- Jim Newberry
- Harrison Bankhead
A couple of years ago the venerable, versatile Chicago-area bassist Harrison Bankhead—a key force in Edward Wilkerson’s great 8 Bold Souls and a trusted collaborator of Ernest Dawkins, Hamid Drake, Fred Anderson, Dee Alexander, and Roscoe Mitchell, among others—finally stepped forward with a recording under his own leadership. Morning Sun Harvest Moon (Engine) was a hard-hitting, soulful jam that delivered an alchemical blend of lean-but-insinuating written themes and extended improvisation. Bankhead took his fair share of solo space, but he never relinquished his strong support skills. He led a killer band of players he’d worked with for years: reedists Wilkerson and Mars Williams, violinist James Sanders, drummer Avreeayl Ra, and percussionist Ernie Adams. I’m happy to report that Bankhead didn’t revert back to a strict sideman role after the record’s release; last November he released a terrific follow-up with Velvet Blue (also on Engine), fronting Wilkerson, Williams, and Ra.
Velvet Blue by Harrison Bankhead
