Gene Harris

Perhaps one of the most accessible of most jazz pianists, Gene Harris’ soulful design (influenced by Oscar Peterson and containing the blues-iness of the Junior Mance) was immediately likable and predictably excellent. After playing within an Military music group (1951-1954), he produced a trio with bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Costs Dowdy that was, by 1956, referred to as the Three Noises. The group was very popular, and documented frequently during 1956-1970 for Blue Take note and Verve. However the personnel changed as well as the music became even more R&B-oriented in the first ’70s, Harris maintained the Three Noises name for his afterwards Blue Note pieces. He retired to Boise, Identification, in 1977, and was generally ignored when Ray Dark brown persuaded him to come back to the limelight in the first ’80s. Harris proved helpful for a while using the Ray Dark brown Trio and led his very own quartets in the years to check out, recording frequently for Concord and proceeding the Phillip Morris Superband on the few travels; 1998’s Tribute to Count number Basie even gained a Grammy nomination. While awaiting a kidney transplant, he passed away on January 16, 2000, at age 66.