Eddie Harris - SMOKIN' (Janus)

[JSngry]

1. Archway Theme

2. The Golden Striker

3. It Never Entered My Mind

4. Oliphant Gesang

5. Indonesia

6. Sounds At The Archway

7. Step Da Co Eel Waltz

8. Ed's Blues

No personnel. all "straight ahead" The only titleI reconize fro anotehrEH album is $4

[king ubu]

Indonesia is listed as an unissued title from the "Jazz for Breakfast at Tiffany's" session:

Joe Avant (tb) Eddie Harris (ts) Charles Stepney (vib) Willie Pickens (p) Joe Diorio (g) Donald Garrett (b) Earl Thomas (d)

Chicago, 1961

[Larry Kart]

That would be Jon Avant.

[king ubu]

Yes, I just copied it out of the discog - sorry for not checking!

None of the other tunes turn up, but then maybe some of them got new titles for this album? Great cover photo, btw!

[DMP]

And, speaking of Eddie Harris discography questions, on "Tale of Two Cities" (one of those live sessions that Joel Dorn put out on a couple of labels), Harris mentions his upcoming album on Capitol, which apparently involved a lot of over-dubbing. (The comments come during one of the 1983 performances.) As far as I know, no such album ever materialized. Anyone know anything about this?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Apart from "Indonesia" none of the other tracks are listed in my old Lord. The likelihood is, it's old VJ material. But maybe not.

Good, eh?

MG

[jazzbo]

Here's a description from an internet site:

A rare issue on janus ... the only one LP by eddie harris on this label ... Nice LP in a more straight jazz style than his Atlantic LP's. A Great Jazz Funk Track "OLIPHENT GESANG"

http://www.groovecollector.com/groove_guide_item/2/450/1/1153/eddie-harris-smokin'.html

[Larry Kart]

Great cover photo, btw!

Yes, it almost literally reeks of that era, late '60s, (which would be, I assume, when this material. rec. 1961, was released).

[jazzbo]

Supposedly released 1970.

[Larry Kart]

Supposedly released 1970.

That would be even better -- the time when many major cities where developing their own versions of Haight-Ashbury. In Chicago it was Wells St.

[JSngry]

So that's Charles Stepney on vibes?

I think it could be Eddie Harris on vibes, no?

[mikeweil]

AFAIK Harris never recorded on vibes, although it was his first instrument, along with piano (on which he recorded quite often). That Janus LP to me smells like a bootleg of some VeeJay tracks with titles changed. As MG and Ubu noted, "Indonesia" is listed as unissued on VeeJay - "Olifant Gesang" (different spelling) was issued. Aural comparison could help to find out if takes are different. I have the version issued on VeeJay, but not the Janus.

Edited September 29, 2018 by mikeweil

[Hardbopjazz]

I recently got this and the sound on my copy sucks to the point where I will not listen to it again. It sound so compressed.