Friday, July 21, 2006

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Eddie Harris
Song:Freedom Jazz Dance
Album:Artists Choice:The Eddie Harris Anthology




Eddie Harris was a pianist in Chocago jazz groups who became a sax player by accident when he had a big hit with his version of the theme from the film Exodus in 1961 on VeeJay. He not only experimented in different kinds of music but even tried stand up comedy. Artists Choice is a 2CD comp on Rhino that covers Harris' Atlantic recordings and also includes Exodus. Freedom Jazz Dance is Harris most famous composition because Miles Davis covered it but Eddie's own version well worth seeking out. It's on his 1965 album The In Sound with Cedar Walton on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Billy Higgins on drums & Ray Codrington on trumpet. That's an outstanding rhythm section. Rhino has reissued The In Sound on CD as a twofer with Mean Greens. Eddie Harris died on November 5, 1996 at age 62 due to bone cancer & kidney disease. He had a very interesting career and had more chart success than most jazz musicians.

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