Baker Artist Portfolios

Michael Joseph Harris is an acoustic guitarist in Baltimore City who has built community since 2012 around the music of Django Reinhardt and is one of the only guitarists in the United States to perform original music rooted in the Roma "gypsy" jazz style using the authentic guitar technique. Harris' band Ultrafaux performs his compositions at festivals and concert halls all over the world. In 2012, just before he founded Ultrafaux, Harris started The Hot Club of Baltimore as a duo with Goucher music grad Sami Arefin to perform the Django Reinhardt repertoire in Baltimore. Meeting Sami was very fortuitous because he was already well versed in the Django Reinhardt style and technique. The Hot Club quickly grew to a larger ensemble by mid 2013 to include violin, piano, clarinet, trumpet, drums, accordion and vocals. By 2014, Hot Club of Baltimore would become a collective of 20 top Baltimore-based musicians. Both groups have since released six full-length albums. Harris began a consistent weekly Monday night jam session in 2012 that has continued at various venues throughout Baltimore City including Liam Flynn's Alehouse, 5 and Dime, Dekleine Duivel, and now has it's home at Avenue Kitchen & Bar in Hampden. Through his consistent effort, Harris has built an acoustic Django Reinhardt style trad jazz scene in Baltimore recognized by a worldwide audience as one of the best of it's kind. Harris began Ultrafaux specifically to perform his original music inspired by Django Reinhardt. His songs have since been featured multiple times on an acclaimed compilation of the best gypsy jazz in the world produced by Jon Larsen in Norway titled "Django Festival." Ultrafaux has toured both U.S. coasts and Canada as well as Europe and had the honor of performing in France at the most prestigious Django Reinhardt Festival in the world in 2016. Hot Club of Baltimore featuring local Baltimore vocalist Alexis Tantau was the only gypsy jazz act to ever perform for the Napa Valley Jazz Society as part of a series featuring top jazz acts from all over the world. The Baltimore band led by Harris had the distinction of being the only group to sell out twice in 2-years and was recognized as "the best act to ever perform" by NVJS director Bill Hart. Harris has been featured prominently in the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Style Magazine, and CBS news both for his band and for founding Baltimore's Charm City Django Jazz Festival in 2016 and continuing as Artistic Director for this annual event at Creative Alliance. Harris brings top musicians from all over the world to perform and features many local musicians, including the Django Legacy Band comprised of the rising stars of teenage musicians in the genre. Michael has helped raise thousands of dollars for Creative Alliance's community outreach programs benefiting the youth of Baltimore City through the Art To Dine For Series. He also did a benefit for widows and orphans in Uganda and is committed to helping those in need through his music as an active leader in the music community.