Joe Harriott - Southern Horizons

Following up the Harriott posting a couple of weeks back, here, as promised, is the earlier Southern Horizons, originally out on the Jazzland label, and inexplicably, never reissued.

This is Harriott on the verge of the free form/abstract period, but here, still anchored in the hard bop mode. This is stylish, elegant, tight, swinging; whatever label of appreciation you want to attach to it, this is still fresh music, close to fifty years after its creation. In content, it reflects his earlier 50s output as documented on recent compilations such as Killer Joe. He was to step into uncharted waters on his next release, Free Form, and to earn a name as an innovator and to draw perhaps unwarranted comparisons with the Ornette Coleman Quartet. For those looking for experimentation, better consult Free Form than this one. For those apprecating late 50s mainstream bop mode, look no further. If there was a poll of British contributions to jazz history, Harriott would be high on the list, even though he hailed from the Caribbean. He was later to innovate in a different direction by his collaboration with John Mayer on the indo-jazz fusions. However, by the end of the 60s his style was out of fashion and he ended his life as a pauper with very possessions apart from his alto sax.

This record sticks to the quintet line-up of sax, trumpet, piano, bass and drums (as on Movement), but with the added pizzazz of a superb bongos player on a couple of tracks, just to heighten the sense of hepness to the proceedings.

Partly original compositions, partly covers (including a dynamic take on Caravan), this was Harriott's first long-playing record as a leader.

Tracks:

(side 1)

1. Still Goofin'

2. Count Twelve

3. Senor Blues

4. Southern Horizons

5. Jumpin' with Joe


(side 2)

6. Liggin'

7. Caravan

8. You Go To My Head

9. Tuesday Morning Swing


Line-up:


Joe Harriott - alto sax

Hank Shaw - trumpet (on 1, 2, 3 and 5)

Shake Keane - trumpet, flugelhorn (on 4, 6, 7, 8
and 9)

Coleridge Goode - bass

Bobby Orr - drums

Frank Holder - bongos (on 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9)


Recorded on London, England, May 5, 1959 (tracks 1, 2, 3 and 5) and April 8 and 21, 1960 (tracks 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9)

Released as Jazzland JLP 37.

Interesting piece of trivia: Among the record engineers was a certain Joe Meek who would later go on to fame and fortune in his own right. Anybody recall "Telstar"?


Please note that another rip of this record can be found and downloaded at this site: http://shimanchu-devil.blogspot.com/2007/08/
joe-harriott-southern-horizons-1960.html