Search - Eddie Harris :: In the UK / Is It in

At last it's out!!!

06/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in the early 70's, Jazz purists will look down there collective noses at this disc as it presents Eddie Harris with some of the finest british rock musicians of their day. Chris Squire, Alan White, and Tony Kaye from Yes are accompanied by Steve Winwood, Jeff Beck and Albert Lee. Together they present a reflective, creative and enjoyable jazz-rock mix. Thankfully, it is definately not typical fusion as there are no annoying, lightning fast, head splitting, runs, just lots of tasty, laidback, thoughtful licks. This may not be Eddie Harris' finest hour but it is still a worthy addition to an eclectic musical library collection. Highly recommended...Simon."

Jazz knows Funk better than Funk knows Funk sometimes

J. Frankel | CT , US | 08/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ok, so you dig on funk music. Somewhere along the line, you realized that the best hip-hop (see: Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian, etc.) used 70's funk and jazz as its backbone.



Eddie Harris? Electric Sax? Anyone?



"In the U.K." has Eddie and some of the UK's finest session dudes jamming in a jazzy, scattershot, cacophonous pitch. Jeff Beck and Steve Winwood (the "Traffic" Steve, not the 80's Steve) actually play on this one, presumably turned on to the ramped up stuff Eddie was peddling in the 70's. "UK" sounds a little too much like everybody in the session was 'luded and deluded, yet it's interesting head jazz/jazz fusion-pop at its worst. But enough of that...



If you dig funk, two words:

"Funkaroma"

"Is it In"



Off the "Is It In" album (minus the Brits) "Funkaroma" starts with Eddie and his plugged in Tenor going off on this 60 second intro that just oozes with funky soul. At the 1 minute mark the band kicks in and funk perfection ensues with everybody firmly on the One.



"Is it In" is perfectly realized funk from :01. Guitarist Ronnie Muldrow lays it on thick with this breakneck riff and the band does the rest with Eddie wailing along, electrified, over the top.



Although most of Eddie's albums are slightly uneven in overall mood and performance (this one is no different), Eddie, his Electric Sax, and a group of accomplished stateside jam-hounds give Funk true meaning with these two songs. The album rates 4 stars on their merits alone."

Worth a few bucks, but annoyingly edited in the wrong places

Sambson | North Carolina | 10/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There might be one albums worth of decent material here, but 2 songs are missing. That'd be "Happy Gemini" and "House Party Blues" from 1974s IS IT IN. "Happy Gemini" sounds like something from the Willie Dynamite soundtrack. With all the space around it's laidback meaty funk riff and early rhythm box (similar to "It's War") AND drums; it's a samplers paradise. At only 2:58...why would you leave it off this disc? "House Party Blues" is a sweet number with drums, acoustic bass and (ac) piano locked in the groove; and nice lectric guitar and lectric piano solos, followed by a funky (ac) bass solo, and Eddie's lectric sax that's a late night juke joint shoe-in. Obiously this disc was built for old CD players, so that it doesn't go over the 74:00 mark. But though Eddie blows smooth on "These Lonely Nights"; it and the mildly entertaining "Tranquility & Antagonistic", as well as the total crap of "I Waited For You" should've been dumped instead. Worth a few bucks, but annoyingly edited in the wrong places. Three and a half stars would be my rating.



Someone has mis-identified one of the guitarists on IN THE UK as Albert King. Actually it's Albert Lee, who worked with Clapton for 5 years, who's also sometimes confused with Alvin Lee."