Live at the Blue LLama
Street Date: July 28, 2023
Label: Love Productions x Live at Blue LLama Records

Renowned vocalist and guitarist Allan Harris is proud to announce the release of his new album, Live at Blue LLamaRecorded live at the state-of-the-art jazz club in January of this year, Harris’ first live album in over thirteen years showcases his current working band at their artistic peak and displays their deep musical bond and connection, all in front of an attentive live audience. Joining the soulful crooner is pianist and keyboardist Arcoiris Sandoval, bassist Marty Kenney, drummer Norman Edwards, and saxophonist-flutist Irwin Hall. 

Called the “Jazz Vocal King of New York”, Allan Harris has stunned audiences for nearly four decades. Known for his “formidable baritone with … husky edges and deep resonant low notes" (Stephen Holden, the New York Times), Harris has released fourteen albums, including 2021’s love letter to Harlem Kate’s Soulfood, which propelled him to be named one of 8 Artists

Honoring Black Geniuses by Grammy.com. During the pandemic, Harris and his tight-knit band gained international recognition for their “Harlem After Dark” live-stream concerts, which brought audiences into the Harris’ lively living room every Tuesday night. Highlighted by Forbes Magazine, this ritual kept the band in top musical shape, artistically challenged, and encouraged a much-needed sense of camaraderie among the musicians and their virtual audience. “The world was turned upside down but we knew each week we’d come together and make some music to share with our friends around the world,” Harris reflected. When COVID restrictions subsided and touring resumed, Harris and band went on the road, eager to bring their musical magic to a real-life audience.

Set to play for two nights at the Blue LLama in January 2023, Harris decided it was time to capture the sound and vibe of this particularly solid band, and felt that the Ann Arbor, Michigan venue would be the perfect place to do it. A top level jazz club with particularly great acoustics and a savvy engineer, Blue LLama is one of Harris’ favorite places to play. Allan Harris Live at the Blue LLama captures the vocal maestro in top form, and showcases the engaging warmth and crackling magic that only live music can bring.

This curated collection of ten selections was combed from Harris’ diverse and genre-spanning repertoire, sourced from over forty years of musical artistry. The set kicks off with “Sunny”, the Bobby Hebb-classic that holds a special place in Harris’ heart. “Watching Bobby Hebb and Ron Carter perform this as a young child moved me in a profound way,” Harris shares. “I was so moved by their storytelling… I wanted to do that!” Sandoval shines on the first of many stand-out solos here, and audibly brings the audience to their feet. Harris slows the tempo down on the Duke Person/Oscar Brown Jr-penned “Jeannine”, before launching into the feel-good “New Day”, a highlight from his latest studio album, Kate’s Soulfood. 

Harris then launches into a touching rendition of the ballad “The Very Thought of You”Its inclusion here is a poignant call-back to his first live album, Long Live the King, a Nat King Cole-themed set recorded live at the Kennedy Center and released in 2010. Harris then launches into the Miles Davis stalwart “So What” featuring Eddie Jefferson’s famous vocalese that recounts the infamous moment in the 1950’s when Miles and Coltrane were not happy with their performance and walked off stage to practice before returning to the gig. This one features another burning solo by Sandoval. Harris moves on to a pair of originals including the blues-drenched “Black Coffee Blues” and a new composition entitled “Shimmering Deep Blue Sea”, which takes inspiration from old black and white noir films.

Harris’ take on Chick Corea and Al Jarreu’s “Spain” comes up next. A song imbued with history, Harris has been performing “Spain” since the 1970’s, and it has long been a staple during his live shows. He approaches the end of the set with another upbeat original on which Irwin Hall delivers a particularly lyrical solo, “There She Goes”, which first appeared on his 2001 release Open Up Your Mind, and finally, closes things up on this sonic journey that is Eden Ahbez’s “Nature Boy” with a new arrangement by Sandoval. 

Produced with minimal editing, Allan Harris - Live at Blue LLama is an honest representation of this vocal giant. “I am really proud to present to the world this live recording. It is a sonic window into the world that I inhabit when stepping onto the performance stage, and I hope it moves you,” Harris shares.

Kate’s Soulfood
Street Date: February 12, 2021
Label: Love Productions 

Kates Soulfood is a spirited, soul-drenched ten track recording that pays homage to Allan Harris’ home of Harlem, NYC as only he can. 

