Starting VT's foray into jazz with a favorite of mine that is perfect for jazz beginners and adepts, something truly electrifying.
Known for his work with the tenor sax, electric piano, and the organ of all things, Eddie Harris was a dynamic Afro-Caribbean jazz legend. Heavily influenced both by his time in a post-WW2 war band regiment and his Chicago jazz peers, with his very first solo jazz album he produced the very first jazz record to be certified gold by Billboard. From there his career ballooned and he produced a number of intense, romantic, even avant-garde + exciting hits, went from being a critical darling to a black sheep and back again, and experimented heavily with various instruments and band sizes all to bring his own unique spin to what the public saw as "jazz". He was no Miles Davis, but he achieved something substantial I think Davis would often fall short of; for his whole career, Harris made music people could actually listen to anytime, without intense focus or acceptance of discordance as pleasant.
(At least before he started to release bad comedy albums instead of music in the late 70s. That's about when his career faltered, for good reason.)
ELECTRIFYING came early in Harris' career and shows a lot of the intensity and power that drove him to become a household name in jazz. It's 35 minutes long with 6 songs; a perfect balance between short digestible jazz and exciting long-hauls of experimentation and melody. Throw this on and someone will make a stink face at the sheer power Harris exudes from his sound; someone will start tapping their foot to the hard rhythms and stellar drumming. No one will frown.
Let's get into it. "Theme in Search of a Movie" is, IMO, the worst song in the album, and it isn't even bad at all, just basic and rudimentary melody-focused jazz. I think it's fine and all, but there's more exciting stuff waiting for us further on into the runtime.
Like "Listen Here", "Judie's Theme", "Sham Time", and "Spanish Bull". In order, we've got a midtempo dance number, a slow and strong romantic ballad, a funky uptempo dancefloor invitation, and a mammoth of an exploratory solo showcase. That's breaking these tracks down to the basics; they're not as surprising as free jazz, but there are a number of strong and exciting moments that break up the monotony some imagine when they think of "jazz".
"Judie's Theme" is a great example of this, as well as a highlight of what makes Harris in particular so strong. Anyone can make a slow and emotional jazz song, but it's the hoarseness of Harris' horn - as well as the sharpness of the ensemble behind him - that really makes you feel every note on a visceral level. The same can be said with "Spanish Bull", an eight-minute number that begins with delicate piano and Harris' electronic sax just positively moaning. This thing sounds like an actual beast, crooning and half-jumping just enough off the light piano and drum skeleton to make it feel like you're jumping and dance-leaping along with the music. I'm not exaggerating when I say "Spanish Bull" is one of the most exciting jazz songs I've ever heard.
Unfortunately, for all its strengths, I do have to say the last track is another unremarkable one, and I was still disappointed by the lackluster nature of the first track. With those two combined it feels like this album is a little too short, could have been a little more dynamic or lasted a bit longer. Is that what makes it so electrifying, that it leaves you wanting more? Something to think about.
Is this the most complex collection of records? No, not by far - but they are fun, infectiously rhythmic, with enough standing out that the album achieves a memorable mix of art and fun. That makes it worth a listen to me.
(dont have a download for this one YET... but it is on spotify!!)
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