Barry Harris - Magnificent! '1969 [2006]

Tracks list

From the opening tour de force reading of Coleman Hawkins Bean and the Boys to
the closing performance of Charlie Parkers Dexterity, Magnificent brilliantly
illustrates Barry Harris unique rapport with the bop piano tradition. Absolutely
unlike the enervating, curatorial approach of the neo-con movement, Harris deals
with the tradition as a continuum, perpetually rejuvenating and extending it.
Along with the opening and closing tracks, the classics on this 1969 date
include a caressing exploration of These Foolish Things and a dazzling treatment
of Ah-Leu-Cha.

On the latter, Harris deftly finesses the counterpoint that was handled between
Charlie Parker and Miles Davis on the original 1948 Savoy recording.
Magnificents classics meld seamlessly with the Harris originals. His You Sweet
and Fancy Lady is in a sly, soulful Bobby Timmons style. Rouge (not the John
Lewis tune) is a poignant ballad with muscle, not mush, at its heart. Just Open
Your Heart begins Monk-ish, then modulates to statements that are more purely
Harris. Sun Dance (also not the John Lewis tune) is a contemporary
Latin-flavored number. Harris, whose performances here reveal new subtleties
with each listening, is superbly supported by bassist Ron Carter and drummer
Leroy Williams. Both play their roles fairly straight, although Williams adds
some interesting oblique accents, while Carter augments the dead-on precision of
his walking style with harmonic spice, knowing use of space, double stops, and
strummed passages.


Tracks:

01. Bean And The Boys
02. You Sweet And Fancy Lady
03. Rouge
04. Ah-leu-cha
05. Just Open Your Heart
06. Sun Dance
07. These Foolish Things
08. Dexterity

Personnel:

Barry Harris (piano)
Ron Carter (bass)
Leroy Williams (drums)

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