The Three Sounds
Encyclopedia
The Three Sounds were an American
jazz
trio that formed in 1956 and disbanded in 1973. The trio played and recorded with Lester Young
, Lou Donaldson
, Nat Adderley
, Johnny Griffin
, Anita O'Day
, Bucky Pizzarelli
, Stanley Turrentine
and Sonny Stitt
among others.
The band formed in Benton Harbor
, Michigan
as the Four Sounds. The original line-up consisted of Gene Harris
on piano
, Andrew Simpkins
on double bass
and Bill Dowdy
on drums, along with saxophonist Lonnie `The Sound' Walker, who dropped out the following year. The group moved to Washington
and then New York
, where, as the Three Sounds,, they cut a record for Riverside Records
, before signing an exclusive contract with Blue Note
.
Between 1958 and 1962, the group released nine LP
s for Blue Note. They toured nationally during this period, building a large following in jazz clubs across the country. Later Three Sounds recordings were also released by Limelight and Verve Records
.
The song "Put On Train", from 1970's Live at It Club was featured as the prominent background sample in the hip-hop group Beastie Boys
song "What Comes Around" on their 1989 album Paul's Boutique
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trio that formed in 1956 and disbanded in 1973. The trio played and recorded with Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
, Lou Donaldson
Lou Donaldson
Lou Donaldson is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker.His first recordings were...
, Nat Adderley
Nat Adderley
Nathaniel Adderley was an American jazz cornet and trumpet player who played in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. He was the brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley....
, Johnny Griffin
Johnny Griffin
John Arnold Griffin III was an American bop and hard bop tenor saxophonist.- Early life and career :Griffin studied music at DuSable High School in Chicago under Walter Dyett, starting out on clarinet before moving on to oboe and then alto sax...
, Anita O'Day
Anita O'Day
Anita O'Day was an American jazz singer.Born Anita Belle Colton, O'Day was admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer"...
, Bucky Pizzarelli
Bucky Pizzarelli
John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli is an American Jazz guitarist and banjoist, and the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and upright bassist Martin Pizzarelli. Pizzarelli has also worked for NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett and also ABC with Bobby Rosengarden in...
, Stanley Turrentine
Stanley Turrentine
Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.-Biography:Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family...
and Sonny Stitt
Sonny Stitt
Edward "Sonny" Stitt was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. He was also one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording over 100 albums in his lifetime...
among others.
The band formed in Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
as the Four Sounds. The original line-up consisted of Gene Harris
Gene Harris
Gene Harris was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz....
on piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Andrew Simpkins
Andy Simpkins
Andy Simpkins was an American jazz bassist.Born Andrew Simpkins in Richmond, Indiana, he first became known as a member of the group The Three Sounds, with which he performed from 1956 to 1968. After that, until 1974, he was a member of pianist George Shearing's group, and from 1979 to 1989 toured...
on double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
and Bill Dowdy
Bill Dowdy
Bill Dowdy is a musician and teacher, born in Arkansas. He was the drummer with the jazz trio, The Three Sounds. The Three Sounds recorded over ten jazz albums from the 1950s through the early 70s and played with Lester Young, Lou Donaldson, Nat Adderley, Johnny Griffin, Anita O'Day and Sonny...
on drums, along with saxophonist Lonnie `The Sound' Walker, who dropped out the following year. The group moved to Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and then New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where, as the Three Sounds,, they cut a record for Riverside Records
Riverside Records
Riverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
, before signing an exclusive contract with Blue Note
Blue note
In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Typically the alteration is a semitone or less, but this varies among performers and genres. Country blues, in particular, features wide variations from the...
.
Between 1958 and 1962, the group released nine LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s for Blue Note. They toured nationally during this period, building a large following in jazz clubs across the country. Later Three Sounds recordings were also released by Limelight and Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
.
