Articles by George Harris
Marilyn Scott: Handpicked
by George Harris
On the heels of her excellent and most jazz-induced 2004 release, Nightcap, Marilyn Scott takes a step back and gives her growing group of fans a remarkable overview of her projection with a set of songs from her ten-year career. The queen of hazel-eyed soul leaves us with an entertaining sampler of her singing, interpretation and songwriting skills.
With George Duke at the helm of most of the songs, Scott has found the perfect partner to illuminate her sensitive yet ...
Continue ReadingHarold Land: Take Aim
by George Harris
Originally recorded in 1960 for Blue Note but not released until 1980, Take Aim, like Harold Land himself, has undeservedly fallen through the cracks. Most famous for his association with the Clifford Brown/Max Roach quintet of the '50s, Land is another unheralded West Coast giant who made a name for himself out here in California, but was under the radar of the jazz elitists. Take Aim, featuring an obscure group of musicians, is a pleasant surprise, and should be a ...
Continue ReadingKyle Eastwood: Paris Blue
by George Harris
At last! A recording firmly planted in the jazz tradition of Charles Mingus, but updated and as fresh as this morning's brew. Bassist Kyle Eastwood has brought together a collection of (mostly) original compositions and mixed them with programmed or hip-hop rhythms underneath a mainstream horn section to create an accessible yet challenging listen.
On the original “Marrakech," Michael Stevens' keyboards and programming create an exotic Middle Eastern flavor that melds perfectly with the serpentine soprano sax and mourning duduk. ...
Continue ReadingThe Mort Weiss Quartet: The Four of Us: Live at Steamers
by George Harris
Piano-less bands always grab my attention because the lightness and roominess of the music pull me in. This group, featuring 69 year-old Mort Weiss on clarinet and Ron Eschete on seven-string guitar, is quite reminiscent of the classic Paul Desmond quartet. Both lead voices have a cool and dry tone, with only minor influences by Charlie Parker, and they deliver straight-ahead jazz with no frills or gimmicks--simple, smooth sailing over a glassy sea.
Supported by Los Angeles heroes Roy McCurdy ...
Continue ReadingCharles Tolliver: Mosaic Select
by George Harris
Charles Tolliver, who along with Woody Shaw was arguably the last of the trumpet vanguard that defined the instrument's modern approach, often took the road less traveled, forming his own label, Strata-East Records, in the late '60s. This three-CD Mosaic Select release captures Tolliver (along with his familiar musical colleague, pianist Stanley Cowell) in two concert settings from opposite ends of the jazz globe. In light of the fact that these remarkable sessions have been either out of circulation or ...
Continue ReadingThe Jazz Crusaders: The Pacific Jazz Quintet Studio Sessions
by George Harris
If songs like “Scratch" come to mind when you think of the Jazz Crusaders, you are in for a real treat with this six-CD set. Originally including “jazz" in their moniker, Wayne Henderson (trombone), Wilton Felder (tenor), Joe Sample (piano) and Stix Hooper (drums) put together a collection of studio recordings that offers a pleasant surprise for mainstream jazz fans. This rocking set reveals the origins and many directions this multifaceted band took during the musically tumultuous '60s.
Listening to ...
Continue ReadingTim Coffman: Crossroads
by George Harris
Tim Coffman's sophomore release provides a fine exhibition of how lyrical and soothing a trombone can actually be. Basing his music firmly in the hard bop of the early '60s Jazz Messengers, Coffman and his sextet crisply glide and breeze through a set of hard-driving jazz compositions.
On Wayne Shorter's “Yes or No," and Coffman's title piece, the leader and trumpeter Scott Wendholdt seamlessly weave articulate and facile solos that are thought-provoking, intricate and inviting. Wendholdt's gentle and warm playing ...
Continue ReadingMark Bransfield: Night Time
by George Harris
At last, a young, male singer not transfixed by the Rat Pack! Mark Bransfield's voice on Night Time is an immediate lure: a perfect amalgam of Lester Young's feathery lightness and Mel Torme's velvety fog. His vibrato-less tone and relaxed, ever-so-lightly behind the beat phrasing is an inspiring setting for this creative mix of standards and originals.
With spare accompaniment, Bransfield is reflective and pensive on “Nice Work If You Can Get It" and lovingly languid on Duke Ellington's “Prelude ...
Continue ReadingStan Kenton/The Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra: New Horizons Vol. 1 & 2
by George Harris
Stan Kenton/The Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra New Horizons, Volumes 1 & 2 Tantara Productions 2005
Looking back on Stan Kenton, it's important to keep his bands in perspective. In '65, when these concerts were recorded, there just wasn't anything happening in big bands. Ellington was coasting, Basie was doing Beatles songs and Bond themes, and everyone was questioning the longevity of big bands. In rides Kenton to the rescue with the only permanent resident ...
Continue ReadingSonny Rollins: Without a Song (The 9/11 Concert)
by George Harris
Where were you on 9/11? Sonny Rollins was in his New York apartment, six blocks away from the horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Persuaded by his wife to honor his commitment to perform, he delivered a magnificent and audibly moving concert at the Berklee Performing Arts Center four days later. Without a Song is his first live band recording since G-Man, and Rollins is palpably inspired as he embodies the feel of jazz.
Some men are saxophone ...
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