Customer Reviews

Live at the It Club

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Funk Jazz rarely even equals this album. bassist henry franklin and carl burnett were the perfect replacements for andy simpkins and bill dowdy for gene harris to work in this funky direction. they are able to keep the funky feel while changing the rythms so it doesnt sound to repetetive like some funk jazz can get. even for fans of more bop, the improvization level on this albums is at a hieght for the sounds. Check out volume two, just as good, slightly more down home in feel.

This is one of those albums that you put in and can listen to the whole way through! This is by far one of my favorite jazz funk albums. I would definitly recomend this to anyone to digs quality music!

"Live At The It Club" (Volume 1 and 2) has been recorded 1970 in sunny Hollywood/California and features Gene Harris (the co-founder of "The Three Sounds") on piano, Henry Franklin on bass and Carl Burnett on drums: jazzy, bluesy, grovy! What a joyous encounter while crusing! If you're interested in more live recordings by "The Three Sounds" check out these: "Live At The Lighthouse" and "Today's Sounds" all available on CD.

Gene Harris always swings, no doubt, but here he has added that FUNKY FUNKY long extended groove, that was normally neglected on the other three sounds albums. While most of their early stuff was good and swinging, here (and on a couple of albums preceding this one) he really has time to STRETCH out and MILK each groove. Henry Franklin's bass is excellent, because he can play bop and play funky, so it's not overly simplified, but he knows how to keep a vamp going when he's backing gene. Carl Burnetts' drums are CRACKIN' and POPPIN' he just snaps that groove into place. They both back gene extremely well, swelling and building underneath Gene's grooves.

One of my favorite tracks ever is "I'm still sad." This is the type of you stuff you have to feel from the beginning to the end. IF you aren't paying attention to the groove you won't get the feeling that Gene is laying down. To a layman's ears (who is not into this type of vamp/groove heavy jazz/funk/blues) they might find it repetitive, but I think of it in the same vein as what James Brown would do with his band, directing them until he got them in the pocket. Gene does exactly that. "i'm still sad" starts off a regular groove, but by the end Gene is just POUNDING into a great climax.

"love for sale" has a great arrangement, updated and simplified for this session. And the standards are done solid and swing like they should.

Definitely pick this up as well as the Volume 2. If you are fan of funky bluesy piano jazz Ala Junior Mance, Ramsey Lewis, Harold Johnson, Less Mccann, Roy Meriwether, etc. this should be in your collection.

The Three Sounds were always a classy outfit. Every track on Live At The 'It Club' is a mini-masterpiece. Each of the three sounds (bass, drums, piano) tastefully accent the other.

Just get 'It'.

[DW]

why aren't volume 1 & 2 released as a double-cd album?
they both are great!! JB

I would definitely recommend this album. It's too funky and raw but it's worth repeated listens. Funky Pullett does it for me!

In every cd store I go in, I can't find any three sounds albums. if i really wanted to hear them, i could order a disk or two on line, but i just want to hear how they sound. are they straight ahead, or are they a chamber group?