Allan Harris - Live at Blue LLama (Live) (2023)

Allan Harris is a very experienced vocalist with an excellent reputation. Sometimes he is even called the "jazz vocal king of New York", and the Miami Herald newspaper finds in his voice "the warmth of Tony Bennett, the sharpness and sense of rhythm of Sinatra and the sly elegance of Nat King Cole." Harris's popularity rose even further during the days of the pandemic lockdown, when every Tuesday he streamed live concerts under the title Harlem After Dark from his own apartment on the Web every Tuesday. Allan has amassed an impressive discography of fourteen albums over the years, the latest being Kate's Soulfood (2021). But there were no new live albums in this collection for thirteen years. This streak was interrupted by the release of Live at Blue Llama.

This album was recorded at the Blue Llama club, well known to him, in Ann Arbor, Michigan in January 2023. Harris was assisted by his permanent ensemble: the piano trio Sandoval-Kenny-Advads and saxophonist Irwin Hill. It must be said right away that the instrumental part of the concert with spectacular solos by Sandoval and Hill was at its best. Allan introduced four of his own compositions into the program of that concert: New Day, which sounded in the studio version at Kate's Soulfood, the very pleasant blues Black Coffee Blues and two more songs: the old There She Goes and the brand new Shimmering Deep Blue Sea. But most of the program was still standards. The album opens with Bobby Hebb's song Sunny, well-known for many interpretations. Allan remembers her from childhood and invariably includes her in his concerts. Those who remember only the disco version from the clowns from Boney M will finally be able to hear how this composition really sounds. Another "signature" number of Allan Harris is Spain by Chick Corea with text by Al Jarro: for my taste, the best track of the album. And there is also So What? Miles Davis, and The Very Thought of You by Ray Noble, and the final Nature Boy, which stretched for a whole eleven-odd minutes. I think fans of classic jazz vocals in the male version will not be bored by this album.