Allan Harris Sings a Nat King Cole Christmas
The Pocket130 West 46th Street, New York 10036
Allan Harris brings A Nat King Cole Christmas to The Pocket, celebrating the holiday songs associated with the pianist and vocalist Nat King Cole. Harris leads the set on vocals with Rick Germanson on piano, Brandi Disterheft on bass, Russell Markey on drums, and Rico Jones on saxophone. Expect a program built around Cole’s seasonal repertoire and the enduring standards surrounding it, delivered by Harris and his quartet.
Brooklyn-born and Harlem-based, Harris is a vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader whose work has earned him two Hot House Jazz Magazine Best Male Jazz Vocalist honors, Back Stage’s Ongoing Achievement in Jazz, a New York Nightlife Award for Outstanding Jazz Vocalist, and a DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star Vocalist award. He has performed or recorded with the Metropole Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra, and recorded alongside Benny Green, Ray Brown, Mark Whitfield, and Claudio Roditi. His work also includes Cross That River, a jazz-inflected musical following Blue, a Black cowboy from the antebellum South to the West. The New York Times called him “The heir apparent to Nat King Cole,” while the Miami Herald heard “the warmth of Tony Bennett, the bite and rhythmic sense of Sinatra, and the sly elegance of Nat ‘King’ Cole.”
The Pocket offers a close-up encounter with world-class jazz musicians in a small, focused setting where every note feels immediate and unfiltered. The room is designed to bring listeners near the performers, creating a direct connection that makes the music feel personal and vivid. Seating is limited and arranged to emphasize attentive listening rather than casual socializing, with a bar available to complement the experience. Shows are ticketed, encouraging an audience that is there to fully engage with the performance. The venue’s location in Manhattan places it within easy reach of the city’s vibrant cultural pulse, making it a perfect spot for an evening dedicated to serious jazz appreciation without distractions.