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Gene Harris

 
Artist: Gene Harris
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Gene Harris

Similar Artists:

Junior Mance, Ramsey Lewis, Horace Silver, Ray Bryant, Sammy Price, Oliver Jones, Ahmad Jamal, Charles Brown, Morris Nanton, Grant Green

Followers:

Brian Culbertson, Diane Marino, Deidre Rodman

Performed Songs By:

Jerry Peters, Duke Ellington, A. Brown, Monk Higgins

Worked With:

Andy Simpkins, Harold Jones, Carl Jefferson, Phil Edwards, Bill Dowdy, Ray Brown, Jeff Hamilton, Ron Eschete

Formal Connection With:

Jack McDuff
See Gene Harris Lyrics
  • Born: September 01, 1933, Benton Harbor, MI
  • Died: January 16, 2000, Boise, ID
  • Active: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s
  • Genres: Jazz
  • Instrument: Piano, Organ
  • Representative Albums: "Introducing the Three Sounds," "Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 23," "Listen Here!"
  • Representative Songs: "Old Funky Gene's," "Captain Bill," "Love for Sale"

Biography

One of the most accessible of all jazz pianists, Gene Harris' soulful style (influenced by Oscar Peterson and containing the blues-iness of a Junior Mance) was immediately likable and predictably excellent. After playing in an Army band (1951-1954), he formed a trio with bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy which was, by 1956, known as the Three Sounds. The group was quite popular, and recorded regularly during 1956-1970 for Blue Note and Verve. Although the personnel changed and the music became more R&B-oriented in the early '70s, Harris retained the Three Sounds name for his later Blue Note sets. He retired to Boise, ID, in 1977, and was largely forgotten when Ray Brown persuaded him to return to the spotlight in the early '80s. Harris worked for a time with the Ray Brown Trio and led his own quartets in the years to follow, recording regularly for Concord and heading the Phillip Morris Superband on a few tours; 1998's Tribute to Count Basie even earned a Grammy nomination. While awaiting a kidney transplant, he died on January 16, 2000, at the age of 66. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Gene Harris
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
For the baseball player, see Gene Harris (baseball).

Gene Harris (September 1, 1933, Benton Harbor, Michigan – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz.

From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds trio with bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy. During this time, The Three Sounds recorded regularly for Blue Note and Verve.[1]

He was mostly retired to Boise, Idaho, starting in the late 1970s, although he performed regularly at the Idanha Hotel there. Then, Ray Brown convinced him to go back on tour in the early 1980s. He played with the Ray Brown Trio and then led his own groups, recording mostly on Concord Records, until his death from kidney failure in 2000.

Harris' "Ode to Billie Joe" is known as a jazz classic. One of his most popular numbers was his "Battle Hymn of the Republic," a live version of which is on his Live at Otter Crest album, published by Concord.

Discography

  • Gene Harris Trio (1955)
  • Introducing the Three Sounds (1958)
  • Genie in My Soul (1959)
  • Feelin' Good (1960)
  • The Three Sounds (1962)
  • Live at the Lighthouse (1967)
  • Elegant Soul (1968)
  • Live at the It Club (1970)
  • Astral Signal (1974)
  • Nexus (1976)
  • In a Special Way (1976)
  • Tone Tantrum (1977)
  • Soular Energy (with the Ray Brown Trio) (1984)
  • Listen here! (1989)
  • Bam Bam Bam (with the Ray Brown Trio) (1989)
  • Black and Blue (1991)
  • Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 23 (1993)
  • Funky Gene's (1994)
  • In His Hands (1996)
  • Down Home Blues (1997, with Jack McDuff)
  • Tribute to Count Basie (With the All-Star Big Band) (1997)
  • It's the Real Soul with special guest Frank Wess
  • Alley Cats - Live (1999)
  • Live in London (2008)

References

  1. ^ Bogdanov, Vladimir, et al. (2002) All Music Guide to Jazz, p. 558. Backbeat Books. ISBN 087930717X.

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
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Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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