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Harvie S Trio: Going for It

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One of the finest and most rewarding live albums of the year is Going for It (Savant), by the Harvie S Trio. The album was recorded on July 8, 9 and 10, 1985, at the 1369 Jazz Club, at 1369 Cambridge St. at Inman Square in Cambridge, Mass. Bassist Harvie S was joined by guitarist Mike Stern, who by then had spent years perfecting his swinging, ringing metallic sound in a series of top fusion bands. The trio was rounded out by the towering drummer Alan Dawson, who taught Tony Williams and many others at the Berklee College of Music. He died in 1996.

The musical conversation taking place among these three is astonishing. Harvie notes that on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in July 1985 when the group appeared at the club, the space was packed with excited fans and inspired musicians. After the gig ended, Harvie says, the run became part of local jazz lore. Decades later, Harvie returned to the area to play at a Cambridge club near where the 1369 was located. Since 1993, the location has been occupied by the 1369 Coffee House.

On a break, Harvie caught up with David Lee, a longtime fan. When their reminiscing turned to the 1369 gig in '85, Harvie grew quiet. It was a pity, he said, no one had recorded the electrifying music everyone was still talked about. Lee then stunned Harvey, telling him that he had done so with a high-quality cassette recorder and two mics for each set. “I almost fell down when he told me that,” Harvie said.

Now the music is finally out after sitting on a shelf for the past 36 years. The tracks are On Green Dolphin Street, Softly as in a Morning Sunrise, Horace Silver's Peace, Like Someone in Love, John Coltrane's Moment's Notice, Chick Corea's Windows and Mike Stern's Bruze. On each song, the trio works together with familiarity and ease. Harvie's upright bass is warm and swings the guitar and drums. Stern's guitar is exceptional. It has an steely edge with straight-ahead jazz at its core. The two of them together not only produce beautiful music but also create engaging textures. The sparks shooting off of Stern's guitar are fielded smoothly by Harvie's bass. Moment's Notice will leave you breathless.

And then there's Dawson (above) on drums. A gorgeous player who deftly brings his snare to life, mixing rhythms without ever overshadowing. As for Lee, I have no idea what cassette recorder he used on those nights but the quality of the sound is hair-raising with perfect record levels and mixes. Don't miss this one.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find the Harvie S. Trio's Going for It (Savant) here.

JazzWax clips: Here's Moment's Notice...



And here's Harvie and Mike chatting about the gig and the tapes...

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This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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Personnel

Harvie S
bass, acoustic
Mike Stern
guitar

Album information

Title: Going for It | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Savant Records

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