fasstrack Posted December 9, 2015 Report Posted December 9, 2015 In time for his 86th birthday on the 15th, here's a 2011 feature article from Jazz Times:http://jazztimes.com/articles/26968-barry-harris-teacher-man Quote
Gheorghe Posted December 10, 2015 Report Posted December 10, 2015 Very interesting article, and it confirms some of my impressions about Harris´ style. He admits that if he plays a Monk composition it sounds more like the way Bud would interprete Monk. I always had the impression, that Harris sounds very very much like latterday Powell, the Powell from the 60´s after he lived in Paris for some years. I don´t know if the two men were close, but at least they met on several occasions and exchanged musical ideas. One of those occasions is recorded, where Harris plays some of Bud´s compositions and Bud seems to enjoy it very much. It must have been at the Baroness´ place..... Then, years later I heard a little record Dexter made in N.Y. in late 1976 "Bitin´ the Apple". I was astonished to hear Harris ´solo on the title tune. It really sounds like Bud in his very last years. The more Monkish touch, the more laidback manner, it sounds so close to 1963, 1964 Bud you might think it´s him if you didn´t know that Bud at that time was dead for 12 years..... Quote
fasstrack Posted December 10, 2015 Author Report Posted December 10, 2015 12 hours ago, Gheorghe said: Very interesting article, and it confirms some of my impressions about Harris´ style. He admits that if he plays a Monk composition it sounds more like the way Bud would interprete Monk. I always had the impression, that Harris sounds very very much like latterday Powell, the Powell from the 60´s after he lived in Paris for some years. I don´t know if the two men were close, but at least they met on several occasions and exchanged musical ideas. One of those occasions is recorded, where Harris plays some of Bud´s compositions and Bud seems to enjoy it very much. It must have been at the Baroness´ place..... Then, years later I heard a little record Dexter made in N.Y. in late 1976 "Bitin´ the Apple". I was astonished to hear Harris ´solo on the title tune. It really sounds like Bud in his very last years. The more Monkish touch, the more laidback manner, it sounds so close to 1963, 1964 Bud you might think it´s him if you didn´t know that Bud at that time was dead for 12 years..... Agreed, except that Barry has a lighter touch than Bud ever did. On Luminescence, Bean and the Boys tricked me. With Barry grunting a bit the first time I heard it I swore it was Bud. Quote
Gheorghe Posted December 11, 2015 Report Posted December 11, 2015 yes, Barry got a lighter touch, your are right ! Quote
Brad Posted December 12, 2015 Report Posted December 12, 2015 I never stopped to think about it but his similarity to Bud is probably why I like him. Quote
Cyril Posted December 13, 2015 Report Posted December 13, 2015 Thanks for posting, fasstrack. Very good article. I've seen Barry Harris several times during his workshops in The Hague. Frans Elsen recorded some videos..... http://www.franselsen.com/?page_id=32 Quote
fasstrack Posted December 14, 2015 Author Report Posted December 14, 2015 22 hours ago, Cyril said: Thanks for posting, fasstrack. Very good article. I've seen Barry Harris several times during his workshops in The Hague. Frans Elsen recorded some videos..... http://www.franselsen.com/?page_id=32 Yes, Frans was a great guy. He and Barry loved each other. (I lived in the Hague briefly twice, so I got to know Frans and other musicians). Quote
Peter Friedman Posted December 14, 2015 Report Posted December 14, 2015 I was fortunate to grow up in Detroit during the time when so many great musicians lived there. Before they left for New York I heard Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, Pepper Adams, Curtis Fuller, Yusef Lateef, Hugh Lawson,Sonny Red, Kirk Lightesy, Terry Pollard, Paul Chambers, Doug Watkins, Elvin Jones, Charles McPherson, Lonnie Hillyer, and others playing locally. That early experience was responsible for the fact that players like Barry, Tommy, Pepper, and Charles McPherson have long been among my handful of favorites on their respective instruments. Quote
Gheorghe Posted December 15, 2015 Report Posted December 15, 2015 That´s really some fantastic musicians, Peter Friedman ! Quote
fasstrack Posted December 15, 2015 Author Report Posted December 15, 2015 19 hours ago, Peter Friedman said: I was fortunate to grow up in Detroit during the time when so many great musicians lived there. Before they left for New York I heard Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, Pepper Adams, Curtis Fuller, Yusef Lateef, Hugh Lawson,Sonny Red, Kirk Lightesy, Terry Pollard, Paul Chambers, Doug Watkins, Elvin Jones, Charles McPherson, Lonnie Hillyer, and others playing locally. That early experience was responsible for the fact that players like Barry, Tommy, Pepper, and Charles McPherson have long been among my handful of favorites on their respective instruments. Was Teri Thornton in town then? For those in NY, Barry's 86th birthday party tonight, Dec. 15th at:http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs166/1108970252448/archive/1123188304842.html Quote
