Cass Harrison
Cass Harrison is an American jazz pianist and composer. He had two trio albums released by MGM Records in the 1950s.
Early life[edit]
Who's Who in Entertainment lists Harrison as being born in New York on April 25, 1917;[1] the liner notes from his second LP, released in 1957,[2] describe him as "thirtyish".[3] He began playing the piano at the age of four.[3]
Later life and career[edit]
Harrison's first significant exposure as a professional musician came with Teddy Powell's band.[3] Harrison played in Pennsylvania in 1944.[4] In 1948, he played intermissions at Cafe James in New York.[5] In 1954, he played with a singer at the Hotel Warwick in Philadelphia.[6] He led a big band on a tour of South America prior to recording with his trio.[3]
Harrison's first trio album, The Duke and I, consisting of versions of little-known Duke Ellington compositions, was released by MGM Records in 1956.[7] The reviewer for Billboard wrote: "Harrison is an extremely gifted pianist who ought to be better known. He is technically facile, imaginative, fresh in his harmonic conception and possessed of one of the most rock-ribbed beats imaginable."[7] The following year, this was followed by Wrappin' It Up, another trio release by MGM.[2] Critic John S. Wilson described the performances as "a lightly swinging, unencumbered workout".[8] Around 1960, Harrison led a trio performing at the Park Central Hotel in New York.[9]
Harrison later moved to Puerto Rico.[10] He was also a composer.[11]
Discography[edit]
As leader[edit]
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956? | The Duke and I | MGM | Trio, with Mort Herbert (bass), Cozy Cole (drums)[12] |
| 1957? | Wrappin' It Up | MGM | Trio, with Milt Hinton (bass), Cozy Cole and Jo Jones (drums; separately)[3] |
| Sauce from the Source | Cass Harrison[13] |
References[edit]
- ^ Who's Who in Entertainment. Marquis Who's Who. 1989. p. 271. ISBN 9780837918501.
- ^ a b Callahan, Mike; Edwards, David; Preuss, Peter (April 23, 2003). "MGM Album Discography, Part 4: E-3401 to E-3600 (1956-1957)". bsnpubs.com. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Harrison, Cass. Wrappin' It Up (LP liner notes). E3495.
- ^ "Music Grapevine". The Billboard. May 20, 1944. p. 14.
- ^ Smith, Bill (February 21, 1948). "Cafe James, New York". The Billboard. p. 42.
- ^ "Music As Written". The Billboard. February 6, 1954. p. 22.
- ^ a b "Reviews and Ratings of New Jazz Albums". The Billboard. November 3, 1956. p. 28.
- ^ Wilson, John S. (1958). The Collector's Jazz: Traditional and Swing. J. B. Lippincott & Co. pp. 147–148.
- ^ Vaché, Warren (1997). Back Beats and Rim Shots: The Johnny Blowers Story. Scarecrow Press. pp. 127–129. ISBN 0-8108-3162-7.
- ^ "About Cass". Archived from the original on February 1, 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
- ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third Series – Music: Current and Renewal Registrations July–December 1967. The Library of Congress. 1968. pp. 1967, 2043.
- ^ Harrison, Cass. The Duke and I (LP liner notes). E3388.
- ^ "Cass Harrison: Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 17, 2019.