Sean Harkness Releases New EP 'Just What I Needed' To Coincide With March 20 Show At Birdland Jazz Club

Guitarist Sean Harkness will release an EP entitled Just What I Needed to coincide with his solo show (with The Unusual Suspects) at NYC's Birdland on Sunday, March 20.

Featuring 5 selections, Harkness says, "The "Birdland show is a choice of songs from my childhood. They're not necessarily the proscribed 'covers' one would expect from a tribute or cover band as they range from The Carpenters to The Who."

"These are the songs that came on the school bus AM radio. Songs that moved me to learn music. I'm just interpreting them through the lens of 40+ years' experience as a pro guitarist," he says.

The EP's song selection is: "A Hard Day's Night," "Reminiscing," "Smoke On The Water," "People Are Strange," and "Just What I Needed/Good Times Roll."

Adds Harkness, "If I have a 'niche', it's the guy who can bring anything to life with heart and authenticity. And mostly with vocalists. Something about the way I interact with vocalists makes me a trusted name when they want to bring it to life ... and that everyone I work with is every bit as much an Influence on my musical voice as George Benson, Duane Allman, or Eddie Van Halen."

The Berklee College of Music-trained musician has been one of the most prolific and in-demand session players for the last decade.

He's worked for such artists as Kathleen Turner, Nona Hendryx, Tom Wopat, Lucie Arnaz, Leslie Uggams and Christine Andreas and most recently appeared at Birdland with Susie Mosher.

With one solo album (Aloft) on Will Ackerman's celebrated Windham Hill Records-now available through SONY Music/Legacy as well as several label compilations-Harkness has performed at the most prestigious halls around the county.

With influences as diverse as guitarists John Scofield, Jeff Beck and Robby Krieger (The Doors), Harkness is gearing up for his own above-the-line success.