Ever
since he burst on the jazz scene in the latter part of the twentieth century,
The Brooklyn-born, Harlem-based vocalist/guitarist/bandleader/composer Allan
Harris has reigned supreme as one of the most accomplished and exceptional
singers of his generation. Aptly described by the Miami Herald as an artist
blessed with, "the warmth of Tony Bennett, the bite and rhythmic sense of
Sinatra, and the sly elegance of Nat 'King' Cole," the ample and aural
evidence of Harris' multifaceted talent can be heard on his ten recordings as a
leader; his far-flung and critically-acclaimed concerts around the world, from
Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, and Washington DC's Kennedy Center, to the
2012 London Olympics, and a number of prestigious bookings in Europe, The
Middle East and Asia, and his numerous awards, which include the New York
Nightlife Award for "Outstanding Jazz Vocalist" - which he won three
times - the Backstage Bistro Award for "Ongoing Achievement in Jazz,"
and the Harlem Speaks "Jazz Museum of Harlem Award."
Harris'
new album, Black Bar Jukebox, produced by Grammy® Award-winning producer Brian
Bacchus (Norah Jones, Gregory Porter), is his most compelling and comprehensive
recording to date. "Believe me, what Brian brought to the table was
wonderful," Harris says, "not only because of his music, but also
because of the vision, and the way he hears things. I'm enamored with the sound
I got." Inspired by the jazz, R&B, soul, country and Latin sounds that
emanated from jukeboxes in African-American barbershops, clubs, bars, and
restaurants, from the mid to late twentieth century, the album - which features
Harris' accomplished band of three years: drummer Jake Goldbas, bassist Leon
Boykins, and pianist/keyboardist Pascal Le Boeuf; with special guests,
percussionist Samuel Torres and guitarist Yotam Silberstein - also marks his
moving and momentous return to his jazz-centered, Harlem roots, where he heard
all those aforementioned styles, genres and grooves in the Golden Age of the
seventies. "Growing up, I heard the sound of Duke Ellington, Louis
Armstrong, Benny Goodman, and Nat King Cole," Harris says, "I was
always cognizant of jazz."
Black
Bar Jukebox features thirteen selections that include several popular standards
and originals penned by Harris. His soulful, silken bari-tenor voice dances and
trances throughout an eclectic spectrum of moods and grooves: from the moving,
mid-tempo, 4/4 swing of "You Make Me Feel So Young," "A Little
Bit Scared" and the Count Basie-ish, "Jumping at the Woodside"
vibe of 'I Got The Blues," to the Ahmad Jamal,
"Poinciana"-pulsed "Miami," the Latin-tinged
"Catfish," "Take Me To The Pilot," which can be compared to
Les McCann's soulful grooves, and an ebullient cover of pop singer John Mayer's
"Daughters," which features Harris' spare and syncopated guitar
strains.
Allan
Harris' soulful sound on Black Bar Jukebox comes from his rich musical home
life, which extended deep into the artistic world of Harlem. Harris' mother,
Johanna Chemina Ingram-Harris, was a concert pianist, and was a graduate of the
first class of New York's legendary High School for the Performing Arts.
Growing up, Harris went to Apollo Sunday afternoon matinees, and he visited his
aunt Kate Ingram's famous soul food restaurant, Kate's Home Cooking; located
behind the Apollo Theater, which was featured on the cover of organist Jimmy
Smith's 1960 Blue Note LP, Home Cookin'.
In this
soulful setting, Harris would meet many jazz and R&B stars who worked at
the Apollo and came by the restaurant to eat and hang out. Another aunt,
Theodosia Ingram, won the Apollo Theater's Amateur Night Competition and
performed at a number of Manhattan clubs, including The Lenox Lounge under her
stage name, "Phoebe." It was through her, that Harris would meet and
be mentored by a seminal jazz figure, Clarence Williams. "We used to go to
his record store, and he'd come into our house on Lincoln Avenue,"
explains Harris. "At the time I was a child ... I just thought that was
just a part of my life. And later, I understood the gravity of the depth of his
history. Yes: Clarence Williams opened up a lot of doors for me, to really get
me into this genre called jazz." It was Williams who brought Louis
Armstrong to the Harris home, and babysat the future crooner, who was
frightened by Satchmo's gravelly, "frog like voice."
Harris
is a first call vocalist (especially back in Harlem), as evidenced by his
potpourri of engagements, including an impressive run as a featured soloist and
producer of Sotheby's three-year jazz series. His commitment to education is as
equally impressive as his recordings and engagements. A Gibson guitarist,
Harris is a long-time supporter of the St. Mary's Children's Hospital and
donates a performance every year to Challenge Aspen/America, along with Vince
Gill and Amy Grant.
All of
which brings us to Black Bar Jukebox: a diverse and dynamic disc that showcases
Allan Harris at the zenith of his all-encompassing artistry. "I'm a
storyteller through the genre of jazz," concludes Harris.
Upcoming
Allan Harris Performances:
December
6 / Kennedy Center (w/ Chicago Jazz Orchestra) / Washington, DC
December
7 / Kennedy Center Awards Gala w/ Chicago Jazz Orchestra) / Washington, DC
December
16 - January 4 / Cafe Society Swing @ 59 E. 59th St. Theatre / New York, NY
January
8 / Smoke Jazz Club / New York, NY
January
16 - 17 / Art Deco Festival / Miami, FL
January
18 / Arts Garage / Delray Beach, FL
January
25 / Tucson Jazz Festival / Tucson, AZ
February
9 / Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola / New York, NY
February
14 / Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival / Rockport, MD
February
27 / Scullers / Boston, MA
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