Eddie Harris - Excursions

Excellence in Turbulence

I was introduced to Eddie Harris via his superb 1969 album Silver Cycles, reviewed here, and have dipped in and out of his work ever since. This Atlantic record collects together material from the years 1966, 1968 and 1973 so it is a little eclectic, but it isn’t anything one wouldn’t expect, thankfully.

Opener Drunk Man is delightfully chaotic with its shambolic [and distorted] vocal and other assorted sounds thrown across the jangled bells, slapping percussion, simple Varitone sax riff, and horn spurts: pissed funk really! Next Renovated Rhythm is much more straight-laced by comparison, but this does establish the variables that add overall spice to expected fine playing. Third Inapplicable Concord is a wonderful horn ensemble piece, and fourth Listen Here Goes Funky performs its title with aplomb, the Varitone again, and a funked-up female backing chorus [Vivian Harrell, Marilyn Haywood, Mary Ann Stewart] punctuating and accentuating the overall groove.

Fifth is special, the psychedelic Turbulence and reminding of what appealed about Silver Cycles at the time of its release and when I, like others, was discovering the thrill of such explorations. The opening two minutes are electrified, literally, and it then moves into a different kind of electrified playing, ‘straight’ horn and sax duelling at pace, before segueing into another funked groove and Eddie on Varitone - his trademark - teasing out new sounds. This is followed by circus organ punches, dancing bass, and then an eruption of percussion and Harris on swirling saxophone before segueing into another groove but more conventional jazz territory. Next come more organ punches with a Varitone return, and then piano cascades are overlaid with a fuzzed bass and more manic sax arguments. At twelve minutes into this sixteen minute gem we have returned to a simply strummed electric guitar rhythm and piano runs until Eddie’s sax re-establishes the funky groove to gradually slow and then ignite one final time in a hectic close. Blissful.

Fragmentary Apparitions [seventh track, or first of disc 2] has some great trombone playing by Billy Howell to open, and then similar trumpet from Ray Codrington - Leon ‘Ndugu’ Chancler laying down excellent drums and percussion. Ninth [or...] Aleph the Fool has some sprightly and apt discordant playing to start, whilst next Recess also opens with some wild duelling between Harris and Codrington: though both of these ‘settle’ into more conventional albeit fine jazz melodies.

Closer Oleo has some sweet unaccompanied soloing from Eddie on tenor, vocalising into the reed as he blows, and the rest of his playing with the band is simply stunning – but then all of it is. A full players' list can be found here.