Gene Harris (1933-2000)

 
Gene Harris died at home on Sunday, Jan. 16, from complications related to kidney failure. Harris had endured related health problems for the past few years. He was 66.
Harris regularly played famous jazz clubs around the world, but called Boise home.
The Gene Harris Endowment was established in his name at Boise State University in 1996 to ensure that his legacy was passed on to young jazz musicians for years to come.

Gene Harris was one of the most consistent of all jazz performers throughout his 40 years of recordings. 
His latest recording, "Alley Cats," on Concord Records captured him at his essence - live at Seattle's Jazz Alley alongside rock-solid quartet featuring Frank Potenza (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass) and Paul Kreibich (drums) - with the tough tenor saxophone of Red Holloway and the awesome alto saxophone of Ernie Watts, organ legend Jack McDuff and vocalist Niki Haris.
  Harris, born Sept. 1, 1933 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, started on the piano when he was four. His musical talents were obvious from the start and by the time he was six he was already performing in public. "Even though I was making a lot of money when I was 7 or 8, it did not register in my mind that I would always be doing this," Harris said. In 1956, he formed the Four Sounds (which soon became the Three Sounds) and two years later, within a week of landing in New York, the group was signed to Blue Note. Harris' piano style was always soulful, swinging, bluesy and quite accessible, making the Three Sounds one of the most popular jazz groups of the 1960's. For a time in the late-1970's Harris was maintaining a low profile as the musical director for a hotel in Boise. However bassist Ray Brown soon invited him to record on a Pablo date and Harris eventually joined Brown's Trio.
A Concord artist since 1985, Gene Harris maintained a very busy schedule recording and touring both nationally and internationally.
He performed with his backing quartet, made up of Luther Hughes on bass, Frank Potenza on guitar and Paul Kreibich on drums. For more information on his recordings, you can visit the Concord website here.

Back to schedule