Happy Birthday Joe Harriott!
Joe Harriott Quintet – Free Form (Jazzland, 1961 First Promo Pressing) & Autograph
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Today, the 15th July 2022, would have been the 93rd birthday of the legendary saxophonist and pioneering free-form jazz musician Joe Harriott. It’s difficult to fully describe the impact that Harriott had on the British jazz scene and thats partly due to the fact that he is criminally underrated. He was a regular on the London club scene, played with the biggest names, and most importantly always focused on his own music without being distracted or swayed by others. Case in point is the album that I am highlighting today, a promo pressing of his 1961 “Free Form”. There really is no other album like this, ignoring his subsequent albums “Abstract” and “Movement”, and despite comparisons with Ornette Coleman the 2 clearly took different approaches. The artwork used for the album perfectly highlights the music itself in its modern form. Whilst clearly random there is also a level of detail and control with each element (the log, open drawer, sculptures, etc) slotting into a predetermined framework. This is the same approach that Harriott took with his music, ensuring the structure is there but allowing for irregular pattens, shifts in tempo, and a jaunty melody. Within this framework was the space for group improvisation but rather than building on the main theme Harriott allows for a much more open approach that is not constrained. It's clear Harriott was pushing the boundaries and this session, which was recorded by Denis Preston, is an accumulation of months worth of live performances where he tested the ideas. Harriott is a particular favourite of mine and as well as highlighting “Free Form” I took the time to dig out some other albums, books, autographs, and rare live recordings.
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