# Gene Harris

Gene Harris (born Eugene Haire, September 1, 1933 – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz.
From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds trio with bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy. During this time, The Three Sounds recorded regularly for Blue Note and Verve.
He mostly retired to Boise, starting in the late 1970s, although he performed regularly at the Idanha Hotel there. Ray Brown convinced him to go back on tour in the early 1980s. He played with the Ray Brown Trio and then led his own groups, recording mostly on Concord Records, until his death from kidney failure in 2000. One of his most popular numbers was his "Battle Hymn of the Republic," a live version of which is on his Live at Otter Crest album, published by Concord. The singer Niki Haris is his daughter.

## Discography
### As leader/co-leader

| Year recorded | Title | Label | Year released | Personnel/Notes |
| 1958 | Introducing the 3 Sounds | Blue Note | 1959 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1958– 1959 | Bottoms Up! | Blue Note | 1959 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1959 | LD + 3 | Blue Note | 1959 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); plus Lou Donaldson (alto sax) |
| 1959 | Good Deal | Blue Note | 1960 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1960 | Blue Hour | Blue Note | 1961 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); plus Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax) |
| 1960 | Moods | Blue Note | 1961 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1960 | Feelin' Good | Blue Note | 1961 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1960 | Here We Come | Blue Note | 1962 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1960 | It Just Got to Be | Blue Note | 1963 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1961 | Hey There | Blue Note | 1962 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1961– 1962 | Babe's Blues | Blue Note | 1986 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1962 | Out of This World | Blue Note | 1966 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1962 | Black Orchid | Blue Note | 1964 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1959, 1962 | Standards | Blue Note | 1998 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1962 | Blue Genes | Verve | 1963 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1962 | Anita O'Day & the Three Sounds | Verve | 1963 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); plus Anita O'Day (vocals) |
| 1962 | The Three Sounds Play Jazz on Broadway | Mercury | 1963 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1963 | Some Like It Modern | Mercury | 1963 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1964 | Live at the Living Room | Mercury | 1964 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); in concert |
| 1965 | Three Moods | Limelight | 1965 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); plus some tracks with trombones added and some with strings added, all arranged by Julian Lee |
| 1965 | Beautiful Friendship | Limelight | 1965 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); plus some tracks with horns or strings arranged by Julian Lee |
| 1966 | Today's Sounds | Limelight | 1966 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Kalil Madi (drums); in concert |
| 1966 | Vibrations | Blue Note | 1967 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Kalil Madi (drums) |
| 1967 | Live at The Lighthouse | Blue Note | 1967 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Donald Bailey (drums); in concert |
| 1968 | Coldwater Flat | Blue Note | 1968 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Donald Bailey (drums); plus Oliver Nelson Orchestra |
| 1968 | Elegant Soul | Blue Note | 1968 | With The Three Sounds: Andy Simpkins (bass), Carl Burnett (drums); plus orchestra |
| 1969 | Soul Symphony | Blue Note | 1969 | With The Three Sounds: Henry Franklin (bass), Carl Burnett (drums); plus orchestra |
| 1970 | Live at the 'It Club' | Blue Note | 1996 | With The Three Sounds: Henry Franklin (bass), Carl Burnett (drums); in concert |
| 1970 | Live at the 'It Club' Volume 2 | Blue Note | 2000 | With The Three Sounds: Henry Franklin (bass), Carl Burnett (drums); in concert |
| 1971 | The 3 Sounds | Blue Note | 1971 | With Monk Higgins (organ), Fred Robinson and Albert Vescovo (guitar), Luther Hughes (electric bass), Carl Burnett (drums), Bobbye Porter Hall (conga), Paul Humphrey (percussion); plus unknown (vocals) |
| 1972 | Gene Harris of the Three Sounds | Blue Note | 1972 | With Sam Brown and Cornell Dupree (guitar), Ron Carter (bass), Freddie Waits (drums), Johnny Rodriguez (conga), Omar Clay (percussion, vibes) |
| 1973 | Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow | Blue Note | 1973 | Trio, with Johnny Hatton (bass, electric bass), Carl Burnett (drums, percussion) |
| 1974 | Astral Signal | Blue Note | 1975 | With various personnel (see listing's page) |
| 1975 | Nexus | Blue Note | 1975 | With various personnel (see listing's page) |
| 1976 | In a Special Way | Blue Note | 1976 | With various personnel (see listing's page) |
| 1977 | Tone Tantrum | Blue Note | 1977 | With various personnel (see listing's page) |
| 1981 | Live at Otter Crest | Jazzizz; Bosco; Concord | 1981 | Trio, with John Heard (bass), Jimmie Smith (drums); in concert |
| 1982 | Hot Lips | JAM | 1982 | Quartet, with Ron Escheté (guitar), John Heard (bass), Jimmie Smith (drums) |
| 1984? | Nature's Way | JAM | 1984 | Quartet, with Ron Escheté (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums) |
| 1985 | The Gene Harris Trio Plus One | Concord | 1986 | Quartet, with Ray Brown (bass), Mickey Roker (drums), plus Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax); in concert |
| 1987 | Tribute to Count Basie | Concord | 1988 | With big band (Gene Harris All Star Big Band) |
| 1989? | Listen Here! | Concord | 1989 | Quartet, with Ron Escheté (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), Jeff Hamilton (drums) |
| 1989 | Live at Town Hall, N.Y.C. | Concord | 1989 | With big band (Philip Morris Superband); in concert |
| 1990 | At Last with Scott Hamilton | Concord | 1990 | Quintet, with Scott Hamilton (tenor sax), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), Harold Jones (drums) |
| 1990 | World Tour 1990 | Concord | 1991 | With big band (Philip Morris Superband); in concert |
| 1991 | Black and Blue | Concord | 1991 | Quartet, with Ron Escheté (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass), Harold Jones (drums) |
| 1992 | Like a Lover | Concord | 1992 | Quartet, with Ron Escheté (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass), Harold Jones (drums) |
| 1992 | Gene Harris at Maybeck | Concord | 1993 | Solo piano; in concert |
| 1992 | Brotherhood | Concord | 1995 | Quartet, with Ron Escheté (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums) |
| 1993? | A Little Piece of Heaven | Concord | 1993 | Quartet, with Ron Escheté (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums); in concert |
| 1994? | Funky Gene's | Concord | 1994 | Quartet, with Ron Escheté (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums) |
| 1995 | It's the Real Soul | Concord | 1996 | Quintet, with Ron Escheté (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums), plus Frank Wess (tenor sax, flute); in concert |
| 1996? | In His Hands | Concord | 1997 | With Jack McDuff (organ), Ron Escheté (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums); plus Niki Haris and Curtis Stigers (vocals) |
| 1996? | Down Home Blues | Concord | 1997 | With Jack McDuff (organ), Ron Escheté (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums); plus Niki Haris and Curtis Stigers (vocals) |
| 1996 | Live in London | Resonance | 2008 | Quartet, with Jim Mullen (guitar), Andrew Cleyndert (bass), Martin Drew (drums); in concert |
| 1996 | Another Night in London | Resonance | 2010 | Quartet, with Jim Mullen (guitar), Andrew Cleyndert (bass), Martin Drew (drums); in concert |
| 1998? | Live with The Philip Morris All-Stars | Concord | 1998 | With Sweets Edison (trumpet), Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), Kenny Burrell (guitar); plus Ernie Andrews (vocals) |
| 1998 | Alley Cats | Concord | 1999 | With Ernie Watts (tenor sax, alto sax), Red Holloway (tenor sax), Jack McDuff (organ), Frank Potenza (guitar), Luther Hughes (bass), Paul Kreibich (drums); plus Niki Haris (vocals); in concert |
Compilations
* The Best of The Three Sounds (with The Three Sounds) (Blue Note, 1993)
* Gene Harris: The Concord Jazz Heritage Series (Concord, 1998)
* The Blue Note Years (with The Three Sounds) (Blue Note, 1999)
* Gene Harris: The Best of the Concord Years (Concord, 2000)[2CD]
* The Complete Blue Hour Sessions (The Three Sounds with Stanley Turrentine) (Blue Note, 2000)[2CD]
* Big Band Soul (with the Gene Harris Superband) (Concord, 2002)[2CD] – contains Live At Town Hall, N.Y.C. + World Tour 1990
* Swingin' the Blues (Recall, 2002)[2CD]
* Ballad Essentials (Concord, 2003)
* Live From New York To Tokyo (with the Ray Brown Trio) (Concord, 2003)[2CD] – live contains The Red Hot Ray Brown Trio + Bam Bam Bam
* Instant Party (Concord, 2004)

