By John M. Crossett III
For Record Store Day in 2016 Resonance Records released this album of music by The Three Sounds recorded over a five year period (1964-68) at The Penthouse in Seattle, Washington. These 10 tunes, mostly jazz standards, capture the original band (made up of pianist Gene Harris, bassist Andy Simpkins, and drummer Bill Dowdy [the 1964 recordings] - drummers Kalil Madi [the 1966 numbers] and Carl Burnett [the 1968 tunes] play three tunes each) on four of the ten number with the other drummers taking turns on the rest. But no matter the lineup, this is The Three Sounds, mainly because both Harris (the real leader) and Simpkins are there using decades worth of playing together to keep the sound of the band on target.
Pressed on 180 gram virgin vinyl and mastered by the great Bernie Grundman, you get a flat, quiet surface that masks nothing. These live recordings are in mono, but don’t let that dissuade you. The sound is clear, precise and lively. Maybe not a full on audiophile recording, but not to be sneezed at either - hey, it was a group of live recordings made over a four year period, so what can you expect?
Still and all, the music shines. Harris dazzles as always. He is/was, as he called himself, “a blues player with chops.” And chops he had, right up until his last day among us. The man could play. I’ve always loved his bouncy, lively, joyful playing style whether as a member of this group or his side/solo work later in life. Simpkins bass holds down the foundation for the others to play over while still making his own unique contributions to the overall sound of the band. And any number Dowdy plays on makes for a feeling of deja vu all over again as its the original band. But the contributions of Madi and Burnett should not go unappreciated. This album was considered OOP shortly after RSD 2016, but recently Resonance Records found a stash of 200 unopened copies, of which there are at most 199 left (hahaha). Grab a copy while you can. This is toe tapping, get your butt off the couch and dance music. The kind you’ll want to listen to over and over. I’m a big Three Sounds fan, and this LP is mana from heaven. Don’t miss is. Very highly recommended.
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