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| Allan Harris at J@LC Allan Harris will join the Eric Reed Trio and singer Carla Cook at The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Broadway at 60th St., New York City. on November 9 and 10 at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. These events, dubbed “The Genius of Eddie Jefferson” are to celebrate the creator of vocalese, where a singer puts words to an instrumental composition or solo. Harlem-based vocalist Harris recently released his new CD, Long Live The King, a tribute to the late, great Nat “King” Cole recorded live at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The album has been released to a great response from media, radio, and fans alike. In fact, The Washington Post wrote: “Needless to say, any singer who shows even the slightest strain while covering Cole's songbook might as well pack it in. Harris, however, is so well-suited to the task that he seems to glide from one performance to another, from the spacious and soulful version of 'The Very Thought of You' to the brightly percussive and swinging 'Straighten Up and Fly Right...'” ”As the years rolled by, I have been compared favorably to the great Nat 'King' Cole,” admits Harris. The New York Times' Stephen Holden called him “an extremely relaxed and tasteful crooner in the Nat 'King' Cole tradition” in his review of Allan's three-week engagement at the Algonquin's Oak Room in New York City. The Miami Herald wrote that Harris' voice and demeanor “project the warmth of Tony Bennett, the bite and rhythmic sense of Sinatra, and the sly elegance of Nat 'King' Cole.” In fact, his very first New York review in The New York Post read: “The Man Who Would Be Cole.” At that time, Harris wasn't ready for such comparisons, but a few years later he was contacted by Camelot Productions in Israel to see if he'd consider doing a 10-day tour in tribute to Cole. The tour was a tremendous success - all 10 shows were sold out and the crowds demanded encores at every venue. ”So, when the Kennedy Center asked my manager if I would be interested in doing a tribute to Nat 'King' Cole for two nights, we both knew that a live recording would be a great way to capture the intimacy of the songs I wanted to sing,” Harris recalls. These songs include Cole classics such as “L-O-V-E” and “Unforgettable.” With the release of Long Live The King, Harris is touring with this music, including sold out performances at The Blue Note in New York and at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, as well as other performances showcasing his mastery of musical styles. During his “A Jazzy Christmas” performances, Harris will perform holiday classics in a Nat “King” Cole style. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |