I've liked jazz, in particular the sax, for many years but never stumbled across Eddie Harris. I have the Beastie Boys to thank for that..."Plug me in just like I was Eddie Harris, you're eating crazy cheese like you think I am from Paris" from their song "So what'cha want?". Then I Google Eddie Harris and voila I am now introduced to an awesome sax player I'd never heard of. Better to be lucky than good sometimes. And to find a gem like Eddie, its freaking beautiful.
I was 15 when this came, and this tune completely changed my perception and understanding of jazz. It still sounds amazing and cutting edge, 52 years later.
I hope that someday more ppl experience and listen to this and jAZZ in general as it is one of the most uniquely AMERICAN music idioms and particularly Black American idiom. Yes, Black Americans invented this art form which shows the sheer massive soul and spirit of a ppls subjugated hundreds of yrs under the boot of the MAN. THIS IS BRILLIANT!
(Ella's in the audience: How cool is that?) I bought this LP in 1971, and have lived with it and loved it for all that time... ...and only within the last year have I found out that the entire concert was filmed, and is here on TH-cam. I now have two sets of images for this cut, and all the other cuts off of "Swiss Movement:" The images that almost 50 years of repeated listenings have imprinted on my film-of-memory, and this visual document of how it all really went down. (Addendum, 4 years later) I've observed elsewhere that Music, most especially harmony, if it's sufficiently fascinating, has a near-pornographic effect on me... ...it can lift the hair off of my arms when it's really fascinating, and the chord changes to this tune certainly are. Dig how Les is so impeccably controlled, as he lays down the musical bedrock that allows Eddie to explore, with aggressive introspection, the improvisational possibilities of these harmonic progressions. "Soul" has never been more "Cosmic;" "Free" has never been more "Disciplined."
Like Tuxguys this album was at the core of my music soul, with no visual: just pure sound. Same thing: about a year ago finding this. Yow! Like seeing film of your long lost and loved uncles. The biggest surprise for me is Benny Baily: I thought he was gonna be a skinny old oldtimer: playing those high notes like an old vaudville/brass band/New Orleans guy. But no: he's a damn Hulk! Ella: you's was one lucky girl to get to hear that. Shame on you for coming in late, but we love you anyway.
The only shameful thing Ella Fitzgerald did was not to sing with these guys. We grant all great divas a pass on when and where they show up. It was an honor for her to be in the audience.
Mr. Bailey listened to the changes, the way Harris moved through them, and said. "nah. I'm not doing any of that Coltrane modal stuff live and having it down on tape." and he walked off. The changes are kinda weird not really modal, that one chord movement sounds like f#m to C#7 alt or G13 #11/C# or Fmaj7#5/C# same thing basically., and the second part a half step up and some bluesy/gospel pop chords. VERY mixed bag of harmonies. The way Harris moves through it bouncing back and forth the between blues and modal is amazing.
This was recorded in 1969, two years after John Coltrane died. You can hear a lot of Coltrane in Harris' playing. Not quite Coltrane's "sheets of sound," but definitely going in that direction.
CB Davis - I will never understand why someone who could play tenor with such a degree of mastery as demonstrated on Katherine's theme, would rather play a subgenre of jazz (funk jazz).
