Search - Eddie Harris :: There Was a Time - Echo of Harlem

The electrifying Mr. Harris

Jose Luis Neves | Sao Paulo, Brazil | 11/27/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Eddie Harris album (recorded June, 1990) attests how brilliant this performer was.You probably know some hits of Mr. Harris: "Exodus", "Listen Here" and the superb "Compared To What"; or some good compositions, including "Freedom Jazz Dance" and "Silver Cycles". So, you know he gave a new dimension to the electric saxophone. For the fans, Harris constructed an image of a strong, vibrating,fun(ky) and powered jazzman; well, that's all true. "There Was A Time" showcases the straight-ahead acoustic Eddie Harris,joined by Kenny Barron-piano,Cecil McBee-bass and Ben Riley-drums. On the entire album there is only one very brief bit of vocalese from Eddie,the rest just sound blowing. Todd Barken,who produced this special date and wrote the liner notes, said: "as a singer, pianist, and humorist, perhaps Eddie Harris is too good in too many disciplines for his own good. Maybe he tries to do (and succeeds in doing) too many different things for his audience (and potential audience) to follow". If you haven't been introduced to the Eddie Harris world in the past (listening to "Is It In", "The Electrifying Eddie Harris" and other highly recommended works) this CD will give you an exceptional opportunity. It's a very special album, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised and delighted."

Great version of "Harlem Nocturne"

Matthew James Black | West Bloomfield, MI United States | 07/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If more Eddie Harris albums sounded like this, he would rate higher in the jazz pantheon. I'm not a big Harris fan, but this recording works from start to finish. The highlight for me is the interpretation of Mr. Hagen's 'Harlem Nocturne' -- better than the writer's own version that I bought on a '45' when I was in junior high school. But while most Harris albums have at most one or two tunes that stand out (or none), "There Was A Time" is a very solid effort, from song selection to performance. Most recording artists never make an album this good -- but I would have called Stan Getz, Art Pepper or John Coltrane a "jazz musician" without thinking about it, not a "recording artist," which is probably a statement by my inner jazz critic."