Wendell Harrison, born October 1, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan, is an American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. He began playing clarinet at age seven and switched to tenor saxophone while attending Northwestern High School, performing professionally by age 14. In the early 1960s, Harrison moved to New York City, where he performed with artists such as Grant Green and Sun Ra. Returning to Detroit in 1971, Harrison co-founded the Tribe record label and artist collective with Phil Ranelin, releasing albums such as Message From The Tribe (1972) and An Evening With The Devil (1972). He earned the title of “Jazz Master” from Arts Midwest in the early 1990s. Harrison has continued to perform and record, collaborating with artists such as Carl Craig and Proof.
