The Three Sounds - Standards
Released - 1998
Recording and Session Information
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, October 8, 1959
Gene Harris, piano; Andrew Simpkins, bass; Bill Dowdy, drums.
tk.10 Alone Together
tk.25 Thinking Of You
tk.26 Goodnight, Ladies
tk.43 Lights Out
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, February 4, 1962
Gene Harris, piano, organ; Andrew Simpkins, bass; Bill Dowdy, drums; + Ike Quebec, tenor sax #9.
tk.2 Sometimes I'm Happy
tk.22 Makin' Whoopee
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, June 27, 1962
Gene Harris, piano; Andrew Simpkins, bass; Bill Dowdy, drums.
tk.12 The Best Things In Life Are Free
tk.13 Cry Me A River
tk.24 Again
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, June 28, 1962
Gene Harris, piano; Andrew Simpkins, bass; Bill Dowdy, drums.
tk.30 Witchcraft
tk.32 Stay As Sweet As You Are
tk.39 Red Sails In The Sunset
Track Listing
| Title | Author | Recording Date |
| Makin' Whoopee | Donaldson-Kahn | February 4 1962 |
| Cry Me A River | Arthur Hamilton | June 27 1962 |
| Witchcraft | Coleman-Leigh | June 28 1962 |
| Again | Corcoran-Newman | June 27 1962 |
| Sometimes I'm Happy | Youmans-Caesar | February 4 1962 |
| Stay As Sweet As You Are | Revel-Gordon | June 28 1962 |
| The Best Things In Life Are Free | De Sylva-Brown-Henderson | June 27 1962 |
| Red Sails In The Sunset | Williams-Kennedy | June 28 1962 |
| Alone Together | Schwartz-Dietz | October 8 1962 |
| Lights Out | Billy Hill | October 8 1962 |
| Thinking Of You | Ruby-Kalmar | October 8 1962 |
| Goodnight, Ladies | Van Alstyne-Williams | October 8 1962 |
Liner Notes
DURING the mid-to-late 50's, jazz piano trios sprung up across the nation. Perhaps it was the popularity of Oscar Peterson or Errol Garner or the stylization of the intimate image a piano trio can evoke, but for whatever reason, the piano trio explosion was in full gear. There was The Ahmad Jamal Trio, The Red Garland Trio, The Ray Bryant Trio, The Bill Evans Trio, The Ramsey Lewis Trio just to name a few. They were all modern jazz units. Some trios served as the core group backing up a singer. Ella Fitzgerald had The Tommy Flanagan Trio, Joe Zawinul's Trio backed up Dinah Washington (after Wynton Kelly's trio had done the same).
The Art of the Trio is taken by jazz musicians as seriously as the Art of the Fugue is studied by organists. Even though the basic instrumentation is the same (piano, bass and drums), an avid listener could easily discern the differences between the Hampton Hawes Trio and The Sonny Clark Trio. Each trio had its own signature, a way of weaving various influences into a cohesive statement and direction.
The THREE SOUNDS were part of the trio explosion. Begun in 1956 in Benton Harbor, Michigan as the FOUR SOUNDS and consisting of Gene Harris on piano, Andrew Simpkins on bass and Bill Dowdy on drums (the saxophonist was dropped by the time the group moved to Washington, D.C. in 1957). The "Sounds" eventually migrated to New York City where they were 'discovered' by Lou Donaldson. After a single record for Riverside with Nat Adderley, the THREE SOUNDS signed an exclusive contract with Alfred Lion of Blue Note Records.
This move was fortuitous for Blue Note. The THREE SOUNDS had a natural chemistry and beautiful rapport with the audience. The national audience began to build for the group, and soon the THREE SOUNDS were playing clubs across the country. The group did very well in the booming jukebox business evidenced by the large number of singles that Blue Note released on 45-rpm vinyl.
Alfred Lion's strategy for the group was simple; record them as often as possible, playing material rehearsed in clubs and fine tuned for the recording session. Sometimes a single session would yield not one, but LP's worth of material. Over the course of 5 years (1958-62, the 'classic' trio years), the "Sounds" released 9 LP's. But there is still much more material in the vaults as demonstrated by this compilation.
"Standards" is a fitting title for a THREE SOUNDS CD. The group brought new life to material that spanned the decades. This collection contains a popular song from 1911 ("Goodnight, Ladies") as well as a current hit from 1957 ("Witchcraft"). In between, the history of the American Popular Songbook is given a fresh, refined twist by the THREE SOUNDS.
The CD begins with "Makin' Whoopee", a Walter Donaldson-Gus Kahn classic from the 1928 stage play "Whoopee". The "Sounds" give the song a loping, groovy feel.
Arthur Hamilton's "Cry Me A River" (popularized in 1955 by Julie London) brings out the late-night feel that the trio creates. "Witchcrat", by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh, showcases the trio's love for swinging. Frank Sinatra had made this song a standard in 1957.
"Again", Lionel Newman and Dorcas Cochran's love theme from the 1 948 film "Roadhouse", gets the group back down into romance time. Gene's touch brings out the sentimentality of the melody.
"Sometimes I'm Happy" was composed by the legendary songwriting team of Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar for the 1927 stage musical "Hit The Deck". The trio swings brightly, and gives the impression that they are always happy!
