After touring over a year as a duo, playing the 6-string banjo tuned like a guitar with a Brazilian-based percussionist, NYC songwriter Jesse Harris decided to make that surprisingly full and efficient instrumentation the foundation of his new album Watching The Sky, released March 3rd on Mercer Street.

Expanding upon the rhythmic direction of his previous release, Feel, Jesse’s new recording is centered around the backbone percussion of Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Bebel Gilberto, Forro In The Dark) who also plays vibes, marimba, and keyboards; and augmented by the versatile bass and guitar playing of his longtime pal from The Ferdinandos, Tony Scherr (Bill Frisell, Willie Nelson).

Legendary studio producer / engineer Terry Manning, who has worked on many previous recordings with Jesse (Mineral, While The Music Lasts) not only engineered but also co-produced Watching The Sky and wrote several of the album’s horn arrangements. Bringing a sensibility that recalls another era – think Burt Bacharach and CS Dodd’s Studio One – while using incorporating two amazing horn sections, one from Brooklyn and the other from Nassau, The Bahamas, Terry’s arrangements on “Watching The Sky” and “On A Day” become an unforgettable part of the song. On others, such as “Had A Feeling,” the brass section evokes the spirit of a classic New Orleans street band.

Joining Harris again on vocals for the first time in awhile, Norah Jones sings harmony on a new version of “It Will Stay With Us”, a song which appeared previously in a solo version on The Hottest State Soundtrack, from the film by Ethan Hawke, for which Jesse wrote the score and songs *. Taking a cue from his soundtrack work, Watching the Sky also includes two instrumental pieces, the buoyant “The Fool” and the dreamy “Gimmer”, a tribute to the obscure and influential guitarist Gimmer Nicholson, whose only album was produced by Manning in 1968.