By Marilyn Lester***From around the 1920s, when Louis Armstrong triumphed with his famous Hot Five quintet, there’s been an aphorism that “jazz is dead.” Well, then, as now, jazz is alive and kicking as the contemporary five, the Quintin Harris Quintet, demonstrated in its latest Birdland 
Jazz Club outing. Under the able leadership of the singer-pianist, the personnel, all in their early-mid twenties, showed some serious chops, with the potential for anticipated growth.
Opener, “I Thought About You” (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer) featured the Harris trio of bassist Sam AuBuchon and drummer Marlen Suero-Amparo, who anchored the beat steadily throughout the set. AuBuchon revealed himself as a solid time-keeper as well as a creative innovator in a feature, abilities that also emerged, if less prominently, in the quintet setting. As for Harris, he’s already proven himself vocally in the lineage from the earliest of Nat Cole to contemporaries Tony DeSare and Harry Connick, Jr. —with a slight rasp a la Tony Bennett in his vocal tone. And as much as he sings, Harris’ pianistic skills are also front and center, both in soloing and compin
g. An assertive player, famously mentored by Bill Charlap, Harris is his own point of reference. While many (if not most) jazz pianists can claim a stylistic through-line from a particular source, Harris is most like a player from the school of Dave Brubeck, who was noted for his hard-to-categorize uniqueness at the keys.
For the second number in the set, “Celia,” written by bebop pianist Bud Powell, the quintet was rounded out onstage by tenor saxophonist Bailey Giles and trumpeter Dakarai Barclay. This choice of instrumentation is also classic, particularly emanating from trumpeter Miles Davis “First Great Quintet” especially when the legendary tenor player John Coltrane joined the crew. Here, as in the instrumental version of “Star Eyes” (Gene de Paul), the various combinations and permutations of the two horns throughout the set was infinitely satisfying, from harmony to trading off to call-and-response to individual features. While Barclay sometimes teetered into roughness, his potenial for a smooth clarion sound wasn’t too far away. Technically accomplished, Giles showed potential for more soulful playing.
A bluesy touch was offered in “God Bless the Child” (Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.), popularized by Holiday. A touching moment came with “Nevertheless (I’m in Love with You)” (Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby) as a dedication to guitarist Russell Malone, whose recent death at age 60 deeply affected the jazz world. While an extraordinary master of the guitar, Malone was moved to vocalize once in a while, with this haunting ballad being among his repertoire, offered here with plenty of heart. Closer was the instrumental jazz standard version of “If I Should Lose You” (Ralph Rainger) delivered in melodic bop-time. The number was a perfect summation of Harris’ generosity as a leader, making sure each member of the unit had a shining moment. The tune also put a button on the synchronicity of play that made the Quintin Harris Quintet a contender for a bright future of keeping jazz very much alive.
Photos by Renée Guerrero