@@paulturnet4572 because it pays the bills better. Curious and creative souls are also rarely happy staying still and doing the same thing over and over. Look at how Trane moved into free jazz and miles into fusion
@@paulturnet4572 I used to get your point and shared your attitude, but you have to consider the reality of the music business, and surviving the 60's, 70's before the young Lions phenom. , Manhattan trio straight ahead gigs were paying McCoy Tyler 150 dollars a night, FOR THE WHOLE TRIO ,which even in the 1960's was shit pay. That's all you need to know. Adapt or starve. Blame the Beatles, the music industry, an ignorant public. So, like the man below says, it's both. He chooses to stay "relevant", to see if he can make an artistic statement in a simpler genre, and to have a relatively comfortable lifestyle. What would you do? Starve and freeze your ass off in Manhattan, or make some decent money and stay in 5 star hotels in Europe? And, anybody playing this kind of modal jazz in the 60's and moving further and further into "free" is going to suffer even more, and also will be pinned as being a Coltrane knockoff. He established his own voice, he plays, on a 2 chord thing, the blues and the whole history of jazz and then his own flavor and voice into every riff. He is not "going through the motions" for money. He is still Eddie Harris, playing the shit out of every note, in the pocket like no other saxophonist. It's calle "soul jazz" by the way, so if you're going to dismiss, disrespect it and relegate it to sub-genre status with overtones of smug knowingness, at least get the musicological terminology correct. We played 2 sets of this music Friday in Darmstadt... It's not any easier to play well on this music than on any tune on Kinda Blue or Coltrane's albums. Also, look at the chords for "Dracula" by Grant Green or "somebody rocking my jazz boat" Elvin jones. Dt alt. Fsus Eb sus Ebmaj 7 9 gm7......... not C F and G, hommes. some soul jazz is a bit stupid sounding, the themes sounding like "the Dating Game " theme, a quasi latin or bossa 3 chord schlockfest, but lots of it is very "interesting" and complex harmonically., and either way, the solos start and.......well, it's sonny stitt and lee Morgan so......... I dissed it too, before i took this gig. So I know how you feel, but you're wrong. It's not Kenny G playing notey fluff over cheesy programmed arrangements. It's blues and R and B combined with funky beats and latin, and it is simpler in its basic components., but it's just as hard to play well and to sound interesting, in part because of the harmonic simplicity. And the rhythmic demands are much, much higher. Trust me. A lot of stiff old guys (like me) can kind of swing now, but to funk it up? hmm. not so easy. But you'd know that if you played or understood any kind of funky music, which is now and essential part of the lexicon. Today's "new soul " jazzy stuff has surpassed bop and swing in terms of "relevance". If you can't funk you aint shit today. And, really , the harmonies Robert Glaspar plays are more demanding than Trane's and Miles' modal jazz. "Dirty chords" are way trickier than what Evans played on Stella by Starlight. and again, you have to be able to deliver the funk, the backbeat. If you can't, sorry, you're a dinosaur. Since Hancock and Miles and the rest led the way, it's part of the requisite list of styles you have to know. Latin, Swing, Bop, FUNK .... get with the program. Most of the songs have elements of modal playing involved. lots of sus chords. Lee morgan, Sonny Stitt, Grant Green, George Benson, Jimmy Smith, freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, et al, everybody, all played some soul jazz. Eddie Harris: "Listen Here" 2 chords. Listen. If you need more than what he's playing to keep you interested, you aren't hearing well. It's sounds "almost the same" as "real compared to what" but.......no it's not, really. He is "JUST" playing blues? Yeah. Just. Please God, let me play "just blues" like that, once before i die. th-cam.com/video/CsHtO_i4qzM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-Tq96cluj0PMR3Pf
@@paulturnet4572 150 bucks for a straight-ahead trio gig in Manhattan. No, not 150 per man. . For the whole trio. That's what McCoy Tyner was making in the late 60's, early 70's. Adapt or starve, or freeze in a rat infested apt. in the Bronx, or play Montreux and stay in a 5 star hotel. Easy choice. Besides all that, and the fact that a lot of the tunes have sophisticated changes ( i.e. Dracula, Grant Green Somebody Rocking my Jazz Boat, Elvin jones,) even his 2 chord songs are not easy. To do right. We played them Friday night in Darmstadt. I thought "easy peasy" . But no. You need the grit of the blues, the sophistication of the bop and the move yo ass of the funk. All of those. It's called "soul jazz" anyway, if you gonna talk about "sub-genres" and diss it, at least name it right. And thought the harmonies are simpler, you still have to be able to make a music statement over the 2 chords. And with good time feel. And, if you can't play "funk jazz" now, you're a dinosaur. It's part of the current required lexicon de riguer, necesito hommes, Swing Bop Afro Cuban Bossa Funk/Soul-Jazz Since about.....50 years Get with the program opa.