Showcasing his brisk baritone and deft songwriting ability, Harris’ fourteenth release as a leader paints a vivid portrait of his vibrant neighborhood that draws heavily from a deep well of childhood memories. “As a child, the rhythmic rocking of the subway was music to my ears. Every Sunday I took a magical ride along those tracks from Brooklyn to Harlem, which became my island of refuge,” he says. Like his ancestors who emigrated there during the Harlem Renaissance, Harris saw Harlem as a place of opportunity, belonging, and most importantly, love. “The people that enveloped me with their love and teaching placed an armor of music, literature and history around my underdeveloped mind.” Kate’s Soulfood is the outcome of their heartfelt efforts. 

Among those that had an impact on the young Harris was his Aunt Kate, and her popular luncheonette Kate’s Home Cooking. Located on the corner of Frederick Douglass Boulevard and 126th street, right behind the Apollo Theater, the diner was often frequented by musicians (and notably appears on the cover of Jimmy Smith’s Home Cookin’). Harris would spend his Sunday afternoons at his aunt’s restaurant, soaking in the sounds and sights, before catching a show at the Apollo. “I experienced many pivotal moments at my aunts’ restaurant. I witnessed parts of the civil rights movement, rubbed shoulders with exceptional people, and it was there that I really found my voice.” In composing the music featured on Kate’s Soulfood, Harris drew from these impactful experiences, and in doing so, has produced a wide-ranging sonic tapestry of his beloved neighborhood. 

To bring his vision to life, Harris enlisted GRAMMY winning producer Kamau Kenyatta, known particularly for his work with Gregory Porter. Harris’ A-list backing band includes his working rhythm section made up of Arcoiris Sandoval on piano, Nimrod Speaks on bass and Shirazette Tinnin on drums. Also featured is Grégoire Maret on harmonica, David Castañeda on percussion, Curtis Taylor on trumpet, Alex Budman on alto saxophone, Keith Fiddmont on tenor saxophone and Ondre J Pivec on organ. Harris plays guitar throughout the album, with the exception of on “Color Of A Woman is Blu”, which features Tonga Ross-M’au in his place. 

The contagious, vivacious energy of Harlem is personified on the opening track and album highlight “I Grew Up”, on which striking horn arrangements by Etienne Charles shine brightly. Against a backdrop of children playing and singing, Harris paints a vivid picture of an afternoon in Harlem, and proudly declares “Harlem is the place, Harlem is the place where I live,” perfectly setting the stage for the proceedings. 

Harris shifts gears on “One More Notch (Put Down Your Gun)”, on which he steps into the role of a former gang-member who pleads with his junior to get off the street, and follows it up with “Wash Away My Sins”, a mid-tempoed declaration of appreciation for the strong women who love and support Black men in today’s broken society. Harris shines on neo-soul infused tracks “Open Up” and “Shallow Man” before barring his romantic soul on “The Color of a Woman is Blu”. The back-half of Kate’s Soulfood, “99 Miles”, “Autumn Has Found You”, and “New Day”, were written for Harris’ friends and family that showered him with love throughout his life.

Closing out Kate’s Soulfood is “Run Through America”, which was released as a single in August. Written in response to the unjust police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, “Run Through America” is a modern-day protest song that ends the album with a call to action: to take to the streets and call out their name. The emotional music video was premiered by JazzTimes. It is a fitting end to an album about Harlem, a place where the civil rights movement boomed in the 1960’s - something Harris saw up close from his counter seat at Kate’s Home Cooking. 

Kate’s Soulfood is a tour-de-force for Allan Harris, who has been called the “Jazz Vocal King of New York”. Described by the Miami Herald as possessing a voice with “the warmth of Tony Bennett, the bite and rhythmic sense of Sinatra, and the sly elegance of Nat ‘King' Cole,” Harris has garnered wide acclaim from critics and legions of fans from all over the world. Recently, Harris made national headlines with his riveting work Cross That River, which tells the unsung story of America’s black cowboys and sheds light on their oft-overlooked contribution in taming the American West. Cross That River was featured in the New York Times, on NPR’s Weekend Edition, and on CBS and NBC

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris has remained in the public eye due to his weekly live stream concert series “Harlem After Dark”. These virtual performances, which stream on Youtube and Facebook Live and garnered attention from Forbes, regularly attract thousands of fans and have become a staple in many music lovers’ homes every Tuesday evening. Harris has often featured tunes from Kate’s Soulfood during these performances, and the music has been met with great enthusiasm. 

For Live at Blue LLama

CHLOE RABINOWITZ
BROADWAY WORLD
Read full review here.

EDITOR
CANCION
Read full album announcement in Spanish here.

LEONID AUSKERN
JAZZ SQUARE
Read full album review in Russian here.

