Search - Bill Harris :: Bill Harris & Friends

Classic jazz trombone.

01/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Anyone who appreciates classic jazz trombone should have this in their collection. His rendition of "It Might As Well..." is really tasty and reminds me of the emotion he put into his earlier interpretation of "Gloomy Sunday." I've been searching for other Bill Harris cd's. Any suggestions?"

THE trombone sound --

Ramon Collins | Boulder City, NV United States | 03/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've listened to jazz since 1945 and this my favorite CD. "Spring" is a virtuoso rendition -- Harris has the skill to interpret one of the most beautiful melodies ever written in an absolutely original fashion. Just listen how he messes with the beat. On "Crazy" he's so in sync with Ben Webster you can hardly tell where the trombone ends and the tenor takes off. And "Where" is Ben's traditional tribute to an affair with Billie Holiday.Remember when musicians put each other on -- before jazz got SERIOUS? Listen to "Chance", and if you don't smile, get a check-up for Early Alzheimer's. "Surrender" is a masterful rendition by Harris and Webster. "Sentimental" is exactly how a professional rhythm section should function -- they listen to each other. "Mood" is perfectly given as a jazz anthem. Who could ask for anything more?And Harris footed the bill for this jazz masterpiece -- studio time, technology and salaries -- yet out of seven tracks he turned two over to his friends. How many musicians would do that today?"

He was not Rosolino neither Fuller, anyway...

Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 08/03/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an obscure OJC I didn't know its existence neither the existence of Bill Harris, a white trombone player. But when I saw the line up, the record company and the recording year, 1957, I decided to buy it. Usually the albums from that magic year are spectacular. This one, still if it has some weaknesses in the trombone playing (the star I did'nt give to this album is for the trombone playing) it is surely great. Oh, I'll tell you the line up so you can comprehend better. Red Mitchell, Stan Levey, Jimmy Rowles in the rhythmic department, Ben Webster and this Bill Harris as frontmen. I'll say only few words for the sidemen because anyone knows they're some of the best there are so, ... what's the point in saying Ben Webster played great here? Of course he did .. he played fantastic I might say. As an example I'll point out the dreamy ballad "Where are you" played by Ben as only a true master could do. I can say the same for the other well known guys. Jimmy, Red and Stan Levey a wonderful drummer which I particularly admire. I'll say something more specific about Bill Harris a trombone player as I said before that I didn't know .. He did not have Frank Rosolino's bebop technique and flamboyant exuberance neither he had the soft and warm Curtis Fuller's sound and fast lines. Instead he was a trombone player with a relative harsh, essential sound, and he was a few notes man. He was a kind of "traditional Jazz" trombone player in my opinion, a contrapunctual kind of musician. He lacks a little bit of modernity for what I am concerned and he did few solos in the album. In the end not too spectacular, a man of essential notes and intervents. I'm a bebop kind of guy so I don't appreciate particularly this way of playing or this kind of musician but that's only my taste. For example I agree with the last rewiever about the "Spring" line played by Bill Harris. It does not come alive, the notes are too far from each other, there's too much space .. Anyway you got the picture. Bill played so few notes that this might be called a Ben Webster album because he was the number one soloist of the session for sure. Few more words for the track list. A mix of ballads and swingers with a dense ballad program in the center of the album (three consecutive ballads). I would have mix them a little bit. Three ballads in line are a little too much in my opinion. Really nice the swingers, "Spring", "Sentimental" and moreover "Crazy Rhythmn" with a great solo by Ben. The last tune is Duke's "In a mellow tone" taken at a comfortable beautiful tempo. A nice ending for a nice record. One of the many great albums of that year but not the best. If Rosolino was in the Trombone chair probabably it could have been, but, anyway, this would be another story ...."