Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:50
Size: 131,8 MB
Art: Front
(3:18) 1. Blue Skies
(6:15) 2. In a Sentimental Mood
(3:32) 3. Hangin' with the Big Boys
(7:25) 4. We in the House
(0:54) 5. Don't Worry About It
(6:54) 6. The Zombie Blues
(6:30) 7. Little Kevin's Embrace
(5:42) 8. Drinking Wine Blues
(3:23) 9. The Wheelhouse
(7:40) 10. The Very Thought of You
(5:12) 11. They All Laughed
There truly is nothing like the real thing in jazz and in life in general. There’s plenty of the fake, lazy, and misleading but when a true jazz record comes across my desk, I’m truly grateful. Lafayette Harris Jr’s Hangin’ With The Big Boys is one such album. Baltimore native Harris is a veteran pianist and composer of the New York City jazz scene. He’s worked with such greats as Max Roach, Sheila Jordan, Roswell Rudd, Ernestine Anderson, Frank Wess, Cindy Blackman, and Don Braden to name a few. Harris’ previous album Bend To Light was a delightful trio recording. Hangin’ With The Big Boys explores a bigger band sound. Harris is joined by the legendary Houston Person, tenor saxophone, Antoine Drye, trumpet, George Delancey, bass, Will Terrill, drums, Caleb Curtis, alto & soprano sax, Jazzmeia Horn, vocals, and Noel Simone Whippler on vocals. The album kicks off with a hard swinging and pure rendition of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies” with fantastic vocals by both Jazzmeia Horn and Noel Simone Wippler and the most perfect tenor sax lines by the incomparable Houston Person. The rhythm section of Delancey and Terrill cooks. Harris’s piano work is slightly inspired by Thelonious Monk in its tonality and by Oscar Peterson in its attack and melodic sensibilities. But even with such strong influences, Harris has a unique style that is witty, soulful and most of all, sincere. The reading of Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood” is so exquisite and tender and features some of Houston Person’s most heartfelt ballad work ever recorded. Harris’ piano comping is subtle and tasteful. This performance alone makes this recording a must for all music lovers.
Harris’s originals such as the title track, “We’re In The House”, and “The Zombie Blues” bring to mind the dynamically funky ultra- precision of Ahmad Jamal’s late ’50s recordings; especially Will Terrill’s drumming which adds that sweet Vernell Fournier swing to the mix. Caleb Curtis’ thematic soprano sax lines deliver these beautifully poignant brush strokes while creating lush harmonic textures with trumpeter Antoine Drye. Harris’ own compositions delve into that post-bebop mode with imagination and dedication. “Little Kevin’s Embrace” and “Drinking Wine Blues” are exploratory blues based numbers featuring delicately haunting vocals by Jazzmeia Horn. On the first, trumpeter Antoine Drye shows off his tremendously diverse chops and on the second, that trademark Houston Person soul makes every nuance that much greater. The melody lines are syncopated, complex yet very catchy. Harris’ solos are stellar on all levels.
Caleb Curtis’ upbeat original “The Wheelhouse” is the perfect vehicle to let everyone strut their stuff. Curtis, Drye and Harris sound as if the are pushing themselves to greater heights and not just sticking with the easy and overly familiar. Just take a listen to Houston Person conjuring up the ghost of Gene Ammons while blowing over the changes of the Ray Noble standard “The Very Thought Of You”. If this doesn’t give you goose bumps, there’s something wrong with you. This is such an inspired performance. Harris’ piano playing is so thoughtful and complimentary of every soulful twist and turn by Person. This sounds like something recorded in 1957. The production quality is so pure that it makes you feel as if you’re witnessing a live performance. The album closes with a loving reading of George and Ira Gershwin’s “They All Laughed”. Here Harris demonstrates why he’s one of the most talented pianists on the scene today. You rarely hear such dynamics and versatility by a pianist like this these days. Harris isn’t trying to imitate Herbie Hancock or Chic Corea which in itself is most refreshing. If you’re looking for a pure, “straight ahead” jazz recording with some of the greatest players in the world, then you must purchase Lafayette Harris Jr’s Hangin’ With The Big Boys which will be released on May, 6, 2016 on Airmen Records. This is essential listening. ~ Devon “Doc” Wendell https://drjazzdotlive.wordpress.com/2016/04/05/lafayette-harris-hangin-with-the-big-boysairmen-records/
Harris’s originals such as the title track, “We’re In The House”, and “The Zombie Blues” bring to mind the dynamically funky ultra- precision of Ahmad Jamal’s late ’50s recordings; especially Will Terrill’s drumming which adds that sweet Vernell Fournier swing to the mix. Caleb Curtis’ thematic soprano sax lines deliver these beautifully poignant brush strokes while creating lush harmonic textures with trumpeter Antoine Drye. Harris’ own compositions delve into that post-bebop mode with imagination and dedication. “Little Kevin’s Embrace” and “Drinking Wine Blues” are exploratory blues based numbers featuring delicately haunting vocals by Jazzmeia Horn. On the first, trumpeter Antoine Drye shows off his tremendously diverse chops and on the second, that trademark Houston Person soul makes every nuance that much greater. The melody lines are syncopated, complex yet very catchy. Harris’ solos are stellar on all levels.
Caleb Curtis’ upbeat original “The Wheelhouse” is the perfect vehicle to let everyone strut their stuff. Curtis, Drye and Harris sound as if the are pushing themselves to greater heights and not just sticking with the easy and overly familiar. Just take a listen to Houston Person conjuring up the ghost of Gene Ammons while blowing over the changes of the Ray Noble standard “The Very Thought Of You”. If this doesn’t give you goose bumps, there’s something wrong with you. This is such an inspired performance. Harris’ piano playing is so thoughtful and complimentary of every soulful twist and turn by Person. This sounds like something recorded in 1957. The production quality is so pure that it makes you feel as if you’re witnessing a live performance. The album closes with a loving reading of George and Ira Gershwin’s “They All Laughed”. Here Harris demonstrates why he’s one of the most talented pianists on the scene today. You rarely hear such dynamics and versatility by a pianist like this these days. Harris isn’t trying to imitate Herbie Hancock or Chic Corea which in itself is most refreshing. If you’re looking for a pure, “straight ahead” jazz recording with some of the greatest players in the world, then you must purchase Lafayette Harris Jr’s Hangin’ With The Big Boys which will be released on May, 6, 2016 on Airmen Records. This is essential listening. ~ Devon “Doc” Wendell https://drjazzdotlive.wordpress.com/2016/04/05/lafayette-harris-hangin-with-the-big-boysairmen-records/
Hangin' with the Big Boys