### As a member

* The Blue Note All-Stars, Blue Note Live at The Roxy (Blue Note, 1976) – live
* Concord Jazz All Stars, The 20th Concord Festival All-Stars (Concord, 1988)

### As sideman

With The Ray Brown Trio
* Soular Energy (Concord, 1985) – rec. 1984
* Don't Forget the Blues (Concord, 1986)
* The Red Hot Ray Brown Trio (Concord, 1987) – live rec. 1985 at the Blue Note
* Bam Bam Bam (Concord, 1989) – live at the Fujitsu-Concord Jazz Festival
* Black Orpheus (Evidence, 1989)
* Mr. Blue (Denon, 1989) – also with Takashi Ohi
* Summer Wind: Live at The Loa (Concord, 1990) – live rec. 1988
* Moore Makes 4 (Concord, 1990) – also with Ralph Moore
* Three Dimensional (Concord, 1991)
* Georgia on My Mind (All Art [Japan], 1991)
With others
* Nat Adderley, Branching Out (Riverside, 1958)
* James Clay, A Double Dose of Soul (Riverside, 1960)
* Melvin Rhyne, Organ-izing (Jazzland, 1960)
* various artists, 'S Wonderful: Concord Jazz Salutes Ira Gershwin (Concord, 1979)
* Milt Jackson Quartet, Soul Route (Pablo, 1984) – rec. 1983
* Ernestine Anderson, When the Sun Goes Down (Concord, 1984)
* Benny Carter, A Gentleman and His Music (Concord, 1985)
* Junko Mine, Love Me Tender (All Art [Japan], 1986)
* B.B. King, Live at The Apollo (GRP, 1990) – live
* various artists, Concord Jazz Festival: Live 1990 (Concord, 1990) – live
* various artists, Concord Jazz Festival: Live 1990, Third Set (Concord, 1990) – live
* various artists, A Concord Jazz Christmas (Concord, 1991)
* various artists, Jazz Celebration: Tribute to Carl Jefferson (Concord, 1992)
* various artists, Fujitsu-Concord 25th Jazz Festival (Concord, 1993)
* various artists, Fujitsu-Concord 26th Jazz Festival (Concord, 1994)
* Mary Stallings, I Waited for You (Concord, 1994)
* Frank Wess, It's the Real Soul (Concord, 1996)
* Jack McDuff, Down Home Blues (Concord, 1997)
* Niki Haris, Dreaming A Dream (BMG, 1997)
* Marian McPartland, Just Friends (Concord, 1998)

## Honors

* The Gene Harris bandshell in Boise's Ann Morrison park is named in his honor.
* The Gene Harris Jazz Festival is an annual event in Boise that brings together the best of Boise jazz and education in memory of the city's most famous jazz musician.