Sunday, November 13, 2011

Listen in the dark for full, bluesy effect

It's a good thing overcast skies and the hint of RAIN have combined to make it dark as I sit here.
The record I am enjoying should only be heard when it's dark.
"BLUE HOUR," a 1960 collaboration between tenor saxophonist STANLEY TURRENTINE and THE 3 SOUNDS boasts a type of laid-back cool that works the best when the lights are low.
The secret to this musical concoction might be GENE HARRIS, the piano-playing third of the aforementioned trio, the 3 Sounds.
Harris was revered for his beautiful touch on his instrument, and the 3 Sounds' popularity among jazz fans of the late 1950s and early 1960s was such that the trio released nine albums for BLUE NOTE RECORDS during the period.
The chemistry Harris shared with the other two members of the trio, bassist ANDY SIMPKINS and drummer BILL DOWDY, is also easily recognized and appreciated when you hear them.
"To appreciate our jazz, an audience must listen," Harris said in a contemporary newspaper interview. "We talk different languages. Listen long enough, you'll catch the beat and the melody."
I would add that if you listen in darkness, you'll also catch a bluesy vibe, a memorable feeling.