Exactly what i thought when he was gone later in the vid. He heard the theme and he was like "nah". The changes are kinda weird not really modal, that one weird chord movement sounds like f#m to C#7 alt or G13 #11/C# or Fmaj7#5/C# same thing basically., and then some bluesy/gospel pop chords. VERY mixed bag of harmonies. The way Harris moves through it bouncing back and forth the between blues and modal is amazing.
My thoughts exactly. Heard the theme and said "nah." The changes are kinda weird not really modal, that one chord movement sounds like f#m to C#7 alt or G13 #11/C# or Fmaj7#5/C# same thing basically., and the second part a half step up and some bluesy/gospel pop chords. VERY mixed bag of harmonies. The way Harris moves through it bouncing back and forth the between blues and modal is amazing.
![SAFEPLANET - ดาวเคราะห์ [ THE PLANET ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4X1XL3I_k3c/mqdefault.jpg)
Pure soul from the African American indigenous musical genius Top tier musicianship. Calling on some awesome spirits.
Awesome
My local jazz station played this one day and I was hooked. Jazz leaves an imprint on your soul.
Eddie harris's tenor playing on this song in particular, irrevocably places him in the pantheon of great tenor players..... simply mesmerizing !!!!!
In my opinion, the greatest sax solo ever!
Art at its highest level. Been listening to this for 45 years. Keeps getting better.
I've liked jazz, in particular the sax, for many years but never stumbled across Eddie Harris. I have the Beastie Boys to thank for that..."Plug me in just like I was Eddie Harris, you're eating crazy cheese like you think I am from Paris" from their song "So what'cha want?". Then I Google Eddie Harris and voila I am now introduced to an awesome sax player I'd never heard of. Better to be lucky than good sometimes. And to find a gem like Eddie, its freaking beautiful.
I was 15 when this came, and this tune completely changed my perception and understanding of jazz. It still sounds amazing and cutting edge, 52 years later.
Eddie Harris! Wow! Just Wow!
What a tune and group. They blow me away after 50 years
I hope that someday more ppl experience and listen to this and jAZZ in general as it is one of the most uniquely AMERICAN music idioms and particularly Black American idiom. Yes, Black Americans invented this art form which shows the sheer massive soul and spirit of a ppls subjugated hundreds of yrs under the boot of the MAN. THIS IS BRILLIANT!
I have listen to whole album repeatedly my entire life and I still feel every note...
(Ella's in the audience: How cool is that?)
I bought this LP in 1971, and have lived with it and loved it for all that time...
...and only within the last year have I found out that the entire concert was filmed, and is here on TH-cam.
I now have two sets of images for this cut, and all the other cuts off of "Swiss Movement:"
The images that almost 50 years of repeated listenings have imprinted on my film-of-memory, and this visual document of how it all really went down.
(Addendum, 4 years later)
I've observed elsewhere that Music, most especially harmony, if it's sufficiently fascinating, has a near-pornographic effect on me...
...it can lift the hair off of my arms when it's really fascinating, and the chord changes to this tune certainly are.
Dig how Les is so impeccably controlled, as he lays down the musical bedrock that allows Eddie to explore, with aggressive introspection, the improvisational possibilities of these harmonic progressions.
"Soul" has never been more "Cosmic;" "Free" has never been more "Disciplined."
These guys were Grade A musicians this type of perfection will not be duplicated they played with love and passion for their craft
One of my favorite songs.
This is sheer brilliance....
The greatest talent you will ever be blessed to hear!
You are telling the exact truth.. Leonardo de Vinci on horn in 1969.. incredible.
Just a beautiful tune.
