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Gene Harris (September 1, 1933, Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan

Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County, Michigan in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 11,182 at the 2000 United States Census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles, Michigan-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Michigan
Michigan

Michigan is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Anishinaabe language term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
 – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 pianist
Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an musical ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
 known for his warm sound and blues
Blues

Blues is a music genre based on the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes. Though several blues musical form s exist, the 12-bar blues chord progressions are the most frequently encountered....
 and gospel
Gospel music

Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
 infused style that is known as soul jazz
Soul jazz

Soul jazz was a development of hard bop which incorporated strong influences from blues, gospel and rhythm and blues in music for small groups, often the organ trio which featured the Hammond organ....
. From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds
The Three Sounds

The Three Sounds were a jazz trio that formed in 1956.The trio played and recorded with Lester Young, Lou Donaldson, Nat Adderley, Johnny Griffin, Anita O'Day, Bucky Pizzarelli, Stanley Turrentine and Sonny Stitt among others....
 trio with bassist Andy Simpkins
Andy Simpkins

Andy Simpkins was an United States jazz Double-bassist. Born Andrew Simpkins in Richmond, Indiana, he first became known as a member of the group The Three Sounds, with which he performed from 1956 to 1968....
 and drummer Bill Dowdy
Bill Dowdy

Bill Dowdy is a musician and teacher, born in Arkansas. He was the drummer with the jazz trio, The Three Sounds. The Three Sounds recorded over ten jazz albums from the 1950s through the early 70s and played with Lester Young, Lou Donaldson, Nat Adderley, Johnny Griffin, Anita O'Day and Sonny Stitt among others....
. During this time, The Three Sounds recorded regularly for Blue Note
Blue note

In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note sung or played at a slightly lower Pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Typically the alteration is a semitone or less, but this varies among performers and genres....
 and Verve
Verve Records

Verve Records is an United States Jazz record label now owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels: Norgran Records and Clef Records and material which had been licensed to Mercury Records previously....
.

He was mostly retired to Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho

Boise is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Idaho. Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho as well as the county seat of Ada County, Idaho....
, starting in the late 1970s, although he performed regularly at the Idanha Hotel there.






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Gene Harris (September 1, 1933, Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan

Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County, Michigan in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 11,182 at the 2000 United States Census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles, Michigan-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Michigan
Michigan

Michigan is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Anishinaabe language term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
 – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 pianist
Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an musical ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
 known for his warm sound and blues
Blues

Blues is a music genre based on the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes. Though several blues musical form s exist, the 12-bar blues chord progressions are the most frequently encountered....
 and gospel
Gospel music

Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
 infused style that is known as soul jazz
Soul jazz

Soul jazz was a development of hard bop which incorporated strong influences from blues, gospel and rhythm and blues in music for small groups, often the organ trio which featured the Hammond organ....
. From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds
The Three Sounds

The Three Sounds were a jazz trio that formed in 1956.The trio played and recorded with Lester Young, Lou Donaldson, Nat Adderley, Johnny Griffin, Anita O'Day, Bucky Pizzarelli, Stanley Turrentine and Sonny Stitt among others....
 trio with bassist Andy Simpkins
Andy Simpkins

Andy Simpkins was an United States jazz Double-bassist. Born Andrew Simpkins in Richmond, Indiana, he first became known as a member of the group The Three Sounds, with which he performed from 1956 to 1968....
 and drummer Bill Dowdy
Bill Dowdy

Bill Dowdy is a musician and teacher, born in Arkansas. He was the drummer with the jazz trio, The Three Sounds. The Three Sounds recorded over ten jazz albums from the 1950s through the early 70s and played with Lester Young, Lou Donaldson, Nat Adderley, Johnny Griffin, Anita O'Day and Sonny Stitt among others....
. During this time, The Three Sounds recorded regularly for Blue Note
Blue note

In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note sung or played at a slightly lower Pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Typically the alteration is a semitone or less, but this varies among performers and genres....
 and Verve
Verve Records

Verve Records is an United States Jazz record label now owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels: Norgran Records and Clef Records and material which had been licensed to Mercury Records previously....
.

He was mostly retired to Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho

Boise is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Idaho. Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho as well as the county seat of Ada County, Idaho....
, starting in the late 1970s, although he performed regularly at the Idanha Hotel there. Then, Ray Brown
Ray Brown (musician)

Raymond Matthews Brown was an United States jazz double bassist. He is considered by many one of the masters of his instrument, as he developed an almost perfect sense of timekeeping and had a hard swing feel to his lines....
 convinced him to go back on tour in the early 1980s. He played with the Ray Brown Trio and then led his own groups, recording mostly on Concord Records
Concord Records

Concord Records is a United States record label now based in Beverly Hills, California. Originally known as Concord Jazz, it was established in 1972 in music as an off-shoot of the Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, California by festival founder Carl Jefferson, a local automobile dealer and jazz fan who sold his Lincoln Mercury dealers...
, until his death from kidney failure in 2000.

Harris' Ode to Billie Joe is known as a jazz classic. One of his most popular numbers was his "Battle Hymn of the Republic," a live version of which is on his Live at Otter Crest album, published by Concord.

Discography

  • Gene Harris Trio (1955)
  • Introducing the Three Sounds (1958)
  • Genie In My Soul (1959)
  • Feelin' Good (1960)
  • The Three Sounds (1962)
  • Live at the Lighthouse (1967)
  • Elegant Soul (1968)
  • Live at the It Club (1970)
  • Astral Signal
    Astral Signal

    Astral Signal is a soul/funk influenced jazz album recorded in 1975 by jazz keyboardist Gene Harris....
     (1974)
  • Nexus (1976)
  • In a Special Way (1976)
  • Soular Energy (with the Ray Brown
    Ray Brown (musician)

    Raymond Matthews Brown was an United States jazz double bassist. He is considered by many one of the masters of his instrument, as he developed an almost perfect sense of timekeeping and had a hard swing feel to his lines....
     Trio) (1984)
  • Listen here! (1989)
  • Black and Blue (1991)
  • Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 23 (1993)
  • Funky Gene's (1994)
  • Down Home Blues (1997, with Jack McDuff
    Jack McDuff

    "Brother" Jack McDuff was a jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era of the 1960s....
    )
  • Tribute to Count Basie (With the All-Star Big Band) (1997)
  • It's The Real Soul with special guest Frank Wess
  • Alley Cats - Live (1999)
  • Live in London
    Live in London (Gene Harris album)

    Live in London is a jazz album recorded in 1996 by jazz pianist Gene Harris....
     (2008)


External links

  • (Allmusic via VH1)