By Andrew Poretz …
Singer, guitarist and songwriter Allan Harris brought his golden baritone and his matching gold guitar to Chelsea Table + Stage for a grade-A set of jazz standards, Nat King Cole ballads, and some hot blues on Saturday, May 5. Mr. Harris was supported by a trio of pianist Arcoiris Sandoval, bassist Marty Kenney and drummer Willy Rodriguez. The set was largely different from the last time this writer reviewed an Allan Harris show more than a year ago. (Read HERE.)
This beautiful Chelsea venue has blossomed of late, with diverse, well-known jazz and cabaret performers on the calendar. There’s a revamped menu. The delicious grilled skirt steak with grilled vegetables is just one welcome addition.
The cool cat star, snazzily dressed in a dark, patterned dinner jacket and sporting a black Trilby hat, opened with his original tune, “New Day.”
Mr. Harris demonstrated his vocalese ability with the Eddie Jefferson version of Miles Davis’s “So What.” By the third song, the haunting Jefferson ballad “Jeannine” (Oscar Brown Jr. and Duke Pearson), Mr. Harris brought up his surprise special guest, Israeli-born guitarist Roni Ben-Hur. Mr. Ben-Hur, who played for the remainder of the set, is an exceptional jazz guitarist. His archtop’s sweetness was a pleasing counter to Mr. Harris’s edgier Les Paul.
Pianist Arcoiris is also a talented, innovative arranger. When Mr. Harris told her he was bored of his usual arrangement for the Bobby Hebb classic “Sunny,” she turned the song on its head with a hot, syncopated counterrhythm that switched neatly between 6/8 and 4/4. Brava!
The star utilized Mr. Ben-Hur’s bossa nova specialty for Jobim’s “Desifinado,” with a swell solo by Mr. Ben-Hur and some scat singing by Mr. Harris.
“Was it in Tahiti?” Mr. Harris musically mused as he turned to the Nat King Cole songbook with “I Remember You.” The star, who has a slightly gruff vocal timbre that is reminiscent of the Cole sound, treats these selections with great reverence. Here, Mr. Ben-Hur’s playing gave this “cut” a King Cole Trio vibe, albeit with a drummer.
On “Black Coffee Blues,” from Mr. Harris’s It’s a Wonderful World album, the star showed off some serious slide blues chops. The number fits the star like a glove—it has the hallmarks of a blues standard that could have been written a hundred years ago.
Mr. Harris returned to the Cole songbook with a pair of sensational, transformative arrangements of “Mona Lisa” and “Nature Boy.” “Mona Lisa” featured an intimate approach, with Mr. Harris singing with only Arcoiris and her wonderful piano voicings. Arcoiris again surprised with a fascinating take on “Nature Boy” that combined two separate styles, as if the Jets and the Sharks were fighting it out for keyboard territory. Mr. Harris scatted in a terrific call-and-response with Rodriguez, making full use of the Latin percussionist’s considerable skills.
“Let’s do something dangerous,” Mr. Harris declared. With that, the star nailed “Moody’s Mood for Love,” the James Moody vocalese tour de force.
The evening closed out with a brand-new Harris composition “Shimmering Deep Blue Sea,” inspired by Mr. Harris’s recent discovery of old film noir movies.
This was a most satisfying set, with fan favorites, several unique new arrangements, and a new original number. Mr. Harris was in fine voice. His trio, augmented by special guest Roni Ben-Hur’s dynamic guitar work, was first-rate. Their next scheduled Manhattan appearance is at Mezzrow in October.
Allan Harris performed on May 5 at Chelsea Table + Stage in the Hilton Fashion District Hotel (152 West 26th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) chelseatableandstage.com.
Photos: Andrew Poretz
