Harris' voice and demeanor "project the warmth of Tony Bennett, the bite and sense of rhythm of Sinatra, and the slight elegance of Nat 'King´ Cole." "Harris is a jazz musician with a velvety voice, just the right presence and music in his veins" (Variety); he has performed as a guest with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, the Algonquin's Oak Room, and has appeared with Country Music star Vince Gill and with Stevie Wonder. He sings for President Clinton, Jessye Norman, and Sophia Loren. Memories of the early days of his career, when he played guitar and sang with a country-rock band, isipired Harris to make his 2006 song cycle Cross That River, a wonderful portrait of America's West. Cross That River, the musical , premiered at the famed O'Neill Theater in July 2008 and was the recipient of the Chamber Music America Residency Grant. His desire to be close to children took him to schools, museums, and Performing Arts institutions across the country, where he taught and entertained children of all ages with his story about the Black West. The children's version of Cross That River, was recently featured in the Kennedy Center's to distance learning project, and broadcast to schools across the country, also Allan Harris' songs were chosen by the state of Oklahoma to be included in the school education DVD. The Aspen Writers Foundation invited him to debut its first musical program Lyrically Speaking, during the summer festival dedicated to writers of the West. Allan has also appeared on NPR's "All Things Considered "and CBS News. His first CD was Setting the Standard (Love Productions Records), then It's to Wonderful World (Mons Records) with bassist Ray Brown, pianist Benny Green, guitarist Mark Whitfield, Claudio Roditi on trumpet and Jeff Hamilton on percussion, with arrangements created from John Clayton and Rob Pronk. Black Coffee Blues, a song from from that CD, was co-written with Ray Brown. He also recorded Here Comes Allan Harris and the Metropole Orchestra, (Mons). Trumpeter Clark Terry, soloist Claire Martin and Berlin's Rias Big Band joined his tribute to Duke Ellington. Instead, Love Came, the Songs of Strayhorn (Love Productions Records) is a tribute to Billy Strayhorn. Allan Harris sang lead vocals on Duke Ellington's "Sacred Mass "DVDs and CDs, along with trumpeter Jon Faddis and singer Michele Hendricks. On his latest recording Long Live the King, recorded live at the Kennedy Center, Allan pays tribute to one of the most recognized singers on the planet-Nat King Cole. Harris approaches all of these classics, from Nature Boy to It's Only to Paper Moon to (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons,with total respect and says, "The to Mr. Cole tribute of these 13 songs is my most heartfelt recording to thank, after years of affection and appreciation, all those who have been so kind from comparing me to this very important man." Will Friedwald, the author of Jazz Singing and Sinatra, calls him "probably the most exciting singer on the scene." CNN's Showbiz Tonight refers to Harris as "one of the top three male vocalists in the country." The New York Times' Stephen Holden writes of him as "a relaxed and refined sentimental singer" in the tradition of Nat 'King' Cole. Allan continues to devoting much of his time to philanthropic endeavors on behalf of children such as the Aspen Youth Experience, Children's Miracle Network and Challenge Aspen.

‍