The Three Sounds
The Three Sounds (also known as The 3 Sounds) was an American jazz piano trio that formed in 1956 and disbanded in 1973.
The Three Sounds | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | The Three Sounds |
| Genres | Soul jazz Hard bop Post-bop |
| Members | Gene Harris Andrew Simpkins Bill Dowdy |
The band formed in Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States, as the Four Sounds. The original lineup 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 albums for Blue Note. They toured nationally during this period, building a large following in jazz clubs across the country. The trio played and recorded with the likes of saxophonists Lester Young, Lou Donaldson, Stanley Turrentine and Sonny Stitt, cornet player Nat Adderley, singer Anita O'Day, and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, among others.
Samples in hip hop
The Three Sounds song "Put On Train", from the 1971 Gene Harris album The 3 Sounds 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.[1]
Discography
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Year released | Personnel/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Introducing the 3 Sounds | Blue Note | 1959 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1958–59 | Bottoms Up! | Blue Note | 1959 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1959 | LD + 3 | Blue Note | 1959 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); plus Lou Donaldson (alto sax) |
| 1959 | Good Deal | Blue Note | 1960 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1960 | Blue Hour | Blue Note | 1961 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); plus Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax) |
| 1960 | Moods | Blue Note | 1961 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1960 | Feelin' Good | Blue Note | 1961 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1960 | Here We Come | Blue Note | 1962 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1960 | It Just Got to Be | Blue Note | 1963 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1961 | Hey There | Blue Note | 1962 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1961–62 | Babe's Blues | Blue Note | 1986 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1962 | Out of This World | Blue Note | 1966 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1962 | Black Orchid | Blue Note | 1964 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1959/62 | Standards |
Blue Note | 1998 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1962 | Blue Genes | Verve | 1963 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1962 | Anita O'Day & the Three Sounds | Verve | 1963 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); plus Anita O'Day (vocals) |
| 1962 | The Three Sounds Play Jazz on Broadway | Mercury | 1963 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1963 | Some Like It Modern | Mercury | 1963 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums) |
| 1964 | Live at the Living Room | Mercury | 1964 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); in concert |
| 1965 | Three Moods | Limelight | 1965 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); plus some tracks with trombones added and some with strings added, all arranged by Julian Lee |
| 1965 | Beautiful Friendship | Limelight | 1965 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums); plus some tracks with horns or strings arranged by Julian Lee |
| 1966 | Today's Sounds | Limelight | 1966 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Kalil Madi (drums); in concert |
| 1966 | Vibrations | Blue Note | 1967 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Kalil Madi (drums) |
| 1967 | Live at The Lighthouse | Blue Note | 1967 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Donald Bailey (drums); in concert |
| 1968 | Coldwater Flat | Blue Note | 1968 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Donald Bailey (drums); plus Oliver Nelson Orchestra |
| 1968 | Elegant Soul | Blue Note | 1968 | Andy Simpkins (bass), Carl Burnett (drums); plus orchestra |
| 1969 | Soul Symphony | Blue Note | 1969 | Henry Franklin (bass), Carl Burnett (drums); plus orchestra |
| 1970 | Live at the 'It Club' | Blue Note | 1996 | Henry Franklin (bass), Carl Burnett (drums); in concert |
| 1970 | Live at the 'It Club' Volume 2 | Blue Note | 2000 | Henry Franklin (bass), Carl Burnett (drums); in concert (Source: [2]) |
References
- Benjamin, Brad. "What Comes Around — Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique Samples and References List". Paulsboutique.info. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- The Three Sounds Catalog - album index accessed January 25, 2018