Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 - November 5, 1996), was an American jazz te… Read Full Bio ↴Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 - November 5, 1996), was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Although he was one of the most popular jazz musicians of his day (and the first to receive a gold record), his inclusion in his repertoire of types of music other than jazz and his incorporation of comedy into his act led many jazz critics to consider him insufficiently committed to jazz. His experimentation with other types of music sometimes had questionable results, but many still regard him as one of the great jazz musicians.
His first album for Vee Jay, Exodus to Jazz included his own jazz arrangement of Ernest Gold's theme from the movie Exodus. A shortened version of this track, which featured his masterful playing in the upper register of the tenor saxophone, was heavily played on radio and became the first jazz record ever to be certified gold.
Many jazz critics, however, regarded commercial success as a sign that a jazz artist had sold out, and Harris soon stopped playing "Exodus" in concert. He moved to Columbia Records in 1964 and to Atlantic Records in 1965. At Atlantic in 1965 he released The In Sound, a bop album which won back many of his detractors.
Over the next few years he began to perform on electric piano and the electric Varitone saxophone, and to perform a mixture of jazz and funk which sold well in both the jazz and rhythm and blues markets. In 1967 his album The Electrifying Eddie Harris reached second place on the R & B charts.
In 1969 he performed with Les McCann's group at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Although they had been unable to rehearse, their session was so impressive that a recording of it was released as Swiss Movement, which became one of the best-selling jazz albums ever, also reaching second place on the R & B charts.
From 1970 to 1975 he experimented with new instruments of his own invention (the reed trumpet was a trumpet with a saxophone mouthpiece, the saxobone was a saxophone with a trombone mouthpiece, and the guitorgan was a combination of guitar and organ), with singing the blues, with jazz-rock (he recorded an album with Steve Winwood, Jeff Beck, Albert Lee, Ric Grech, Zoot Money, and other rockers), and with comic R & B numbers such as "That is Why You're Overweight."
In 1975, however, he alienated much of his audience with his album The Reason Why I'm Talkin' Shit, which consisted mainly of stand-up comedy, and public interest in his subsequent albums declined sharply. He continued to record into the 1990s, but his experimentation ended and he mainly recorded hard bop.
His first album for Vee Jay, Exodus to Jazz included his own jazz arrangement of Ernest Gold's theme from the movie Exodus. A shortened version of this track, which featured his masterful playing in the upper register of the tenor saxophone, was heavily played on radio and became the first jazz record ever to be certified gold.
Many jazz critics, however, regarded commercial success as a sign that a jazz artist had sold out, and Harris soon stopped playing "Exodus" in concert. He moved to Columbia Records in 1964 and to Atlantic Records in 1965. At Atlantic in 1965 he released The In Sound, a bop album which won back many of his detractors.
Over the next few years he began to perform on electric piano and the electric Varitone saxophone, and to perform a mixture of jazz and funk which sold well in both the jazz and rhythm and blues markets. In 1967 his album The Electrifying Eddie Harris reached second place on the R & B charts.
In 1969 he performed with Les McCann's group at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Although they had been unable to rehearse, their session was so impressive that a recording of it was released as Swiss Movement, which became one of the best-selling jazz albums ever, also reaching second place on the R & B charts.
From 1970 to 1975 he experimented with new instruments of his own invention (the reed trumpet was a trumpet with a saxophone mouthpiece, the saxobone was a saxophone with a trombone mouthpiece, and the guitorgan was a combination of guitar and organ), with singing the blues, with jazz-rock (he recorded an album with Steve Winwood, Jeff Beck, Albert Lee, Ric Grech, Zoot Money, and other rockers), and with comic R & B numbers such as "That is Why You're Overweight."
In 1975, however, he alienated much of his audience with his album The Reason Why I'm Talkin' Shit, which consisted mainly of stand-up comedy, and public interest in his subsequent albums declined sharply. He continued to record into the 1990s, but his experimentation ended and he mainly recorded hard bop.
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Coulton-Davis Jazz
Eddie's tone and flexibility ...still underrated. What a sound he could get, then another, then another...
Rick the Bartender
When I was living in Philly in the early '70s, WRTI played this all the time - and I truly loved it!
Jeffrey Hall
WRTI, thanks for the memories!
N'Goma
My dad turned me onto this as a 7 year old. The circle was completed when I played drums with him for 2 nights in DC. Raining hard, I drove him to his hotel. We talked until the sun came up, advising me on playing with the right musicians, showing up on time, negotiating the right money. He made his translation two weeks later..
Jazzman Jorge
I first heard this song 32 years ago when I was beginning to study jazz guitar. It is a great song and the jazz solos in this song are great! I played this recording for my guitar teacher and he told me that this song is from the movie, Exodus. That was a great movie!
Dick Roche
EXODUS by Eddie Harris is one of the "Big Three" songs that turned me on to jazz starting with Ahmad Jamal's "POINCIANA" in '59, "ALL BLUES" from KIND OF BLUE (especially my musical hero John Coltrane's solo) in '59 and then EXODUS in '61 - These three songs help me formulate "My life-time love of Jazz" - Joe Diorio's guitar solo is a thing of beauty and he was only in his mid 20's at that time - today (at age 79) he is currently an instructor in USC's Jazz Studies Program and still plays regularly in the L.A. area - "KEEP ENJOYING THE SOUNDS OF JAZZ" (and make your own list of the songs that turned you on to this great musical art-form)
Luis Figueroa
Thanks
Jay Krusa
Excellent choices. I could offer a few more that "brought me to jazz' including Brubeck, Ramsey Lewis and maybe a half dozen more but Harris and Jamal would be at the top of the list.
The Breathalyzer (Shawn Johnson Music)
All great albums
Dick Roche
Thanks for your response - always enjoyed Paul Desmond and Take Five was a classic during that time period also - my favorite Desmond recordings were with my all time favorite guitarist, Jim Hall - check out CONCIERTO and 1st PLACE AGAIN -they are great - 'KEEP ENJOYING THE SOUNDS OF JAZZ"