HARRIS, DAVE & THE POWERHOUSE FIVE
DINNER MUSIC FOR A PACK OF HUNGRY CANNIBALS (SONITRON)
Recorded in 1958, Dave Harris's only release as a band leader was a magnificent tribute to Raymond Scott, the legendary forerunner of space sound and author of many classics referenced by jazz to pop/rock musicians and engraved in millions of minds through their use in countless cartoons and movies during the years.
Harris was a highly considered studio musician and played tenor sax in Scott's legendary Quintette during the late 1930s.
During his stance in the Quintette, Harris developed a deep respect for Scott and learned from the master a few compositional techniques: wild changes in rhythm, accelerations in tempo, exotic references, and thundering percussion to name a few.
Those wild elements, plus Harris's own skills as band leader and the consummated and playful musicianship of his sidemen, make this album a whirlwind of sensations in which Harris and his quintet glow with energy, joy and sharp craftsmanship while adapting the master's legendary tunes to a modern, hi-fi style.
All through the 12 themes that compose the album, Dave Harris and the Powerhouse Five make the listener part of a joyful trip in which Scott's "portraits in music" come back to life filled with a new manic energy, a playful spirit and an undeniable love for Scott's repertoire that doesn't stop the musicians from giving the tunes their own, fun-fueled-spin.
Long out of print it was about time for this space-age-gem and its amazing cover art to be released again.