Roderick Harper

Chicago Sun-Times writer Lloyd Sachs states that he is, “a smooth and serious singer.” Baton Rouge Morning Advocate writer Rod Dreher calls him, “a very special talent.” Jazztimes Magazine proclaims, “he is an able convert to jazz, when Jon Hendricks invited him on stage for a round of Thelonius Monk’s ‘Rhythmaning.’”

Roderick’s has been singing almost as long as he has been speaking. Other than his voice, the first musical instruments he learned to play were the violin and trombone, in Elementary School. In Middle School and High School he picked up the clarinet and guitar.
In school, he formed and was part of numerous jazz groups. One of those groups was Alvin Batiste and the Jazzstranauts. This afforded him the opportunity to come to the attention of jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis. With the recommendation of Batiste, Roderick was invited to sing with Marsalis. This led him to land a featured spot in the Ellis Marsalis Quartet.

Being under the experienced hand of Marsalis brought about many opportunities for Roderick to perform with the likes of Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Betty Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis, Joe Sample, Danny Barker, Kent Jordan, Mark Whitfield, Joe Lavano, Bobby Watson, Marcus Roberts, Cyrus Chestnut, Nicholas Payton, Wessel Anderson, James Carter, The Harper Brothers, Stephen Scott, Brian Blade, Max Roach, Terence Blanchard, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and many others.

Since that time he has recorded two CD’s: Beautiful Beginnings, produced by Delfeayo Marsalis and The Essence Of… produced by Grammy Award Winner, Nicholas Payton. His voice was apart of the HBO Soul of the Game, the BET BlacKout, a featured vocalist on Kent Jordan’s CD, Out of this World as well as a Folgers Coffee Commercial and DVD Live at the Velvet Lounge. The new CD, “Perfect Imperfections” was released September 2018.