Customer Rating: 
Summary: rare and splendid gene harris - live!
Comment: Although this cd was just recently released on Resonance, it captures Gene Harris at the peak of his powers, live before an enthousiastic audience in London.
I think the cd was produced by Gene's widow: Janie Harris, who also wrote a splendid book "Elegant Soul" about her late husband.
The sleeve of that book is the same as the sleeve of this great cd, recorded in May 1996 at the Pizza Express in London, England.
Along with Gene we hear Jim Mullen, guitar (and a great guitarplayer he is), Andrew Cleyndert, bass and the wellknown Martin Drew on drums, who was " Oscar's Choice" for many, many years.
Why this music was not issued before is a mistery, because it's just great!
The opening "There is no greater love" sets the mood just right: hard swinging, with that soul and gospel roots in his playing, that was typical for Gene Harris.
I am delighted that this cd is something of "the way he really played" (to borrow from an albumtitle of Oscar Peterson), because there are very long tracks on this cd, so we are able to listen what Gene could really do with a tune.
The opener is over 13 minutes, the next track "Blue Monk" over 11 minutes and a very fine "In a mellow tone" is over 15 minutes.
Although Gene was known and famous for his swing and soul, this set brings us beautiful moments with "My funny Valentine" and a very unussual version of Garner's "Misty". (9 minutes)
The closer of this very, happy, swinging concert is (what else?) Gene's own "Blues Closer".
This album makes it once more very clear what great loss Gene's passing was for jazz.
Of course this is an album of love as is Janie Harris' book.
One can only hope that she has more music of this class in her archives and that it will be released soon, to keep the musical legacy of Gene Harris alive.
Arnold van Kampen, jazzcritic, the Netherlands.
|
