Biography
Briana Harris thrives on the big stage, but she loves a small room. Endlessly motivated by musical self-discovery, Bri has credits as a saxophonist, singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, and composer. Just days after playing soaring saxophone solos on an outdoor stage for a screaming crowd, you can catch Bri singing intimate originals in a friend’s living room, the strumming of her guitar the sole companion to a breathless silence. An inspired artistic vulnerability allows Bri to float from genre to genre, ready and willing to give herself fully to the performance. Switching from the heartfelt efficiency of a folk verse-chorus to the vibrant abstraction of free jazz is seemingly effortless for Bri, the earnestness of her creative approach interweaves each show with her musical voice, no matter how distinct the setting. Whether you find Briana working as a leader or sidewoman, as a saxophonist, singer, or guitarist, on a festival stage or in a basement, you can be sure you’ll be seeing her complete self.
Briana is a performing member, manager, and co-owner of The Burroughs, a Colorado based original funk and soul band. Since 2014, she has performed with the band on over 250 dates across 18 states, including support slots for artists including the Steve Miller Band, The Motet, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. She is a songwriter and performer on all of the band’s recorded discography since 2015, and a co-producer on their latest full-length studio album Honey Imastar (2023). Briana co-created and musical directed The Burroughs original show with symphony orchestra, premiered with the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra in October 2021.
Briana’s recorded projects include her debut songwriter album When We’re Found, released in 2022, as well as the jazz-folk fusion trio Joyful Ghost, which released a self-titled record in 2024. Briana has performed with a variety of artists throughout Colorado and beyond, including the O’Jays, the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra, Knower, the Colorado Jazz Orchestra, and Annie Booth. Her additional recording credits include Spencer Zweifel’s The Life or Death Situation (2024), Matt Smiley’s Crankbait (2021), Art Deco’s Free Range (2018), The Cairn Project (2015), Socrates Garcia’s Back Home (2016), David Caffey’s All In One (2018) and Enter Autumn (2015), and Johnny Burroughs Day One (2019). Her writing credits include many horn arrangements with The Burroughs, original horn section writing for Clandestine Amigo, and original theme music co-composed with Johnny Burroughs for KUNC Radio’s Colorado Edition.
Briana owns and operates Harris Artist Management, a full-service management company serving public artists. She is the co-founder and managing director of WeldWalls Mural Festival.