BARRY HARRIS
Bull's Eye! (Original Jazz Classics)
Reviewed by Ron Saranich

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Barry Harris is first and foremost a bop pianist who listed Bud Powell as his principle influence. Bull's Eye! thus is a classic bebop session from 1968 where Harris was joined by an outstanding cast of musicians. On four of the six tunes, Harris utilized Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Charles McPherson on tenor saxophone, Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, Paul Chambers on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The other two songs found Harris playing with only the rhythm section of Chambers on bass and Higgins on drums.

Five of the numbers were Harris originals and the last a Thelonious Monk piece called "Off Minor." All were played with passion, with the solos eloquent, concise, and taut. Not much to say regarding such consummate professionals; jazz fans recognize these players as being in the upper echelon of musicians on their given instruments. McPherson, normally an outstanding altoist, used his tenor exclusively during this recording date and performed admirably. The combination of tenor and baritone worked wonderfully and appeared to have inspired Dorham on trumpet.

As the title implied, this cd does indeed hit the mark. Most of the musicians at this session grew up playing jazz together in the Detroit area, and that created a cohesion that is obvious to the ears. The liner notes state that Harris took his time between his prior recording date and this session because Harris was worried about overexposure and waited until he was sure he had something to say. Bull's Eye! was well worth the wait and thanks to Fantasy for rereleasing it as part of their Original Jazz Classics series.

© 2002 - Ron Saranich