Randal Harrison: Press

“Harrison is a revelation with his stylistic versatility.”

The Randal Harrison Trio is an intellectually stimulating ensemble, but most of all an entertaining one. The emphasis on original material was quite refreshing and there was a lovely energy between performers. We are always on the look out for musicians that can bring both a high level of artistic integrity and entertainment to our audience and Randal has those qualities.

Violinist Randal Harrison ... psychedelic gypsy

Listening to this CD by The Randal Harrison Trio, I found it hard to believe that this was the debut CD by the trio. I had to take a look and while it is the first for these three musicians (Harrison, Geoffrey Brady on drums and percussion, and Mark Urness on bass) as a unit, it is not the first time Harrison has released music. I say this because when you bring in the concept of playing the violin in a jazz setting, you either know what you're doing or you're going to sound very amateurish. Harrison's years of training and teaching shows up immediately in the opening track "Frog Prince", and it only gets better from that point on.

Immediately one focuses on Harrison's playing, which ranges from playing jazz to touching on classical, folk, and even some ethnic sounds. Just as Stephane Grappelli brought the violin into the jazz forefront and showed what could be done, Harrison adds his own style of playing and continues in the exploration of the music. A bio said it was Grappelli meets Jimi Hendrix, but I hear a bit of Al DiMeola or Frank Zappa in his style of playing, where both play with an incredible sense of style, but when it comes time to rip, he's going all over the place before knowing where the off-ramp is and returning to the theme.

Because of the way the violin is played, I was also able to focus on the drums and bass, and both Brady and Urness are brilliant musicians in their own right. They move into the forefront a few times in the everchanging "Needn'tsville", which seems to change in style and shape throughout the song and it's an exhausting listen. While I am unfamiliar with the genre as a whole, I definitely hear a few Klezmer influences. Due to how complex the songs and arrangements are, it would not be a surprise if Harrison found some common ground with the Tzadik label. The one thing about Harrison's music is that he draws you in to what's going on. Considering his previous experiences with rock bands as well, I could only imagine what would happen if he ever got into a musical collaboration with Carla Kihlstedt and Jennifer Choi.

Harrison's violin playing is a revelation

Violinist Randal Harrison and his trio pursue lots to different musical paths on their debut album, but Harrison's rhythm section (percussionist Geoffrey Brady and bass player Mark Urness) really lead the swinging fiddler into new space with the driving "Nioka."

A grinding, lowdown bass part undergirds the tune from their self-titled debut album, and Brady's sly drum part seems to drag the beat, giving it a very Sixties-style modern jazz feel. Harrison never fails to swing and he even teases with some studied dissonance, but it's Urness who steals the show with a brief bowed solo that's the essence of understated cool.

No doubt, the bold Afro-Cuban- and tango-derived originals on the album will draw in more casual listeners, but to these ears, they don't match the special verve of "Nioka."

Among my standouts...Randal Harrison's searing violin (his string arrangements glint across most tracks).

“Part Nicoli Pagannini, part Stephane Grappelli, an evening with the Randal Harrison Trio is gonna blow yer socks off.”

From Bach to rock. From funk to Monk. ...this jazz violinist lives up to the eclectic labels.

“Violinist Randal Harrison ... evoke(s) the silky elegance of French violinist Stephane Grappelli.”

Violinist Randal Harrison brings the tale to life. ... supercharged violin...

... great violin and cello work from Randal Harrison.

...the violin that really soars

Randal Harrison dives into his violin while performing