AllI can say about this performance is "Meet the remarkable Eddie Harris".
excellent song-writers-musicians-well done-Trinity bless everyone with good safe healthy days
Heard this 1970 when i was 16
Like Tuxguys this album was at the core of my music soul, with no visual: just pure sound. Same thing: about a year ago finding this. Yow! Like seeing film of your long lost and loved uncles. The biggest surprise for me is Benny Baily: I thought he was gonna be a skinny old oldtimer: playing those high notes like an old vaudville/brass band/New Orleans guy. But no: he's a damn Hulk! Ella: you's was one lucky girl to get to hear that. Shame on you for coming in late, but we love you anyway.
The only shameful thing Ella Fitzgerald did was not to sing with these guys. We grant all great divas a pass on when and where they show up. It was an honor for her to be in the audience.
Oh my gosh there was footage of this concert this entire time??
Mr. Bailey listened to the changes, the way Harris moved through them, and said. "nah. I'm not doing any of that Coltrane modal stuff live and having it down on tape." and he walked off. The changes are kinda weird not really modal, that one chord movement sounds like f#m to C#7 alt or G13 #11/C# or Fmaj7#5/C# same thing basically., and the second part a half step up and some bluesy/gospel pop chords. VERY mixed bag of harmonies. The way Harris moves through it bouncing back and forth the between blues and modal is amazing.
..... when Eddie Harris played pure jazz, as opposed to the more soul jazz kind of stuff he preferred to play in later years.
This was recorded in 1969, two years after John Coltrane died. You can hear a lot of Coltrane in Harris' playing. Not quite Coltrane's "sheets of sound," but definitely going in that direction.
Ella listening intently at 0:44. ❤❤❤
💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💌💫☝
Anyone ever figure out the chord changes to this?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Movement
CB Davis - I will never understand why someone who could play tenor with such a degree of mastery as demonstrated on Katherine's theme, would rather play a subgenre of jazz (funk jazz).
@@paulturnet4572 because it pays the bills better. Curious and creative souls are also rarely happy staying still and doing the same thing over and over. Look at how Trane moved into free jazz and miles into fusion
@@paulturnet4572 I used to get your point and shared your attitude, but you have to consider the reality of the music business, and surviving the 60's, 70's before the young Lions phenom. , Manhattan trio straight ahead gigs were paying McCoy Tyler 150 dollars a night, FOR THE WHOLE TRIO ,which even in the 1960's was shit pay.
That's all you need to know. Adapt or starve. Blame the Beatles, the music industry, an ignorant public.
So, like the man below says, it's both. He chooses to stay "relevant", to see if he can make an artistic statement in a simpler genre, and to have a relatively comfortable lifestyle. What would you do?
Starve and freeze your ass off in Manhattan, or make some decent money and stay in 5 star hotels in Europe?
And, anybody playing this kind of modal jazz in the 60's and moving further and further into "free" is going to suffer even more, and also will be pinned as being a Coltrane knockoff. He established his own voice, he plays, on a 2 chord
thing, the blues and the whole history of jazz and then his own flavor and voice into every riff.
He is not "going through the motions" for money. He is still Eddie Harris, playing the shit out of every note, in the pocket like no other saxophonist.
It's calle "soul jazz" by the way, so if you're going to dismiss, disrespect it and relegate it to sub-genre status
with overtones of smug knowingness, at least get the musicological terminology correct.
We played 2 sets of this music Friday in Darmstadt... It's not any easier to play well on this music than on
any tune on Kinda Blue or Coltrane's albums.
Also, look at the chords for "Dracula" by Grant Green or "somebody rocking my jazz boat" Elvin jones.
Dt alt. Fsus Eb sus Ebmaj 7 9 gm7......... not C F and G, hommes. some soul jazz is a bit stupid sounding, the themes sounding like
"the Dating Game " theme, a quasi latin or bossa 3 chord schlockfest, but lots of it is very "interesting" and complex harmonically., and either way, the solos start and.......well, it's sonny stitt and lee Morgan so.........
