ON THE SPOT

CD COVER Derek Harris, Saxophonist Derek Harris' saxophone tunes should ring a bell. He's had upward of 5,000 radio commercials with his work airing every day throughout the U.S. and Canada.

"Not to toot my own horn," Harris said, "but when they did the Ford Windstar commercials they did it the week of the Super Bowl…the very first commercial following that, Barbara Walters was interviewing Bill Clinton who was President, my commercial aired. I've had a lot of national exposure."

Other clients include Ford Motor Company, Sea-Doo, Norwegian Cruise Lines, J. Walter Thompson Advertising and Prelude Pictures. He's a local musician with a new CD being released soon. He sat down with Florida Weekly and talked about his life and his music.

FW: Let's start off by asking where were you born and raised?

DH: Well, I was born in Denver, Colorado and I was raised in a small area south of Detroit City.

FW: And how long have you been in this area?

DH: I've been in Southwest Florida for three years now and prior to that I was in the Fort Lauderdale area for 25 years.

FW: Do you live in Fort Myers?

DH: I live in Estero.

FW: Can you tell me about your early memories about being inclined towards music?

DH: Yeah, it was interesting, when I was very, very young, just like in 5th or 6th grade I really didn't take a shine to the academics, like most of the kids in school. Or sports. I had been exposed to a sort of music fair for young people who were interested in music. One of the music teachers played on the tenor saxophone and played the song "Harlem Nocturne" and it was just beautiful and at the moment the lights went on. I knew from that point forward I wanted to be able to do that and that was all I was really able to focus on from that point.

FW: Was the saxophone your first pick?

DH: Yes.

FW: Have you had other careers or odd jobs?

DH: Actually, I did. I took a bit of a sabbatical from performing and in 1995 went to work in advertising and started out as a composer, writing music for a syndicated advertising agency - writing jingles and television scores for TV promotions. I did that 1994 to 1997 and ended up being the executive producer of the advertising agency and head of all of their radio and television broadcasts.

FW: So, there are some commercials where people maybe recognize your work?

DH: Yeah. I had done the Ford Windstar debut commercial. The music scores for that. I forgot what exact year it was but they had launched off the Windstar and that was my music on that and as a matter of fact the same music, for some reason, I don't know why, is playing in Europe somewhere, being used, right now, as we speak. So, very interesting.

FW: Can I ask how long you've been married and how many children you have?

DH: Yes. I've been married for 19 years. My wife's name is Jeri and I have two step-kids. I have a boy; his name is Jason. You know, he is a professional musician in Orlando and he'd been in Fort Lauderdale for many years playing in a band and then I have a daughter who's in Utrek in the Netherlands studying history getting her master's degree.

FW: What or who were your influences?

DH: Two of my strongest influences would be: one, David Sanborn, on saxophone and then there's another band called Bela Fleck which is a really alternative jazz group. The leader of that group has converted a banjo into an electric guitar and combines saxophones and all kinds of interesting things together to create their sound.

FW: When you're playing the saxophone do you consider it as a natural

extension of any part of yourself?

DH: I always wanted to be a singer and I was never able to achieve any expertise in singing and I use the saxophone to express emotions the same way a singer does. It's an extension of how I feel inside and it comes out that way.

FW: Can you tell me of any future goals you have as a musician?

DH: I would really like to move away from the commercial work that I've been doing and see some of the experience I've had over the last 25 years be used to write and record some jazz albums along with "Amalgamation" and see these get some airplay throughout the nation and be able to share my music with other people. I'm not as interested in being a star as being able to share it.

FW: You're an assistant pastor in a local church. Could you say what church and do you play there?

DH: Yes, I do. The name of the church is Safe Harbor Community Church in Fort Myers. And I am the worship leader there and I have a teaching ministry there as well. I do Bible studies and preach and I'm the head of the children's ministry. ¦

l To see & hear

>>Upcoming debut CD: "Amalgamation" >>Who: Derek Harris, Saxophonist and advertising maven

>>Where: LaPlaya Hotel, 9891 Gulf Shore Dr, Naples Safe Harbor Community Church, 12960 Plantation Rd. Fort Myers; CD debut party Oct. 12 at Gulf Coast Town Center (call for time)

>>Info: Hotel 598-5117; Church--561-6620; Gulf Coast Town Center 267-0783