LANCE LIDDLE
BEBOP SPOKEN HERE
"Known stateside as the Jazz Vocal King of New York, Harris has stunned  audiences for over four decades. I can't recall him making a similar impact this side of the pond which, upon listening to this album, seems quite incredible." Read full  review here.

DAVE LINN
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
"This release provides a current snapshot of what Harris does best; singing live in an intimate setting, accompanied by an empathetic band while performing in front of an adoring audience." Read full review here.

GEORGE KANZLER
HOT HOUSE
"Another scintillating display for both Allan and the band..." Read full review here.

JIM HYNES
MAKING A SCENE
"This bristling, blissful tune has the band fully locked in with Hall returning to alto with an especially lyrical solo, Sandoval bouncing all over the keys, and drummer Edwards Jr. driving it to an explosive climax." Read the full review here.

PATRICK DALLONGEVILLE
PARIS MOVE
Read the full review in french here.

EDITOR
THE BLADE
"Amazingly, Harris and his other four band members come up with an arrangement that has a cool, spicy vibe and is distinctive from past versions." Read full review here.

CHRISTOPHER PORTER
ANN ABOR DISTRICT LIBRARY
Check out this editor's choice feature here.

MARILYN LESTER
THE NEW YORK JAZZ RECORD
"Live at Blue Llama Jazz Club is a must for Harris fans and anyone who wants to experience how brilliantly a tight unit can perform." Check out the full article  here.

EDITOR
NITE LIFE WEXCHANGE
"The curated collection of ten selections was combed from Harris’ diverse and genre-spanning repertoire, sourced from over forty years of musical artistry. " Check out the full article  here.

TURGAY YALÇΙN
DARK BLUE NOTES
Read full review in Turkish here.

MATT MICUCCI
JAZZIZ
Check out this Editors Choice feature here.

ROB LESTER
TALKIN' BROADWAY
"Vocal dexterity, control, and confidence are on display as the singer suavely navigates tricky tempi and deep dives into jazz architectures, without seeming to break a sweat or get self-aggrandizingly showy." Check out the full feature here.

SUZANNE LORGE
THE NEW YORY CITY JAZZ RECORD
"Harris delivers a well-balanced set: among audience-pleasers including “Sunny” and “The Very Thought of You“, are two equally engaging Harris originals, his gritty, guitar-riff-driven “Black Coffee Blues” and the gently swinging “Shimmering Deep Blue Sea"." Read the full review here.

GEORGE W. HARRIS
JAZZ WEEKLY
"Harris is in rich form throughout, giving insightful intros, melding with Sandoval on the intro to “The Very Thought Of Y ou” and then jamming on guitar on a gritty “Black Coffee Blues”." Check out the full review here.

For Kate's Soulfood

JOHN MURPH
DOWNBEAT
"Harris’ acumen for penning narrative songs matched with exemplary musicianship evoke an August Wilson-like splendor on Kate’s Soulfood." Feature article here

MORGAN ENOS
GRAMMY.COM
By revering their forebears on record, Bruce Harris, James Brandon Lewis, Dara Tucker, The Baylor Project, Allan Harris, Samara Joy, Charnett Moffett and the late Ralph Peterson, Jr. show that Black music is a self-sustaining universe. Read this article here.

JIM HYNES
GLIDE MAGAZINE
"... the music has been met with great enthusiasm as it will likely be for all who hear it in its entirety." Read this review  here.

SHAE FONTANA
BLEUBOP
"With hard proof that jazz is still loved, still fought for, still wanted and need, Birdland re-opened its doors this month. One of the first people to perform, was none other than, Allan Harris, who New York Times said was the best thing to see that weekend." Read the full review here.

BRIAN ZIMMERMAN
JAZZIZ
Chosen for Editor's Choice Playlist. See playlist here.

ALLEN SCOTT
ALL THAT'S JAZZ
"The Brooklyn-born, Harlem-based vocalist/guitarist/bandleader/composer Allan Harris is one the most accomplished and exceptional singers of his generation. A self-described “storyteller through the genre of jazz” he brings it all together with his new album, ‘Kate’s Soulfood’, a beautiful collection of songs crafted with love and a depth of life experience." Listen to this podcast here.

MATT MICUCCI
JAZZIZ
Featured in the Week in Jazz here.

JOHN CHACONA
LET'S CALL THIS
"Quarantine inspired wanderlust might be fine for some, but not for Allan Harris whose Kate’s Soulfood is a valentine to his beloved Harlem." Read this article here.

