Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Gene Harris was born on September 1, 1933 in Benton Harbor, Michigan where he was first drawn to music at the age of four. He was attracted to the music of local bandleader Charles Metcalf’s group and was inspired to try to pick out songs on the piano. He also enjoyed the music he heard in church and the boogie-woogie records of his parents.

Gene quickly developed as a pianist, having many opportunities to play music while serving in the Army from 1951 – 54. Following his discharge, he originally formed The Four Sounds, but by 1956 abandoned their original plan to include a tenor-saxophonist and renamed themselves The Three Sounds. Joining Harris in the original line up of the band was bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy.

For the next 15 years, the trio made many notable recordings for Blue Note and other labels as well as supporting such musicians as Lester Young, Lou Donaldson, Nat Adderley, Johnny Griffin, Anita O’Day, Stanley Turrentine and Sonny Stitt, among others. In 1973, The Three Sounds disbanded, leaving Harris to pursue a solo career until he semi-retired in 1977, playing sometimes only in Boise, Idaho.

In the early eighties Ray Brown convinced Gene to tour with his trio and then led his own groups once again, recording mostly on Concord. Gene Harris was one of the most accessible jazz pianists and his soulful sound was immediately likable as he returned to the spotlight. He was widely associated with the Philip Morris Super Band for many years. The Grammy winning artist, whose music was infused with blues and gospel, left a legacy of sixty albums as a leader, 34 as a sideman and nine compilations before his passing away on January 16, 2000 of kidney failure at the age of 66.

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