The Joe Harriott Quintet - "Beams"

Joe Harriott is an unsung hero of the free jazz movement that probably gets overshadowed because he wasn't an American. Ironically, it is European musicians today who are keeping the genre afloat.

A expatriate from Jamaica, he established himself in the London scene upon his arrival in Britain in 1951 and his work drew from influences such as Charlie Parker and the calypso music of his Caribbean home. Often compared to Ornette Coleman, he was one of the first bandleaders that brought attention to "The New Thing." Unlike Coleman, he fully embraced improvisation whereas most of Coleman's work at least had some compositional structure to it.

Movement, released in 1963 on Columbia, was Harriott's fourth full-length album as a bandleader and was released following his influential albums Free Form and Abstract. Unlike those two records, Movement was only half partially improvisational and half of it was hard bop much like his first album, Southern Horizons. "Movement draws upon both styles, the hard bop of [Southern Horizons] and the daring explorations into time, harmony, melody and rhythm of the [Free Form and Abstract]," explains Inconstant Sol.

In the mp3 of the week, "Beams," you can certainly hear some similarities between Harriott and Coleman, but a thorough listen shows that Harriott's style is much more fluid and (at least on "Beams") allows for more space between the musicians.

Free Form and Abstract have since been reissued on CD, but unfortunately Movement remains out of print like many other free jazz gems from the past.

MP3: The Joe Harriott Quintet - "Beams"

Playlist 2/6/08

Anthony Braxton – "To pianist Cecil Taylor" – For Alto
Albert Ayler Trio – "The Wizard" – Spiritual Unity
Two Band And A Legend – "Louie Louie" – Two Bands And A Legend

Cecil Taylor – "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" – Jazz Advance
Frank Wright – "No End To The Sun" – Kevin, My Dear Son

David S. Ware – "Thematic Womb" – Birth Of A Being

The Flying Luttenbachers – "Tiamat En Arc" – Destroy All Music
John Zorn – "Punk China Doll" – Naked City
John Zorn – "Latin Quarter" – Naked City

Art Ensemble Of Chicago – "Get In Line" – A Jackson In Your House
Arthur Jones – "C.R.M." – Scorpio

The Joe Harriott Quintet – "Beams" – Movement
Ric Colbeck Quartet – "Subdued" – The Sun Is Coming Up

- Marquee Smith