DEE DEE MCNEIL
MUSICALMEMOIRS'S BLOG
"His beautiful, baritone vocals are as smooth as melted brown butter.  His poignant memories pour from my CD player and tell me stories of his life.  This is ‘soul jazz’ at its best." Read this review here.

BILL BUCKLEY
SOUL & JAZZ & FUNK
"Kate’s Soulfood’ is a collection of beautiful songs beautifully presented; each song has been crafted with love and a depth of life experience, and each one offers food for thought – some more provocative than others but, consistently, here, there are messages-a-plenty!" Read this review here.

SHAE FONTANA
BLEU BOP
Listen to this podcast here.

MARILYN LESTER
THEATER PIZZAZZ
" In 10 tracks of original music, Harris’ songs deliver an evocative portrait of personal experience, rhythmically rich and beautifully rendered in his sure baritone." Review here

EDITORS
BROADWAY WORLD
Read this announcement here.

RON SCOTT
AMSTERDAM NEWS
"Kate’s Soulfood is a delicious taste of Harlem revisited, spiked soul sprinkled with a message to the people, Harris’ ballads dipped in his original smoky honey croon sauce and a searing anthem to keep the truth in sight." Read the full article here.

GEORGE HARRIS
JAZZ WEEKLY
Ringer of the Week! "This guy represents a style that needs to be revisited, especially in a day of anger and attitude." Review here

STEPHEN GRAHAM
MARLBANK
"That sound radiates up from a Harlem long gone all retro on the one hand with its lovely organic sound, no synths or finicky post-production to over-fancy it but still swimming in the folk memory to bubble into a resurgent spirit that ebbs and flows through jazz fashions. Allan's original songs actually say something and are the foundation of it all." Read the review here.

MARGIE GOLDSMITH
FORBES
Mentioned in 'Streaming The Music During Covid-19' article here.

EVA ROQUE
LES INDISPENSABLES - EUROPE 1
'Kate's Soulfood' is recommended on Eva Roque's daily podcast. Listen to the full episode in French here.

JOHN MURPH
DOWNBEAT
Read the feature here

PETER QUINN
JAZZWISE
"Produced by Kamau Kenyatta, and with each song imbued with personal meaning, the world-class credentials of Harris' band are evident from the get-go, with every horn flourish, drum fill and solo serving the song in the most empathetic way possible." Review here

MAC RANDALL
JAZZTIMES
Video premiere of "Run Through America". View here

SUZANNE LORGE
NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
"Begun before and completed during the coronavirus crisis, Allan Harris’ Kate’s Soulfood (Love Productions) celebrates the post-Renaissance Harlem of the guitarist/singer’s youth. These 10 tracks reverberate with gospel-infused inspiration." Review here

MATT SILVER 
WRTI
'Harris sings and plays guitar with ardor and urgency and his sidemen meet the moment to amplify his message, as Harris calls for “A revolution for restitution.”' Read the full Jazz Album of the Week article here.

D. OSCAR GROOMES
O'S PLACE 

"Kate's Soulfood is a winning, reflective, and mobilizing set." Read the full review in the Summer 2021 O's Place Newsletter.

MORGAN ENOS
GRAMMY.COM
"Kate's Soulfood—which dropped last January—Harris paints a picture of that specific time and place, which fostered a veritable cornucopia of Black culture." Read the full Grammys.com article here.

DOROTHEA GANGEL 
JAZZ N MORE
"A call to protest, a conclusion. How gladly we would have stayed in the perfect world of childhood memories!" 4 star review in Swiss here

STEPHEN MARLBANK
MARLBANK
"...a seriously hot prospect of a jazz record." Read this review here.

GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Harris' July Birdland performance was featured in a '5 Things to Do This Weekend' article here.

ALIX COHEN
WOMAN AROUND TOWN
"Kate’s Soulfood, a tribute to boyhood in Harlem, the artist packs every inch of this venue’s stage with musicians/sound. Results saturate the 70s Motown vibe his original compositions evoke." Read the full review here.

SCOTT HAAS
THE BAY STATE BANNER
"His soothing voice, his ability to tell stories through music, and his appreciation of Black history in his narratives have special resonance as we emerge a little bit from this stressful period." Read the full feature interview here.

CHRIS SPECTOR
MIDWEST RECORD
"A totally spirited romp through time and space, this set will ping chords you didn't know you had." Read the review here.

JIM HYNES
GLIDE MAGAZINE
Honorable Mention on The Glide Top 20 in Jazz here.

CLAUDE ZENNARO
JAZZ RADIO - JAZZ & SOUL
"This 14th album is an opportunity to rediscover the warm timbre of baritone Allan Harris.." Read in French here.