Tom Harrell

Trip Tom Harrell

Few people would fit the jazz hero mold less than Tom Harrell, whose modesty and lack of pretense is in direct inverse proportion to his talent. And yet, Harrell is revered, not for playing fast, high or loudly, but for his supremacy at fashioning astonishingly beautiful aural shapes with a tone of immense gentleness and depth. Many listeners may be familiar with his compositions, while many will have remembered his fine work in the 70's alongside Bob Berg in Horace Silver's band, and a decade later with Phil Woods. His essence, however, is most apparent in the small groups that he leads. Harrell is featured here with saxophonist Mark Turner in his experimental quartet, called simply TRIP.