The Music Jockey

The period when this music veteran became an in-demand artist for this kind of solo appearance at a European festival brought out a great blossoming of his talents, not always captured that well on record. This live recording has its rough spots and at times sounds as if it was mixed insensitively, but despite all quibbling is one of the finest documentations of Don "Sugarcane" Harris at work in a setting that should please anybody with an interest in this violinist's work. He really shines in a blues context, but this comes across here in the context of exciting, extended jams rather than the often boring straight rhythm & blues material he started out recording with Johnny Otis. The jazz-rock side of his personality gets pushed forward here by the all-Euro backup action, and the passing of time has made this particular gathering seem historic, the drum seat filled expertly by Robert Wyatt and Terje Rypdal coming on-stage to join in a lovely exploration of roots jazz, the ballad "Song for My Father" by Horace Silver. This piece, with its slight Latin inflection, ever-present blues feel, and sincere emotions, is perfect material for Harris, and it is a shame the violinist never forged an all-Silver project. "Sugarcane's Got the Blues" is a real tour de force, nearly 15 minutes of electric violin sizzle.