I dissed it too, before i took this gig. So I know how you feel, but you're wrong.
It's not Kenny G playing notey fluff over cheesy programmed arrangements.
It's blues and R and B combined with funky beats and latin, and it is simpler in its basic components., but it's just as hard to play well and to sound interesting, in part because of the harmonic simplicity. And the rhythmic demands are much, much higher. Trust me. A lot of stiff old guys (like me) can kind of swing now, but to funk it up? hmm. not so easy. But you'd know that if you played or understood any kind of funky music, which is now and essential part of the lexicon. Today's "new soul " jazzy stuff has surpassed
bop and swing in terms of "relevance". If you can't funk you aint shit today. And, really , the
harmonies Robert Glaspar plays are more demanding than
Trane's and Miles' modal jazz. "Dirty chords" are way trickier than what Evans played on Stella by Starlight.
and again, you have to be able to deliver the funk, the backbeat. If you can't, sorry, you're a dinosaur.
Since Hancock and Miles and the rest led the way, it's part of the requisite list of styles you have to know.
Latin, Swing, Bop, FUNK .... get with the program.
Most of the songs have elements of modal playing involved. lots of sus chords.
Lee morgan, Sonny Stitt, Grant Green, George Benson, Jimmy Smith, freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, et al, everybody,
all played some soul jazz.
Eddie Harris: "Listen Here" 2 chords. Listen. If you need more than what he's playing to keep you interested, you aren't hearing well. It's sounds "almost the same" as "real compared to what" but.......no it's not, really.
He is "JUST" playing blues? Yeah. Just. Please God, let me play "just blues" like that, once before i die.
th-cam.com/video/CsHtO_i4qzM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-Tq96cluj0PMR3Pf
@@paulturnet4572 150 bucks for a straight-ahead trio gig in Manhattan. No, not 150 per man. . For the whole trio. That's what McCoy Tyner was making in the late 60's, early 70's. Adapt or starve, or freeze in a rat infested apt. in the Bronx, or play Montreux and stay in a 5 star hotel. Easy choice. Besides all that, and the fact that a lot of the tunes have sophisticated changes ( i.e. Dracula, Grant Green Somebody Rocking my Jazz Boat, Elvin jones,) even his 2 chord songs are not easy. To do right. We played them Friday night in Darmstadt. I thought "easy peasy" . But no. You need the grit of the blues, the sophistication of the bop and the move yo ass of the funk. All of those. It's called "soul jazz" anyway, if you gonna talk about "sub-genres" and diss it, at least name it right. And thought the harmonies are simpler, you still have to be able to make a music statement over the 2 chords. And with good time feel.
And, if you can't play "funk jazz" now, you're a dinosaur. It's part of the current required lexicon de riguer, necesito hommes, Swing Bop Afro Cuban Bossa Funk/Soul-Jazz Since about.....50 years Get with the program opa.
Is that Elvin Jones on drums?
Ron jefferson. Played for years with Les McCann. Going back to the Lou Rawl's recordings in the early 60's
Somebody hit the dislike button by accident.
Benny Bailey wants no part of this.
Exactly what i thought when he was gone later in the vid. He heard the theme and he was like "nah". The changes are kinda weird not really modal, that one weird chord movement sounds like f#m to C#7 alt or G13 #11/C# or Fmaj7#5/C# same thing basically., and then some bluesy/gospel pop chords. VERY mixed bag of harmonies. The way Harris moves through it bouncing back and forth the between blues and modal is amazing.
My thoughts exactly. Heard the theme and said "nah." The changes are kinda weird not really modal, that one chord movement sounds like f#m to C#7 alt or G13 #11/C# or Fmaj7#5/C# same thing basically., and the second part a half step up and some bluesy/gospel pop chords. VERY mixed bag of harmonies. The way Harris moves through it bouncing back and forth the between blues and modal is amazing.