Eddie Harris' final "authorized" studio date, like most in the last decade-and-a-half of his life, is a conservative acoustic blowing session, trying one last time to capture the minds and hearts of bop-minded purists. Frankly, he never sounded better on tenor than he does here, his tone luminous, the freak high notes perfectly integrated into his uniquely swinging style, his ballad phrasing infused with an even more poignant singing quality. He had a crack backup piano trio in tow, anchored by his old cohort Billy Hart on ...
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Eddie Harris' final "authorized" studio date, like most in the last decade-and-a-half of his life, is a conservative acoustic blowing session, trying one last time to capture the minds and hearts of bop-minded purists. Frankly, he never sounded better on tenor than he does here, his tone luminous, the freak high notes perfectly integrated into his uniquely swinging style, his ballad phrasing infused with an even more poignant singing quality. He had a crack backup piano trio in tow, anchored by his old cohort Billy Hart on drums (who sounds freer than ever), with the emerging Jacky Terrasson on piano and George Mraz on bass. Yet the CD's mainstream idiom is cautious in the extreme -- "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" à la Trane is about as adventurous as this quartet gets (and Harris was into that style when it was current) -- and the only Harris original is the title tune, albeit superbly done. As a document of Eddie Harris in full bloom as a hard bopper, Freedom Jazz Dance is marvelous, but reveals only one side of this bewilderingly multi-faceted, innovative musician -- and as such, it is an incomplete memorial. [A Japanese version adds a bonus track.] ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi
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Add this copy of Freedom Jazz Dance to cart. $10.67, good condition, Sold by Friends of the Phoenix Library rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Phoenix, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Music Masters Jazz.
