Gene Harris

Gene Harris ranked among the most approachable jazz pianists thanks to a soulful approach shaped by Oscar Peterson and carrying the blues-infused character associated with Junior Mance; listeners found his work instantly appealing and dependably strong. Following a stint in an Army band from 1951 to 1954, he assembled a trio featuring bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy that, by 1956, performed under the name the Three Sounds. The ensemble enjoyed wide popularity and issued recordings on a regular basis from 1956 through 1970 on the Blue Note and Verve labels. Although membership shifted and the repertoire moved toward greater R&B emphasis in the early 1970s, Harris preserved the Three Sounds designation for his later Blue Note dates. He withdrew from active performing to settle in Boise, Idaho, in 1977, remaining largely out of view until Ray Brown urged his return to public performance in the early 1980s. Harris spent time as a member of the Ray Brown Trio, then led his own quartets, producing frequent sessions for Concord while also directing the Phillip Morris Superband on several tours; the 1998 release Tribute to Count Basie earned a Grammy nomination. Awaiting a kidney transplant, he died on January 16, 2000, at the age of 66.