Exclusive: Kelvin Harrison Jr. On Exploring His Musical Chops In ‘The High Note’

Now available on Blu-ray is from Focus Features is “The High Note,” directed by Nisha Ganatra (“Late Night”) and starring Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross.

With a script written by Flora Greeson, the cast also includes Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ice Cube, Zoe Chao, Eddie Izzard, Bill Pullman, and Diplo.

Set in the dazzling world of the LA music scene comes the story of Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross), a superstar whose talent, and ego, have reached unbelievable heights. Maggie (Dakota Johnson) is Grace’s overworked personal assistant who’s stuck running errands, but still aspires to her childhood dream of becoming a music producer. When Grace’s manager (Ice Cube) presents her with a choice that could alter the course of her career, Maggie and Grace come up with a plan that could change their lives forever.

For Harrison Jr., the young actor is starting to get bigger projects. After appearing in smaller roles in TV shows and films such as “12 Years a Slave,” “Ender's Game,” Shots Fired,” “It Comes At Night” and “Mudbound,” this year has started out huge when the 25-year old received an Independent Spirit Award nod and a BAFTA EE Rising Star award nomination for his breakthrough performances in 2019’s “Luce” and “Waves.” Earlier this year, he appeared in Stella Meghie’s “The Photograph.”

BlackFilmandTV.com recently caught up with Harrison Jr. as he spoke about working with Dakota Johnson and the projects that makes him say yes.

How much fun did you have shooting that movie?

Kelvin Harrison Jr.: It was so much fun. My parents are musicians, so I've always wanted to do some type of music thing. With The Godfather of Harlem, my character was a musician but it felt different in such a period situation. That was exciting but it wasn't as much of a collaboration. This was way more like I got to be a part of it. I was in the studio for hours. I got to work with Darkchild. I got to hear stories about all the people I worked with. It just felt so surreal to be there with Tracee and to record music with her was so crazy and to be in this rom-com space was just fun and light hearted. I still got to do some of the same acting prep that I would normally do. So that was fulfilling in that way. But I didn't have to drive myself crazy in the process. So overall, it was like that's the idea, to have a good time at work.

Did you actually have any musical chops before you got on camera doing this or did you learn on the job?

Kelvin Harrison Jr.:  It wasn't something I felt like I was confident. I played jazz piano and trumpet but that was something I decided to leave after a certain point when I decided to go for acting. It felt like I was inviting that piece of myself back in and relearning that gift in a way that made sense to me for who I am now. It was very scary, but also very exhilarating and at the same time to be vulnerable. To communicate through through music. It was a step by step, day by day process of building each other up. Me and Tracee would just be each other support group.

Is there an artist out there that you grew up watching and then suddenly you are next to them?

Kelvin Harrison Jr.: I'll never forget when I met Jennifer Hudson years ago, and she was playing my mom in this movie called Monster. I remembered voting for her on American Idol and I was like, “This lady's voice is incredible." And then Dreamgirls came out and she was incredible yet again and so when I finally met her I was just, “This is insane." So there's been a few moments when I met Anderson . Paak. I base a lot of my character off him. I love the way he performs. I love his smile. I think he's so charismatic and exciting. I want him to have like that type of like that Black Boy Joy in the movie. When I finally met him, that was also really cool. He was such a good dude to me and and now I'm friends with all these people and that has been surreal.

You didn't have any scenes with him but did you get the chance to talk to or hang out with Ice Cube?

Kelvin Harrison Jr.: I saw him one day during one of the final scenes on the movie and he was there and I just gave him a nod, like a look of respect. I never got to have a conversation with him but I've heard nothing but good things about him.

How was working with Dakota since most of your scenes are with her?

Kelvin Harrison Jr.: It was so smart of Nisha to start the process off with us when we took a music class, and there'll be certain exercises where we would share each other's crazy stories, not secrets, but like stories, Something where you start to create a bond and it takes the barriers down. You start to feel safe with one another. Chemistry has to be there first. We both have a mutual respect for each other, and how we go about handling the job and the work and our dialogue and life in general. That is the basis of David and Maggie's relationship, which is mutual respect, it's like I see your gift, and I see what you have to contribute and I would like to help you in that process. This investment into someone's emotional and spiritual and intellectual growth. I think we have that for each other and we translated that off the camera.

What goes into saying yes to the projects you take?

Kelvin Harrison Jr.: i'm reading a lot of things and I'm taking a lot of meetings. I don’t know what may happen in COVID world, but it's going for something that challenges me. I feel like I have something to contribute to that conversation. So it's interesting. It's a case by case scenario. So you never know what you're going to get. The question I always ask myself, what would I want? What's my intent? What do I have to say? What do I think is interesting based on what I'm watching within the news, what I see on Twitter, on Instagram, Facebook, and conversations I'm having with friends, people entertainment, industry or cultural leaders. It's our responsibility to be aware of what's going on and what people want to see and what people may need to see based on your opinion. It's asking the right questions in the process.

You have “The Trial of the Chicago 7” coming up. How much of the story did you know before you took on the project?

Kelvin Harrison Jr.:  I didn't know anything about the trial before the movie. I remember I knew of Fred Hampton and that's what really led me to it. Then reading the script I got to learn about that trial and Bobby Seal and Fred and the group of people that were on trial. Tt was insane. But yeah, it was the first time I had heard of it.

What's a good reason for folks to see The High Note?

Kelvin Harrison Jr.: The world is a mess and The High Note is less of that. So if you want to get a laugh, a good smile and see some love and some beautiful black people, then The High Note is your movie.