The Three Sounds were pianist Gene Harris, bassist Andy Simpkins, and drummer Bill Dowdy, and they swung in-the-pocket. Although they were not as acclaimed as the Modern Jazz Quartet, the Ramsey Lewis Trio, and other marqu... more »ee combos, their streamlined sound bridged Count Basie and bebop into a modern yet grooving sensibility. This two-CD set features the trio's entire 1960 Blue Hour sessions with saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. With Turrentine's robust, storytelling tenor sound, these dates are no-nonsense straight-ahead numbers and ballads, including "Willow Weep for Me," Andy Razaf's "Gee Baby, Ain't I Been Good to You," and Oscar Pettiford's "Blues in the Closet." Harris's lyrical ivory ticklings, Dowdy's zesty drum work, and Simpkins's deep and delicious bass lines get Turrentine's driving tenor as a topping and show that this ensemble was the real deal. --Eugene Holley Jr.« less
The Three Sounds were pianist Gene Harris, bassist Andy Simpkins, and drummer Bill Dowdy, and they swung in-the-pocket. Although they were not as acclaimed as the Modern Jazz Quartet, the Ramsey Lewis Trio, and other marquee combos, their streamlined sound bridged Count Basie and bebop into a modern yet grooving sensibility. This two-CD set features the trio's entire 1960 Blue Hour sessions with saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. With Turrentine's robust, storytelling tenor sound, these dates are no-nonsense straight-ahead numbers and ballads, including "Willow Weep for Me," Andy Razaf's "Gee Baby, Ain't I Been Good to You," and Oscar Pettiford's "Blues in the Closet." Harris's lyrical ivory ticklings, Dowdy's zesty drum work, and Simpkins's deep and delicious bass lines get Turrentine's driving tenor as a topping and show that this ensemble was the real deal. --Eugene Holley Jr.
"For me, there is simply nothing that I can say that would do justice to the feel, the emotion that this record brings. Turn down the lights, open a bottle of red wine, put on a fire, and pull a blanket up and let the record toss you on the grill like a pat of cold butter. It's slow, and warm, and soothing to the soul. It melts me down and feels like something so good it should be forbidden."
Turrentine with the the Gene Harris Trio - pure jazz magic..
douglasnegley | Pittsburgh, Pa. United States | 09/10/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Gene Harris is one of the best piano players out there, and this pairing with Mr. T is a bona-fide 5 Star classic. Having not heard it for a long time due to a totally worn out LP, I can't remember it ever sounding better; on top of which, now, we get the entire session. More Soul, more swinging, grooving Tenor genius, and a whole lot more fun and enjoyment. Stan is one of the few players on his instrument that can blow the funkiest blues on one track, and then turn around and astound you with his technical (yet always groovy) prowess on the very next cut. Stanley Turrentine was SPECIAL, and he is missed - terribly so."
Blues In The Pocket!
political idiot | california | 07/11/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is yet another great reissue from the Bluenote catalog. Highly recommended for blues lovers like me, it is jazz with a heavy duty dose of blues right from the starting cut "I Want a Little Girl." Also, "Since I fell For You" is very tasty as is the title cut. The 2 disc set features very tight support from the Three Sounds (Gene Harris -p; Andrew Simpkins -b; Bill Dowdy -d). But Turrentine's rich tone is the star. Check out the nice groove Turrentine carves out on "Blue Riff" then Harris jumps in with some smokin' work on the 88s. There isn't a weak tune on either disc. The session details indicate the recording dates as two in 1960 (Dec 16 & June 29), and it was digitally transferred using 24-bit resolution for maximum depth and fidelity. This is classic hard bop at its very best."
ONE OF HIS BEST
Ryan Wepler | 09/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was really bummed to wake up and hear that Stanley passed away yesterday (9/12/2000). He is probably my all time favorite sax player and this album is definitely a must. I especially like his rendition of "Willow Weep For Me". SRV's review is right on for this album. Other great Turrentine work can be found on Jimmy Smith's "Back At The Chicken Shack" and "Midnight Special" and ex-wife Shirley Scott's "Blue Flames" (my favorite)and "Queen Of The Organ". Rest in peace Stanley, the jazz world has lost one of its greats."
Great Jazz Blues
Ryan Wepler | Waltham, MA | 05/03/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I hate to be the first non-five star review here (and would prefer to just write descriptive comments without the value judgements of star ratings). This is a very enjoyable set, with about 95 minutes of very soulful, bluesy playing over the two cds. Unlike a lot of blues saxophone, one doesn't really get the feel that Turrentine is out in front of the band intensely purging his emotions. Instead he plays somewhat softly, and in a way what that is more integrated with the rest of the band. This tendency to blend in with the other players rather than standing out in front of them is a real hallmark of Turrentine's style. As a result, the quality of his playing often depends on the quality of the musicians he is playing with. In Midnight Blue, this produces some amazing playing from Turrentine, as Kenny Burrell is absolutely on fire playing alongside him. Here, the "three sounds" (Gene Harris on piano, Andrew Simpkins on bass, and Bill Dowdy on drums) play some great blues, but there isn't a great deal of variation in the playing. Most of the tunes are standards that have been reworked as blues tunes. The two tunes by Harris--"Blue Riff," and "Blue Hour"--are my favorites because his playing seems the most inspired, but they stick largely within the same basic range of blues figures as the other tunes. Overall, this is a highly enjoyable set of bluesy jazz that contains frequent moments of really inspired playing. It is highly recommended to fans of Midnight Blue or other more introspective blues saxophone. However, it you're looking for someone really blowing his heart out (e.g. Oliver Nelson's Screaming the Blues) or simply for a broader range of playing, you may want to look elsewhere."