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…
Between 1958 and 1962, the Three Sounds were one of the most prolific artists on Blue Note, recording over ten albums worth of material during those four years. During all that time, the group never changed their style much, concentrating on lightly swinging, lightly soulful mainstream jazz that balanced…
The accessible and enjoyable material on this Blue Note album was not released for the first time until 1986. The popular Three Sounds (pianist Gene Harris, bassist Andy Simpkins, and drummer Bill Dowdy) perform mostly standards on the album, infusing their swinging music with funk, soul, and sincere feeling….
The Three Sounds open their signature sound a bit on the romantic Moods. They retain the same light touch that made their early albums so enjoyable, but they add more textures to the mix. Light Latin rhythms permeate Moods, from the inventive reworking of Cole Porter‘s “Love for Sale” to Harris‘ original “Tammy’s Breeze.”…
Soul Symphony was the last album cut by the Three Sounds, of which pianist Gene Harris remained the only original member. Bassist Andy Simpkins left after 1968’s wonderful Elegant Soul LP, and was replaced on this date by “the Skipper,” Henry Franklin. This date is a direct follow-up to…
Shortly after the Vibrations sessions, the Three Sounds had their first major personnel shakeup when William Dowdy left the group. Donald Bailey replaced the drummer, and the group played a number of live dates over the course of 1967. During that summer, their concerts at the famed Los Angeles…
By 1966, Larry Young was playing music that fell between advanced hard bop/soul-jazz and the avant-garde. For this stimulating Blue Note date, the organist meets up with trumpeter Eddie Gale (who was playing with Cecil Taylor during this era), altoist/flutist James Spaulding, and three obscure but fine sidemen: tenor…
Organist Larry Young’s final Blue Note album, Mother Ship, was not released until 1980. Teamed up with tenor saxophonist Herbert Morgan, the great trumpeter Lee Morgan, and drummer Eddie Gladden, Young performs five of his originals, which range from the funky “Street Scene” and the samba “Love Drops” to…
Larry Young who like most organists originally sounded close to Jimmy Smith, took a big step away from the organ’s dominant influence on this adventurous and colorful set, which was his debut as a leader for Blue Note. Performing with a quartet also including tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers, guitarist…
