Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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HARRIS, Gene

(b 1 Sep. '33, Benton Harbor MI) Pianist, overlooked and underrated. Formed quartet the Four Sounds '57, became the Three Sounds '58 with Andy Simpkins on bass (b 29 April '32, Richmond IN), Bill Dowdy on drums (b 15 Aug. '33, Benton Harbor); recorded for Blue Note from late '50s (albums Black Orchids, Feelin' Good, Moods), then on Verve c'63 (Anita O'Day And The Three Sounds), Limelight '65 (Three Moods, Beautiful Friendship); back on Blue Note with personnel changes for seven albums '72--7 incl. Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow and Astral Signal with just the trio, but others were augmented; the last two In A Special Way and Tone Tantrum incl. strings, background singers, etc. Some of the albums sold well and the trio was always popular in clubs, but critics did not pay enough attention to Harris's keyboard. He had also recorded with Nat Adderley on Riverside, on Blue Note with Lou Donaldson and Stanley Turrentine (whose Blue Hour '61 with the trio was reissued '86 as a classic). Harris took time off to run a club. His sets '81--2 on obscure Jazzizz and Jam labels with bassist John Heard and Jimmy Smith on drums got lost in the shuffle; he played in Benny Carter septet A Gentleman And His Music '85 with Smith, Scott Hamilton, Joe Wilder, and with the Philip Morris Superband live at Town Hall, both on Concord, and like so many other good mainstream musicians he found a home on that label: Gene Harris Trio Plus One '86 incl. Ray Brown and Mickey Roker, and reunited Harris with Turrentine for a blistering live set; that trio got raves at Ronnie Scott's Club in London that year. Tribute To Count Basie '87 was a big-band set; Bam Bam Bam '88 with the Ray Brown Trio (Jeff Hamilton on drums) was made live in Tokyo; the trio became a quartet with West Coast guitarist Ron Eschet, on Listen Here! '89; Black And Blue had Eschet,, Luther Hughes on bass, Harold Jones on drums, as did Like A Lover '92; Paul Humphrey replaced Jones on Live At The Ste. Chapelle Winery: A Little Piece Of Heaven '93, Funky Gene's and Brotherhood '94; It's The Real Soul '95 on Concord, made live in Philadelphia, has an opening tour-de-force in 'Summertime', and adds Frank Wess on half the tracks. Harris also made no. 23 in the solo Live at Maybeck Recital Hall series, and co-led Downhome Blues '97 with organist Jack McDuff.