Justin V Posted December 15, 2015 Report Posted December 15, 2015 I hope Barry Harris has a happy birthday. I'll give Luminescence a spin later. Quote
jlhoots Posted December 15, 2015 Report Posted December 15, 2015 I'm listening to the Plays Tadd Dameron Xanadu "reissue"- very nice. Quote
Cyril Posted December 15, 2015 Report Posted December 15, 2015 1 hour ago, fasstrack said: For those in NY, Barry's 86th birthday party tonight, Dec. 15th at:http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs166/1108970252448/archive/1123188304842.html I wish I was there.... Happy Birthday Mr. Harris. Quote
AllenLowe Posted December 16, 2015 Report Posted December 16, 2015 barry was my first real jazz musician friend in NYC; great man - Quote
fasstrack Posted December 16, 2015 Author Report Posted December 16, 2015 (edited) Great party last night. I saw friends from the Hague and everywhere else. Barry performed a little bit, conducted the choir. There were tap dancers as usual. Too many cats for me to make it to the stand, though I was welcomed to play by Pasquale Grasso (already a world class guitarist). Next time. Barry saw me and gave me a big, emotional hug. That meant a lot to me. A splendid time was had by all. Edited December 16, 2015 by fasstrack Quote
Peter Friedman Posted December 17, 2015 Report Posted December 17, 2015 On December 15, 2015 at 11:13 AM, fasstrack said: Was Teri Thornton in town then? For those in NY, Barry's 86th birthday party tonight, Dec. 15th at:http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs166/1108970252448/archive/1123188304842.html I do not recall her being part of the scene. But it was along time ago. Quote
Mark Stryker Posted December 17, 2015 Report Posted December 17, 2015 (edited) I created a Barry Harris Top 10 Playlist that I posted on Twitter and Facebook. For those interested, here is the Facebook post: ----- Earlier today Ethan Iverson requested that I provide a Barry Harris Top 10 list on Twitter in honor of the maestro's 86th birthday. I thought I'd collect the individual tweets here. I've left everything as is, without filling out the commentary beyond the original tweets (though I have removed the #BarryHarris hash tags.) I will note that some of my favorite tracks are not included because they aren't available on YouTube, and I wanted to be able to link to everything on the list. Also, I intentionally limited myself to only one track per recording, and I set aside two spots for sideman appearances. Hard to choose just 10. Nos. 1-5 and 7 are stone-cold locks, but the others might rotate day-to-day with other tracks. So without further ado. 1. “Donna Lee” from “Vicissitudes” (1972). Duvier/Williams. Killer tempo, remarkable flow. Look out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e992mqzy4YI … 2. “Del Sasser” w/Cannonball, Newport, '60. Cannonball sounds great, but Barry wipes everybody out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISkzLXXbOUw … 3. "Stay Right With It" ('62). Cranshaw/Jarvis. Med-tempo blues. Nobody swings at this tempo like Barry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXmaCeH9gU4 … 4. "The Bird of Red & Gold" ('79). Barry sings! His words/music. Romantic melody/harmony. I have tears. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASeEd273SGc … 5. "My Heart Stood Still" from "Preminado" ('61). Benjamin/Elvin. Crap piano but fuck it. Jaunty swagger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIy-_AweI0Y … 6. "I'll Remember April" from Yusef's "Into Something" ('61). Barry steals the show -- HE trades w/Elvin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK994XfBdM4 … 7. "Lolita" from "At the Jazz Workshop" ('60) Jones/Hayes. Whole LP kills. Dig piano break/fluidity/SWING. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1FIfShAa0Y … 8. "Like Someone in Love" ('76). Jones/Williams. Bud arrangement. Very relaxed. Triplets rule the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXazSjyj0-0 … 9. "Ray's Idea" from Stitt's "Constellation" ('72). 1 great piano chorus + comping swings like a m.f. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdWDZy2Z_mQ … 10. "I'll Keep Loving You" from "Live at Maybeck" ('90), Bud's anthem played solo w/delirious lyricism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WByJP7IzADk … Edited December 17, 2015 by Mark Stryker Quote
fasstrack Posted December 17, 2015 Author Report Posted December 17, 2015 Wow. Thanks. All of us will enjoy these. Quote
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.