Monday, March 27, 2017

USA: The Three Sounds Groovin' Hard: Live At The Penthouse 1964-1968 (2017)

Groovin' Hard is a collection of previously unreleased live recordings of the legendary jazz trio, The Three Sounds, led by groove-master pianist Gene Harris. Captured live at Seattle's Penthouse jazz club from 1964-1968, featuring longtime Three Sounds bassist Andy Simpkins and drummers Bill Dowdy, Kalil Madi and Carl Burnett, this set contains soulful originals and jazz standards such as 'Blue Genes' and 'The Shadow of Your Smile,' which was never released on any other Three Sounds album. The deluxe CD package features a 20-page book of rare photos and memorabilia including the classic image on the cover of the trio performing at the club taken by photographer Egill Gustafson plus essays by journalist Ted Panken, Seattle Jazz DJ Jim Wilke, and Resonance producers Zev Feldman and George Klabin. The Three Sounds were one of the most popular groups on the iconic Blue Note Records label during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and this album compiled from tapes originally broadcast on the radio show Jazz from the Penthouse shows why.