Harris Brings Intensity to Tuneful Show

There’s never much doubt about what to expect from a program by the Gene Harris Quartet, and Friday night at Founders Hall in the Orange County Performing Arts Center was no exception.

Harris is a master at creating a blend of captivating melody and irresistible rhythm. And, although he seemed a bit infirm as he ascended the steps to the stage, there was no uncertainty in his playing and no doubt about the continued intensity of his musical style.

In fact, the ever-whimsical Harris, always eager to rap with his audience, turned to the crowd at one point and noted, “I just turned 66 years old.” Then, after an appropriately dramatic pause, he added, “And I expect to be around for another 30 years.”

Which provoked a roar of enthusiasm from his audience, capped by a shout from one listener, “And we’ll be there with you!”

If so, they will undoubtedly be there to hear a familiar repertoire. Harris’ opening rendition of “Green Dolphin Street” was characteristic of his style. The first sounds were moody, filled with dark, floating chords from the piano before the rhythm kicked in with an urgency that soon had feet tapping and bodies moving throughout the room.

More familiar standards followed--”Take the ‘A’ Train” and “How Long Has This Been Going On?” among them--all done in similar fashion.

In each piece, even those in which players’ solos seemed to go on a bit longer than necessary, the melody was almost always present. Harris’ great skill--dating back to his days with the Three Sounds--has been his capacity to bring a trace of blues and gospel to familiar melodies. And, despite his semiretirement in Boise, Idaho (where, he said jokingly, “I might run for mayor”), his program was brimming with his familiar blend of accessible jazz.

The result was a delightful evening, one that harked back to a time when jazz artists knew that it was possible for improvisational creativity and audience accessibility to be compatible notions.