Joe Harriott Quintet - Movement

Originally released in 1963 on Columbia, Movement was a follow-up to the earlier, fairly straight-laced Southern Horizons as well as to the experimental Free Form and Abstract. Movement draws upon both styles, the hard bop of the former (with Count Twelve reappearing on this album) and the daring explorations into time, harmony, melody and rhythm of the latter two. The album is roughly evenly divided between the two.

As innovative as the original Coleman quartet, but far less known and appreciated, Harriott was an innovator whose contribution to jazz is still criminally underrecognised. Though, rereleases keep seeping out, so there may be hope still ...

To me, this is as good as it gets. I'm an unreserved Harriott fan and this is another opportunity to pay tribute not only to the South African influence on British and European jazz (of which there will be more on this blog), but also to the Caribbean influence of Harriott and Keane (and others).

Taken off a cdr copy of a vinyl rip, acquired from a seller in the UK. The actual album is long gone.

Tracks

(side 1)
1. Movement
2. Beams
3. Count Twelve
4. Face In The Crowd
5. Revival

(side 2)
6. Blues On Blues
7. Spaces
8. Spiritual Blues
9. Movement

All Harriott originals, except (4) and (6) by (Michael) Garrick.

Line-up:

Joe Harriott - alto sax
Shake Keane - trumpet and fluegelhorn
Pat Smythe - piano
Bobby Orr - drums
Coleridge Goode - bass

Recorded in London 1963, originally released as (Columbia 33SX1627).

Both Free Form and Abstract should be obtainable on CD. The Horizons is long, long out of print (but I do have all three on vinyl, just in case).