Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Eddie Harris Quartet: Freedom Jazz Dance

Eddie Harris Quartet: Freedom Jazz Dance

By Rick Bruner
February 1, 1998
View read count

This was one of the legendary tenor saxophonist’s final recording sessions before his death on November 5, 1996. Recorded in 1994 with a marvelous quartet, Freedom Jazz Dance is a portrait of a musical titan with his creative muse in full bloom. His immediately recognizable sound is beautifully showcased on this disc.

The title tune is Eddie Harris’ most famous composition and he wails as only he can, supported by the great drumming of Billy Hart, George Mraz on bass and Jacky Terrasson on piano. Billy Hart is ferocious and drives the quartet to inspired heights. A truly sweet "Georgia on My Mind" is next, followed by Freddie Hubbard’s "Little Sunflower", another great tune which elicits excellent solos from Harris and Terrasson. Harris’ tender side is featured on two ballads, "Stars Fell on Alabama" and "For All We Know". One of the highlights of the disc is a powerful, Coltrane-esque version of "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho".

Highly recommended for fans and a great place to start for listeners new to Eddie Harris’ unique contributions to jazz music.

Track Listing

Freedom Jazz Dance; Georgia On My Mind; Little Sunflower; Stars Fell on Alabama; Lisa Marie; Joshua Fit the Battle Of Jericho; For All We Know (53:43)

Personnel

Eddie Harris

saxophone, tenor

Album information

Title: Freedom Jazz Dance | Year Released: 1998 | Record Label: Musicmasters

PREVIOUS / NEXT

The Tenor Trio
< Previous

Sample This
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.