BST 84301

Gene Harris and his Three Sounds - Elegant Soul

Released - 1968

Recording and Session Information

RPM International Studios, Los Angeles, CA, September 19, 1968
Gene Harris, piano; Andrew Simpkins, bass; Carl Burnett, drums; with Jim Horn, flute; Jesse Erlich, Henry Felber, Lou Kievman, William Kurash, Leonard Malarsky, Albert Steinberg, strings; Alan Estes, vibes; Al Vescovo, guitar; Paul Humphrey, drums; Dee Ervin, Miles Grayson, percussion; Monk Higgins, arranger, conductor.

2958 Sittin' Duck
2959 (Sock It To Me) Harper Valley PTA
2963 Book Of Slim

RPM International Studios, Los Angeles, CA, September 20, 1968
Gene Harris, piano; Andrew Simpkins, bass; Carl Burnett, drums; with Bob Jung, reeds; Dave Burk, Henry Felber, Ron Fulsom, Leonard Malarsky, Ralph Schaeffer, Tibor Zelig, violin; Phil Goldberg, Leonard Selic, viola; Jerry Kessler, cello; Alan Estes, vibes, percussion; Al Vescovo, guitar; Paul Humphrey, drums; Dee Ervin, Miles Grayson, percussion; Monk Higgins, arranger, conductor.

2956 Elegant Soul
2957 Do It Right Now
2960 Sugar Hill
2962 Black Gold
2961 African Sweets
2964 Walls Of Respect

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Elegant Soul	Virginia P. Bland	September 20 1968
Do It Right Now	Virginia P. Bland	September 20 1968
Sittin' Duck	Monk Higgins	September 19 1968
Side Two
(Sock It to Me) Harper Valley P.T.A.	Tom T. Hall	September 19 1968
Sugar Hill	Dee Ervin, Miles Grayson	September 20 1968
African Sweets	Dee Ervin	September 20 1968
Black Gold	Miles Grayson	September 20 1968
Book of Slim	Monk Higgins	September 19 1968
Walls of Respect	Gene Harris, Higgins	September 20 1968

Liner Notes

What's next from The Three Sounds? This is certainly a good question for a group that has been led by pianist Gene Harris for over a dozen years now. Obviously a tight swinging group like this trio has recorded an abundant supply of their trio performances in a predictable repertory of jazz ballads, blues, show tunes} flick themes, etc. And their immediately preceding album, Coldwater Flat, Blue Note 4285 merged the trio With the beautiful, shouting, swinging sounds of Oliver Nelson's big band. So what's next is yet something else again, and here it is - in Elegant Soul.

Lay the disc on the turntable and listen to the opening track which Lis the title selection by Monk Higgins, 'Elegant Soul," and the very last track on the flip side, "Walls of Respect" (a la Chicago)). You can quickly gain an idea or notion of the concept herein despite the fact that the process of conceptualization is seldom this simplistic and Usually requires a more gradual and sometimes tedious developmental approach, The seminal flow of music combining varying degrees of R&B, rock, and jazz elements does not wholly represent or refer to the obvious possibility of a tactical retreat or a submission to fashion, Indeed, the matter of participation in the current and popular -is admittedly related to the inherent economic opportunities, but by no means should this direction of involvement subtract the viable units of the artists' expression in the medium.

In Gene Harris's case, his entree into the realm of today's music reflects his open outlook toward his own modes of expression and toward his ability to extract emotional satisfaction from his broader participation. As music per se moves into larger banquets of sounds, certain heretofore dynamic aspects may reach a status of relative invariance. It is my assumption that Harris, among a multitude of others, has intuitively if not clearly, recognized this concept of status evolution regarding art forms and commerce. Although he can be viewed as proceeding with light steps until recently, Harris has plenty of company in this respect; he is also not content to be part of what's happening belatedly and, furthermore, he would certainly not postpone his active participation as the invariants become absolute.

It is not plausible that anyone with a modicum of awareness could be sheltered from the revolutionary thrust of developing greater societal and personal awareness. The performing artist should be one of the easiest to be affected by this movement for increased awareness, Harris, for instance, feels that more blues is coming out of jazz. His observation is logical as per a heavier issuance of blues since the common meeting ground for jazz and rock is the blues. Note how the rock people are digging the black blues artists of the Nineteen Forties and Fifties such as T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, and B. B. King; likewise contemporary blues artists such as the late Otis Redding and James Brown are receiving tremendous attention. The restructuring of this country's cultural lines and the power of the movement of sensitivity uplift has a natural effect on jazz. Harris cites his recent experiences in listening to Cannonball Adderley "who is playing with more emotion than I've ever heard him," and to Miles Davis. "who is more fiery than I can ever recall." Harris regards these two titans of jazz as illustrating the move away from a prior, relatively deeper concern for technical aspects to an emphatically greater investment in emotional attributes. "Music," he says, "is really not as stagnant we don't have to just go on a 1-2-3-4 bang straight-ahead format."

As for this album, Harris affirms his intention to "go in many different directions to gain new experiences and new feelings." He commented warmly about tenor saxophonist-arranger Monk Higgins, who has deep experience charting R&B material, "Monk left me ample space to play as I wished to play, and he gave me the feel of each tune with his writing, I certainly felt uncontained with the liberty he provided, and he definitely writes with soul and elegance." And Higgins, who evidently has plenty, plenty soul, counts Etta James, Muddy Waters, and dozens of others he has written and played for as pertinent credentials. Moreover, he taught music in the Chicago Public Schools for eight years after gaining advanced degrees in music at Arkansas State College and the Chicago Musical College.

So what's next from The Three Sounds? It is more than a rhetorical question. Whether you consider the album as soulful elegance or elegant soul, these are the bags Gene Harris, bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Carl Burnett have pulled out this time to pop your mind As Monk Higgins so aptly observed, "The Three Sounds is a very soulful group!"

Herb Wong