The Cass Harrison Trio - Rare And Obscure Jazz Albums

Cass Harrison born in New York in 1917, Cass Harrison developed his keyboard technique since he was a tender four years of age. He studied classical piano and composition at the prestigious Julliard School. Harrison got his professional wings in the Teddy Powell band, which included in its personnel such noted musicians as Ray Wetzel, Charlie Ventura, and Irving Fazola.

Harrison played in Pennsylvania in 1944, subsequently toured with big bands and appeared widely as a soloist, usually leading his own combo. In 1948, he played intermissions at Cafe James in New York. In 1954, he played with a singer at the Hotel Warwick in Philadelphia. Notable in his background was a big jazz band of his own with which he toured South America prior to recording with his trio.

Cass Harrison will be remembered by record fans for his M-G-M albums The Duke and I (MGM E3388), and Wrappin' It Up (MGM E3495) both superlative collections of urihackneyed standards by six outstanding pianist-composers: Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Earl Hines, George Wallington, Horace and Fletcher Henderson.

The first trio album, The Duke and I, consisting of versions of little-known Duke Ellington compositions, was released in 1956. The reviewer for Billboard wrote: "Harrison is an extremely gifted pianist who ought to be better known. He is technically facile, imaginative, fresh in his harmonic conception and possessed of one of the most rock ribbed beats imaginable". Followed in 1957 by Wrappin' It Up. Critic John S. Wilson described the performances as "a lightly swinging, unencumbered workout".

Around 1960, Harrison led a trio performing at the Park Central Hotel in New York. Harrison later moved to Puerto Rico.

The Duke And I : In 1956, on his first M-G-M album, Harrison delved into Duke Ellington’s  extensive songbook. In addition to two familiar selections, “Azure” and “Prelude”, he brought out  some minor treasures, old Ellington tunes like "Move Over", "Yearning for Love", "Stevedore’s Serenade" or "Ridding on the Moon", which are an interesting testament to his genius. Harrison shows that he was a very talented pianist who should have been better known. He was technically facile, imaginative, fresh in his harmonic conception and possessed one of the most rock-ribbed beats imaginable.

Wrappin' It Up: Three decades of jazz piano are reflected in this second album by Cass Harrison, recorded in 1957 also for M-G-M, in which the pianist interprets the work of six outstanding pianist-composers: Fats Waller, Earl Hines, Horace Henderson, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson and George Wallington. While Cass Harrison's playing was thoroughly modern, he tried to be faithful to each composition, interpreting it in the rhythm and style of his creator while infusing each piece with something new through his own harmonic and rhythmic ideas. Three seasoned musicians of the New York jazz scene, Milton Hinton on bass, along with either Cozy Cole or Jo Jones on drums, provided backing for Cass Harrison on this recording. *Jordi Pujol*

1 - Move Over

(Duke Ellington)

2 - Yearning For Love

(Ellington, Parish, Mills)

3 - I’m Riding On The Moon And Dancing On The Stars

(Duke Ellington)

4 - The Gal From Joe's

(Ellington, Mills)

5 - Stevedore's Serenade

(Ellington, Edelstein, Gordon)

6 - Lost In Meditation

(Ellington, Tizol, Singer, Mills)

7 - Blues Of The Vagabond

(Duke Ellington)

8 - Azure

(Ellington, Mills)

9 - Sump'n 'Bout Rhythm

(Ellington, Kurtz, Mills)

10 - Prelude To A Kiss

(Ellington, Gordon, Mills)

11 - Ain't Misbehavin

(Waller, Razaf, Brooks)

12 - Big John's Special

(Horace Henderson)

13 - Cavernism

(Hines, Mundy)

14 - Rug Cutter's Swing

(Horace Henderson)

15 - Mood Indigo

(Ellington, Bigard, Mills)

16 - Just To Be In Caroline

(Hines, Carpenter, Dunlap)

17 - Strange At It Seems

(Waller, Razaf)

18 - Lemon Drop

(George Wallington)

19 - I Let A Song Out My Heart

(Ellington, Nemo, Redmond, Mills)

20 - Down South Camp Meetin'

(Henderson, Mills)

21 - Morning Dew

(Wallington, David)

22 - Wrappin' It Up

(Fletcher Henderson)

#1 to #10:

Cass Harrison (piano), Mort Herbert (bass), Cozy Cole (drums).

Recorded in New York City, September 1956.

#11 to #22:

Cass Harrison (piano); Milt Hinton (bass); Cozy Cole [#11 to #16], Jo Jones [#17 to #22] (drums).

Recorded in New York City, September 1956 (#11 to #16) and February 1957 (#17 to #22).