Mercury Records Collection: EmArcy MG-36113: The Harris Touch

MG-36113: The Harris Touch Featuring Bill Harris

Label Type :	blue EmArcy type C
Matrix Number :	SIDE-A	MG-36113A-1 MSI M B
	SIDE-B	MG-36113B-1 MSI M1 A

Comments

Later reissued as Mercury MG-20552 (mono) and Mercury SR-60120 (stereo).

Inside The Groove

The guitarist Bill Harris' 2nd leader album on EmArcy.

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

Bill Harris, who is not the trombonist Bill Harris, was recommended by the legendary guitarlist Mickey Baker (who played on such album as MG-20242) to Bob Shad (EmArcy's A&R head as well as producer). Then his 1st album (all tracks were performed with his unaccompanied guitar) was reacted with high praises.

Then on this 2nd album, Bill Harris tried to extend his artistry. Except one track (which was an outtake from his 1st album), Bill Harris was accompanied with Hank Jones on piano, bass, drums and bongo. Bill plays both the classical and the electric guitar on this album - on the acoustic side, his guitar sounds like an emotional spanish guitar, while on the electric side he plays very swingy.

Although this album is much underrated by most jazz fans, it's a nice album.

Strictly Personal Rating (to what extent I could enjoy this album)

7 out of 10

Track Listing

SIDE-A
A-1	15426 (JB46)	Baker's Dozen (Bill Harris)	1:42
A-2	15422 (JB42)	Golden Sunset (Bill Harris - Lonnie Howitt)	2:35
A-3	15267 (JB30)	Honeysuckle Rose (Andy Razaf - Thomas Waller)	2:55
A-4	15266 (JB29)	Midnight Blue (Bill Harris - James Moody)	3:02
A-5	15424 (JB44)	Yesterdays (Otto Harbach - Jerome Kern)	1:55
A-6	15268 (JB31)	The Harris Touch (Bill Harris)	3:27
SIDE-B
B-1	15423 (JB43)	All The Things You Are (Jerome Kern - Oscar Hammerstein II)	2:55
B-2	15425 (JB45)	'S Wonderful (George & Ira Gershwin)	2:18
B-3	15265 (JB28)	Sometimes I'm Happy (Vincent Youmans - Irv Caesar)	2:34
B-4	13440	Spring (Bill Harris)	-
B-5	15269 (JB32)	Rock Bottom Blues (Bill Harris - Hank Jones)	4:19
B-6	15270 (JB33)	The Man I Love (George & Ira Gershwin)	-

Personnel

Personnel/recorded date/master numbers confirmed with the Ruppli's discography.
(“The Mercury Labels - A Discography” by Ruppli and Novitsky, Greenwood Press, 1993)

B-4:
Bill Harris (g).
Recorded in New York City in 1956.

A-3, A-4, A-6, B-3, B-5, B-6:
Hank Jones (p), Bill Harris (g), unknown (b), unknown (ds), unknown (bongo).
Recorded in New York City on May 2, 1957.

A-1, A-2, A-5, B-1, B-2:
same personnel as A-3.
Recorded in New York City on May 21, 1957.

The Artist Also Appears on...

Bill Harris (g) :

EmArcy MG-36097 : Bill Harris
EmArcy MG-36113 : The Harris Touch Featuring Bill Harris
Mercury MG-20552 / SR-60120 The Harris Touch Featuring Bill Harris (reissue of MG-36113)