Loston Harris - Why Try To Change Me Now

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:59
Size: 110,4 MB
Art: Front

(9:12)  1. Young At Heart
(6:13)  2. Angel Eyes
(3:52)  3. From This Moment On
(3:52)  4. Day In-day Out
(4:01)  5. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(3:57)  6. Why Try to Change Me Now
(4:34)  7. Jordu
(6:14)  8. Too Close for Comfort
(3:57)  9. That Old Black Magic
(2:02) 10. Empty Tables

Loston Harris' recorded debut as a leader, Comes Love (N2K) in 1998, cast him in the role of a traditionalist who played expert modern swing piano (with touches of Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal and Red Garland) and took a few cheerful vocals (including on "Close Your Eyes" and "Comes Love"). A subtle improviser, Harris (heard with a trio/quartet) was reshaping the past and sounding quite creative within the older style. He actually had started seriously playing piano fairly late. Harris had some piano lessons when he was five but soon dropped the instrument. Instead he played drums from the time he was ten until he hit his early twenties, primarily rock and r&b. He received a scholarship to Virginia Commonwealth University and was initially a percussion major. 

However Ellis Marsalis (who was a visiting professor at VCU) heard Harris jamming on the piano and he suggested that he switch instruments since Harris a natural feel for the piano. Soon Harris was practicing eight-to-ten hours a day and, when Marsalis returned to New Orleans, he transferred to Howard University. He had opportunities to study with Geri Allen and Billy Taylor and was soon working locally. After graduating, Harris landed a local gig three nights a week in Reston, Virginia that continued throughout the 1990's. In addition, he toured with Wynton Marsalis in 1995, played second piano for Marcus Roberts on his "Portraits In Blue" tour in 1996 and had opportunities to play with Kenny Garrett, Roy Hargrove and Joshua Redman. Loston Harris began singing in the mid-1990's after being inspired by Nat King Cole records and he clearly has strong potential for the future. Bio  ~ https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/loston-harris/id56727018#fullText

Why Try To Change Me Now

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Loston Harris - Swingfully Yours

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:51
Size: 86,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:26)  1. Kiss And Run
(3:04)  2. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(3:13)  3. I'm Old Fashioned
(2:52)  4. Hey You With The Crazy Eyes
(6:20)  5. How About You
(4:24)  6. I've Got The World On A String
(4:08)  7. 9:26 Special
(4:39)  8. The Lamp Is Low
(2:40)  9. You Can't Love 'Em All

The liner notes for Loston Harris’ Swingfully Yours set a clear agenda. “This recording is all about swing,” declares the pianist and singer, a mainstay at New York’s famed Carlyle Hotel. “No torch songs or ballads, just tunes with tempos that make you wanna tap your toes.” Harris delivers on his promise with this nine-track collection, his quartet deep in the pocket of their frontman’s all-swing, all-the-time marching orders.Harris isn’t out to re-conceptualize the standards that make up the setlist for Swingfully Yours. This is old-school small-group swing, with a bounce and ebullience that works for laidback listening as well as it would for the dance floor. Harris’ work on the 88s is crisp and elegant, simultaneously devoted to pace and melodic clarity. 

But he’s unafraid to lay down hammer-blow block chords on “Hey You With the Crazy Eyes,” and he burns through a finger-busting solo on his own instrumental arrangement of Earl Warren’s “9:20 Special.” While perhaps not as stylistically distinctive as his piano, Harris’ vocals, smoky-smooth with a minimum of croon, caress Ralph Freed’s legendary lyrics for “How About You?,” and he brings a pleasing breathiness to Cahn and Van Heusen’s “You Can’t Love ’Em All.” Tenor saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith offers a fine, full tone whether soloing or comping behind Harris’ vocals. Gianluca Renzi works his bass’ natural woodiness for all it’s worth on “Kiss and Run,” and Carmen Intorre Jr.’s slick snare shots and sharp ride cymbal give the music a splashy energy throughout. Swingfully Yours runs a brisk 39 minutes, but Harris and his ensemble pack every second with pure, no-nonsense swing. ~ Matt R.Lohr  http://jazztimes.com/articles/132473-swingfully-yours-loston-harris

Personnel: Loston Harris (vocals, piano); Ian Hendrickson-Smith (tenor saxophone); Carmen Intorre (drums).

Swingfully Yours

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Loston Harris - Comes Love

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:59
Size: 98,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Swinging At The Haven
(4:48)  2. Moonlight In Vermont
(3:15)  3. Close Your Eyes
(4:22)  4. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
(4:00)  5. Stompin Down Broadway
(4:36)  6. Comes Love
(5:34)  7. There Goes My Heart
(6:50)  8. Easy Listening Blues
(4:42)  9. Shaw We Dance?

Loston Harris' debut makes it easy to compare him to early Harry Connick, Jr. Harris plays piano in a likable style that is swing-based but sometimes boppish; he takes four vocals that sound a bit like Connick, performs an Ellis Marsalis piece ("Swinging at the Haven") and even thanks Ellis and Wynton Marsalis and Marcus Roberts, among others, in the acknowledgements. Harris has stronger technique than Connick (his playing on "Easy Listening Blues" is a good example) and Oscar Peterson is one of his influences. His vocals are unassuming, straightforward and warm. Although no innovations are heard and Loston Harris is in the early stages of forming his own sound, overall this trio date (with bassist David Grossman, drummer Clarence Penn and, on three numbers, Mark Shim guesting on tenor) is an enjoyable set of swinging music. The highlights include "Moonlight in Vermont" (which has a groove reminiscent of the Ahmad Jamal Trio), "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me," "Comes Love" and "Easy Listening Blues." ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/comes-love-mw0000034193

Personnel: Loston Harris (vocals, piano); Mark Shim (tenor saxophone); Clarence Penn (drums).

Comes Love

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