Harry Revel and Mack Gordon composed "Stay As Sweet As You Are" for the 1934 film "College Rhythm". Gene puts the blues into a mellow mood for this version, and Bill Dowdy's taste and musicianship come into full view on this performance.
Another trademark of the trio was the way bassist Andrew Simpkins would set up the feeling during the introductions. "The Best Things In Life Are Free" (the Henderson-DeSylva-Brown standard from the 1927 musical "Good News") aptly demonstrates this trait. After Simpkin's set up, the trio launches into the song in a full swinging mode.
"Red Sails In The Sunset" (by Will Grosz, under the pseudonym of Hugh Williams, and Jimmy Kennedy) was introduced in the US in 1935. It was recorded hundreds of times, and yet, the trio manages to personalize the mood, and one gets the impression that this boat left the dock closer to midnight.
"Alone Together", the Arthur Schwartz-Howard Dietz standard from the 1932 stage musical "Flying Colors", is both a popular standard and a jazz standard, a test for improvisers and a challenge for any group to make their own version. The "Sounds" get the groove out of the tune, and boy do they swing hard. Andy Simpkins's solo on this track is a gem.
"Lights Out", composed by the obscure Billy Hill in 1935, is given the 'lowdown' treatment, and is turned into a slow blues, with Gene digging into the backroom. This is classic "Sounds". The group's treatment of "Thinking Of You", composed by Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar for the 1927 musical "The Five O'clock Girl", is a pure "Sounds" groove. Gene pushes the beat with his left hand commenting on the feel, and then brings the band on home with a great ensemble. Hard core swing!
"Goodnight, Ladies", composed in 1911 by Egbert Van Alstyne and Harry H. Williams, is turned into a blues of great groove. hard to believe that this song could go all the way from Tin Pan Alley to the alley behind the bar, but Gene's sense of Blues is exceptional.
After the group left Blue Note for Verve (two albums in 1962) and then both Limelight and Mercury (1962-66), the THREE SOUNDS returned to Blue Note, but with a different series of drummers. Gene Harris kept the band going until he signed with Blue Note as a solo artist in 1973. But for those classic years in the late fifties and early sixties, the THREE SOUNDS were a fantastic, dynamic group. "Standards" is just a small demonstration of the range and style of the THREE SOUNDS.
—BOB BELDEN
Additional Session Information
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, October 8, 1959
Gene Harris, piano; Andrew Simpkins, bass; Bill Dowdy, drums.
Love For Sale rejected
Blue 'N Boogie -
tk.5 Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams unissued
tk.6 Stars Fell On Alabama -
Star Eyes rejected
tk.10 Alone Together
tk.11 My Funny Valentine
Will You Still Be Mine
Blues
tk.18 Takin' A Chance On Love
tk.20 Blue 'N Boogie
tk.25 Thinking Of You
tk.26 Goodnight, Ladies
Body And Soul
tk.29 If I Should Lose You
tk.30 Everything Happens To Me
tk.31 But Not For Me
Bags' Groove
My Little Suede Shoes
tk.34 C Jam Blues
Out Of The Past
tk.36 Moonlight In Vermont
Babe's Blues
They Can't Take That Away From Me
tk.40 Lover Man
tk.42 Sweet And Lovely
tk.43 Lights Out
This Can't Be Love
tk.48 Autumn Leaves
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, February 4, 1962
Gene Harris, piano, organ; Andrew Simpkins, bass; Bill Dowdy, drums; + Ike Quebec, tenor sax #9.
tk.2 Sometimes I'm Happy
tk.4 Easy Does It unissued
tk.6 Azule Serape BLP 4155 CD Issue
tk.7 Out Of This World BLP 4197
tk.9 Girl Of My Dreams BLP 4197
tk.10 Old Lamplighter unissued
tk.11 Just In Time BLP 4197
tk.14 I Thought About You unissued
tk.18 Blues On Trial 5-21484-2
tk.20 Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise unissued
tk.22 Makin' Whoopee
tk.23 For Dancers Only BLP 4155 CD Issue
tk.24 Nature Boy BLP 4155 CD Issue
tk.25 Remember unissued
tk.26 Wadin' -
tk.27 Mountain Greenery -
tk.29 What A Difference A Day Makes -
tk.30 Tadd's Delight BLP 4155 CD Issue
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, June 27, 1962
Gene Harris, piano; Andrew Simpkins, bass; Bill Dowdy, drums.
tk.4 My Romance unissued
tk.6 El Dormido unissued
tk.7 June Night unissued
tk.8 But Beautiful unissued
tk.11 There They Go unissued
tk.12 The Best Things In Life Are Free
tk.13 Cry Me A River
tk.14 Back Home BLP 4155 CD Issue
tk.18 You Dig It BLP 4155 CD Issue
tk.21 Moon River unissued
tk.22 In A Little Spanish Town -
tk.24 Again
tk.25 Theme From M Squad BLP 4155 CD Issue
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, June 28, 1962
Gene Harris, piano; Andrew Simpkins, bass; Bill Dowdy, drums.
tk.30 Witchcraft
tk.31A Blues For Beth unissued
tk.32 Stay As Sweet As You Are
Drivin' Home rejected
tk.36 For Me And My Gal unissued
tk.39 Red Sails In The Sunset
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