"STRAIGHT-AHEAD" EDDIE
Richard Roche | Irvine, Ca United States | 02/11/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As I am now truly a senior citizen, I find myself looking back and listening to the "Old Sounds" again. (This time on CDs not albums.) As I listen, I find myself asking unanswerable questions, such as "Why didn't Red Garland and Stanley Turrentine ever record together"? - or - "Doesn't the anguish in Billie Holiday's voice and an Art Pepper solo sound the same?" The question that comes to mind about this CD is "Why didn't Eddie Harris record more "straight-ahead" jazz?" Aside from SWISS MOVEMENT with Les McCann, you rarely hear one of his CDs that is all "straight-ahead". VEXATIOUS PROGRESSIONS falls into the "straight-ahead" catagory. It was recorded in 1994 in Portland, Oregon with local Portland musicians, and this studio recording has almost a "live date" feeling. It is a quintet format with the excellent Ron Steen on drums, Phil Baker on bass, and the piano worked shared by Peter Boe (two great solos on "IGNOMINY" [with its Art Blakey like horn riffs] and "ESSENCE OF MATTER") and Janice Scroggins. The trumpet player is the little known (outside of jazz circles) Thara Memory with his wonderful Clifford Brown/Blue Mitchell influences. All the songs are Harris originals which were most likely never recorded again. They seem to be tribute songs to famous contemporaries - "THREE QUARTER MILES" (an "ALL BLUES" by Miles take off), "CEDAR TREES" (Art Blakey), "MONK'S MOMENT" (Monk), "SILVER PLATED" (Horace Silver), and a self-named tribute call "MY MAN ED". Eddie Harris was once quoted as saying he wanted to be known as "One of the baddest mother------- who ever played a saxophone." Perhaps if Eddie had recorded more "straight-ahead" jazz, he would have been thought of that way. However, ironically, he was also quoted as saying "Most people want me to play funk." TOO BAD! If you feel the same way I do, get this CD. It's a real good one. ENJOY!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1