March 7, 2019
Recorded in 1970 but not released until 1996, Live At the “It Club” shows the Three Sounds pulling out funky, gritty rhythms out of their basic bluesy hard-bop sound. The group’s funky influences are most noticeable in the rhythm section of drummer Carl Burnette and bassist Henry Franklin, who had been playing with Harris for only a short time when this set was recorded. The rhythm section pushes Harris, making the music loose and swinging — the groove matters more than anything on the album. Occasionally, the energy of the Three Sounds lags, but Live at the “It Club” is an enjoyable piece of grooving soul-jazz.
