I have long admired bassist Harvie S. He has lots of records as a leader. But I like his sideman work probably more. So what about this latest album as leader?
It benefits from the presence of Peter Bernstein. The M.T.B. guitar icon’s presence kind of sold me on it – the other players are pianist Miki Hayama whose work I greatly admired heard on Nnenna Freelon’s Time Traveler and drummer Matt Wilson whose brushwork on ‘Devil May Care’ is just right.
Bright Dawn has originals by Harvie S. plus treatments of Chick Corea’s ‘Humpty Dumpty’ and the aforementioned jaunty Dorough number.
A word or two of back story perhaps at this point. Harvie S (for Swartz) is 77. The American worked with compatriot bebop singer Sheila Jordan for more than a dozen years and has gigged a lot with piano great and fellow countryman, Kenny Barron. Harvie was also a founding member of Double Image who recorded for ECM and Enja. I have written a bit about Double Image recently:
A long time professor of jazz bass and ensembles at the Manhattan School of Music he has a big phat sound that makes you feel as if you have arrived home – the best place in the world. And I get that feeling most on the swinging ‘I’ve Got Rhythm and Blues.’
Hooked? OK, Clamber down into the rabbit hole and hear Harvie S on Now Was The Time with Kenny Barron as a first port of call.
Bright Dawn won’t change the world. It’s not meant to. But it will put a smile on your face and make you understand the bass role in a group setting that bit more both from a comping point of view and for proper soloing as on ‘Yukimi’s Song.’ Arco bass on ‘The Truth’ is both romantic and brutally real at the same time.
