Bill Harris (musician)
Bill Harris | |
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Bill Harris, 1947, Photo: William P. Gottlieb | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Willard Palmer Harris |
Born |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | October 28, 1916
Died |
August 21, 1973 56) Hallandale, Florida | (aged
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Trombone |
Years active | 1938–1960s |
Labels | Mercury, EmArcy, Norgran, Dial, Capitol, Verve, Fantasy, Mode |
Associated acts | Woody Herman |
Bill Harris (October 28, 1916 – August 21, 1973) was a jazz trombonist.[1]
Biography
Early in his career, Harris performed with Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, and Eddie Condon. He is remembered for his broad, thick tone and quick vibrato that remained for the duration of each tone. He joined Woody Herman's First Herd in 1944. He was also in the Four Brothers Second Herd during the late 1940s, and he worked with Herman again in the 1950s. He then teamed up with Charlie Ventura and later with Chubby Jackson. Together with Flip Phillips, he became a stalwart of Benny Goodman's group in 1959, although it has been said that Goodman was frequently irritated at Harris because of Harris' indifferent approach to "sight-reading," the skill of playing previously unseen written music with fluency, an ability which Goodman and trumpeter Harry James bost possessed. As an improviser, Harris seemed comfortable playing among divergent stylists, as shown on "Jazz at the Philharmonic" recordings, as his "one-off" style seemed to work in any context, from Dixieland, to swing, or bebop.
His solo on "Bijou" with Herman remains a classic, while his idiosyncratic treatment of the ballad "Everything Happens to Me" is noted for its vocality, and his treatment of the ballad "Everywhere" was inspiration for Roswell Rudd's free-contrapuntal "Everywhere." Later, Harris worked in Las Vegas, finally retiring to Florida.
Discography
With Benny Carter
- Benny Carter Plays Pretty (Norgran, 1954)
- New Jazz Sounds (Norgran, 1954)
With Woody Herman
- Songs for Hip Lovers (Verve, 1957)
With Charlie Parker
With Billy Ver Planck
- Jazz for Playgirls (Savoy 1957)
With Ben Webster
- Bill Harris and Friends (Fantasy 1957)
References
- ↑ John Shepherd (8 July 2003). Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: VolumeII: Performance and Production. A&C Black. pp. 463–. ISBN 978-0-8264-6322-7.