"I guess you could say I'm all over the place," Harrison laughed during a recent interview when asked about his penchant for thematic diversity. "I really don't think so much about labels, categories or genres. If it is musically challenging, then it is worth pursuing. I've never said well I won't play this because it's that, or I don't want to hear something because it's not jazz. On the other hand, the jazz muse is my foundation. It informs everything that I play and write. So it's  always a part of my music, no matter what else I do."

Harrison's latest disc "This Is Jazz" (Half Note) is his third trio release with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Cobham. They previously cut the acclaimed "Heroes" in 2004 and equally praised "New York Cool - Live At The Blue Note" in 2005. This reunion project contains inspired treatments of vintage standards like "Seven Steps To Heaven," "I Can't Get Started," and "You Are My Sunshine." The session again features Harrison's alternately tender and fierce melodic statements, extensive solos and aggressive, with complementary yet spirited accompaniment from Carter and Cobham. "I think perhaps the biggest surprise for some people with this record was Billy," Harrison continued. "There are some who don't know how great a player he is when it comes to traditional material. He and Ron really brought it to the recording, and that was exactly what you want, people who are going to do a lot more than just go through the motions. It was a great thing for me as a player to have that kind response to what I was doing, and I think it shows in the music."  Carter's masterful solo on "You Are My Sunshine" is also nominated for a Grammy, which adds more luster to one of 2011's finest improvisational efforts.

Since establishing himself in New York after relocating from his native New Orleans, Harrison has pioneered an adventurous combination of sounds called "Nouveau Swing" (though he's not fond of that term). It blends the familiar 4/4 and 3/4 jazz tunes with elements of funk, contemporary R&B, sometimes hip-hop, even second-line influences. The 2005 release "Freestyle," blended Harrison's consistently torrid alto into a swirling framework that spotlighted a new band steeped in funk and R&B. It's a continuation of Harrison's efforts to champion new musicians. Some of the players he's discovered and mentored since arriving in New York include his nephew Christian Scott, Mark Whitfield, bass wizard Christian McBride and pianist Cyrus Chestnut.

But though he's definitely part of the New York scene, Harrison has maintained his Crescent City ties. He's the son of the late Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., whose efforts in New Orleans traditional culture are legendary.  Donald Harrison remains immersed in that heritage. He's currently the Big Chief of the Congo Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group. They are a collective whose mission is to publicize and celebrate the Congo Square tradition. Besides releasing such LPs as "The New Sound of Mardi Gras" and "Indian Blues," Harrison's involvement goes beyond playing and writing. He also sings and dances during performances, while designing and making his colorful Mardi Gras costumes. With Mardi Gras approaching, he speaks with reverence about his ties to the city's long festival history.

"The Mardi Gras Indian music and culture is something that's too often trivialized and misunderstood," Harrison continued, "which is why I've remained so close to it. It is a very important part of the city's fabric and heritage, not just something that happens once a year in a festival environment. Music in New Orleans is a community thing, and it's evolving and growing, not stagnant. The lack of knowledge I've seen is why I initially started The New Sounds of Mardi Gras (band), and why I'm still so involved in the Congo Nation."

But his musical interests also extend beyond those arenas. Harrison has scored Top 10 LPs in the smooth jazz vein with another group, The Donald Harrison Electric Band. He issued a definitive three volume set called "3D" in 2006. One volume was devoted to smooth jazz, a second to mainstream sounds, and a third to hip-hop. He also was a key contributor to the acclaimed disc "Esperanza." That 2008 release signaled the arrival of heralded bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spaulding. Harrison's also done classical, big band and orchestral compositions and arrangements. He plans to do more recording with orchestras in the near future.

However,  there's yet another field where he's currently making an impact. Harrison worked on some of Spike Lee's films in the '90s. Fans of the HBO series "Treme" have seen him occasionally playing himself on a few episodes. Over  the summer he did some New York performances billed as "A Night in Treme" with a group that included guitarist Detroit Brooks, keyboardist Zaccai Curtis, bassist Max Moran, and drummer Joe Dyson. They were joined by guests Cyril Neville, Norwood Johnson, and Mardi Gras Indians Shaka Zulu & Athanese Johnson.

"It's not like I'm going to become an actor," Harrison concluded. "But "Treme" gives me a chance to do a little bit in television, and more importantly put the focus on New Orleans and show people that we're still here and that we weren't swept away by Katrina. It's fun and it's also good for the city."