Search - Donald Harrison :: Free to Be

On this engaging, 12-tune set, Donald Harrison amply demonstrates his stylistic range. Featuring a rich, buoyant alto sound (a fluent combination of Cannonball Adderley and Maceo Parker), he makes a striking '90s statement--everything from bebop to hip-hop is referenced (at times within the same piece), but the influences are creatively integrated, suggesting a continuity of jazz lineage, rather than a showy pastiche. Drawing from his stints with Art Blakey and Digable Planets, Harrison joins a flexible, loose-limbed swing with a solid groove to make the complex tunes flow effortlessly from his ensemble. From the fiery, Coltranesque salvos on "Indian Blues" to the smooth, George Benson-flavored "Mr. Cool Breeze," Harrison shows a command of both style and substance. This is strong contemporary jazz unafraid to reveal its heritage. --Wally Shoup