EDDIE HARRIS
A Tale Of Two Cities (Hyena)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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A Tale Of Two Cities is made up of four tracks recorded at San Francisco's Keystone Korner in 1978 and three at Chicago's Jazz Showcase in 1983. Unless you're among the far too few with a real familiarity with and appreciation for the talents of Eddie Harris, you're in for some exceedingly pleasant surprises. If you do count yourself among the Harris faithful, well, you're in for some exceeding pleasure.

Producer Joel Dorn originally assembled this album for his old Night Records label, and he's kicked off his new Hyena Records imprint with the reissue of the four Night releases. The cuts he selected for this disc cover a wide range of the talents of Eddie Harris. Probably best known for his soul jazz hits of the sixties, perhaps especially his collaboration with Les McCann at the Montreaux Jazz Festival that produced the million-seller "Compared To What?", Harris' talents extend far beyond that style, and those talents, as a straight tenor player, a master of electronics, a multi-instrumentalist, a vocalist with an original scat style, are brilliantly displayed here.

This release moves A Tale Of Two Cities from the category of jazz collectible to library essential.

Track List:

Chicago Serenade * Cherokee * Lover Man * Sonnymoon For Two * I Can't Get Started * Illusionary Dreams * Don't Let Me Go/Listen Hear

© 2002 - Shaun Dale