The Wonderful Sounds

Soul Symphony was the last album cut by the Three Sounds, of which pianist Gene Harris remained the only original member. Bassist Andy Simpkins left after 1968's wonderful Elegant Soul LP, and was replaced on this date by "the Skipper," Henry Franklin. This date is a direct follow-up to its predecessor, in that Monk Higgins returns to orchestrate and arrange a large string group; he co-produced the set with Dee Ervin. Also returning from the previous session is the criminally under-recognized vibraphonist/percussionist Alan Estes. In addition, David Duke and Art Maebe alternately played French horn, Buddy Collette guests on flutes, Freddy Robinson appears on guitars, and the Specialties Unlimited - vocalists Clydie King, Mamie Galore, and Alex Brown - are utilized. In other words, other than a second drummer, Soul Symphony shares a nearly identical setup with Elegant Soul…

When we last left Harry Christophers and his cracker jack a cappella chorus the Sixteen, they were making fabulous recordings for the wonderful Collins label. But that was back in the halcyon days of the CD boom, those far off times called the '90s, when everyone with a little capital and a lot of taste could start a record label. Back in the '90s, Christophers and the Sixteen made more than a dozen wonderful recordings for Collins, among them one of the most moving recordings of Henry Purcell's Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary ever made. But the digital boom went bust and so did Collins, taking with it all of Christophers and the Sixteen's discs.

The Three Sounds - Hey There (1961) {Blue Note Japan SHM-CD UCCQ-5096 rel 2015} (24-192 remaster)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 501 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 183 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 252 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit 192 kHz remaster
© 1961, 2015 Universal Japan / Blue Note | BN 75th The Masterworks | UCCQ-5096
Jazz / Post Bebop / Soul Jazz / Hard Bop / Piano Trio

Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player) and the latest 24bit 192kHz remastering. Wonderful work from the Three Sounds – a tight little combo who weren't out to break any rules in jazz, but who made some excellent albums for Blue Note in the early 60s! The groove here is hard-edge soul jazz piano at its best – similar to early Les McCann work of the same vintage, with a strong sense of rhythm on the left hand, and some wonderfully complicated lines on the right – an early example of the genius of Gene Harris.