The song "Put On Train", from 1970's Live at It Club was featured as the prominent background sample in the hip-hop group Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
song "What Comes Around" on their 1989 album Paul's Boutique
Paul's Boutique
Paul's Boutique is the second studio album by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989, on Capitol Records. Featuring production by the Dust Brothers, the recording sessions for the album took place in Matt Dike's Apartment and the Record Plant in Los Angeles from 1988 to...
.
Discography
- 1958: Introducing the 3 SoundsIntroducing the 3 SoundsIntroducing the 3 Sounds is the debut album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1958 and released on the Blue Note label. The CD reissue includes five bonus tracks and one alternate take originally issued in Japan as Introducing the 3 Sounds Volume 2...
- 1958: Branching OutBranching Out-Track listing:# "Sister Caroline" - 5:50# "Well, You Needn't" - 8:20# "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" - 4:29# "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" - 4:59...
with Nat AdderleyNat AdderleyNathaniel Adderley was an American jazz cornet and trumpet player who played in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. He was the brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley.... - 1959: Bottoms Up!Bottoms Up!Bottoms Up! is the second album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1958 and 1959 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
- 1959: LD + 3LD + 3LD + 3 is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson and The Three Sounds recorded for the Blue Note label and performed by Donaldson with Gene Harris, Andrew Simpkins, and Bill Dowdy.-Reception:...
with Lou DonaldsonLou DonaldsonLou Donaldson is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker.His first recordings were... - 1959: Good DealGood DealGood Deal is the third album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1959 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
- 1960: MoodsMoods (The Three Sounds album)Moods is an album by jazz group The Three Sounds released in 1960 on the Blue Note label. It was recorded the same day Feelin' Good was recorded.-Reception:...
- 1960: Feelin' Good
- 1960: Here We Come
- 1960: It Just Got to BeIt Just Got to BeIt Just Got to Be is an album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1960 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
- 1960: Blue HourBlue HourBlue Hour is an album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine and The Three Sounds recorded for the Blue Note label and performed by Turrentine with Gene Harris, Andrew Simpkins and Bill Dowdy...
with Stanley TurrentineStanley TurrentineStanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.-Biography:Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family... - 1961: Hey ThereHey There (album)Hey There is an album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1961 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
- 1961: Babe's BluesBabe's BluesBabe's Blues is an album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1961 with one additional track from 1962 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1986.-Reception:...
- 1962: Out of This WorldOut of This World (The Three Sounds album)Out of This World is an album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1962 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
- 1962: Black OrchidBlack Orchid (album)Black Orchid is an album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1962 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
- 1962: Blue GenesBlue GenesBlue Genes is the fifth story in the "Kate Brannigan Series" written by Val McDermid A popular Scottish author. The book was written in 1996 and has been advised that younger reader's do not read it as it has sexual responses and death.- Plot :...
- 1962: The Three Sounds Play Jazz on Broadway
- 1963: Anita O'Day & The Three Sounds
- 1963: Jazz on Broadway
- 1963: Some Like It Modern
- 1964: Live at the Living Room
- 1964: Three Moods
- 1965: Beautiful Friendship
- 1966: Today's Sounds
- 1966: Vibrations
- 1967: Live at the LighthouseLive at the Lighthouse (The Three Sounds album)Live at the Lighthouse is a live album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1967 at the Lighthouse Club in California and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
- 1968: Coldwater FlatColdwater FlatColdwater Flat is an album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances with an orchestra arranged by Oliver Nelson recorded in 1968 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
- 1968: Elegant SoulElegant SoulElegant Soul is an album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances with an orchestra arranged by Monk Higgins recorded in 1968 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
- 1969: Soul SymphonySoul SymphonySoul Symphony is the final album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Monk Higgins recorded in 1969 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:...
- 1970: Live at the "It Club"
- 1971: The 3 SoundsThe 3 Sounds (Gene Harris album)The 3 Sounds is an album by American pianist Gene Harris recorded in 1971 and released on the Blue Note label. Although it is titled after Harris' group The Three Sounds the album is usually recognised as a solo effort as none of the other original members of the group participated in the...
- Gene Harris album