20 • January 27, 2022 - February 2, 2022 A
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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS & E N T E R T A I N
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JIM HARRISON, THE WARRIOR JAZZ IMPRESARIO DIES AT 88; Ya TULIVU DONNA-CUMBERBATCH SONG STYLIST DIES AT 71 a
(Kevin Harrison photo)
Jim Harrison, the pioneer jazz promoter, jazz publisher, advocate and mentor to musicians and many others in the jazz community, died January 19, at St. John’s Hospital in Queens, New York. He was 88. His daughter-in-law Rene Harrison confirmed his death and stated heart complications as the cause. During his esteemed six-decade career Harrison received many awards some of which included: in 2019, he was awarded with Jazzmobile’s Jazzy Award; that same year he was honored as a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association. In 2018 Harrison had a choice client list with jazz vocalist Antoinette Montague, pianist Lisle Atkinson and Jazzmobile. During an interview with the Amsterdam News he laughed, “Over the years I had an extensive client list but at 86 years old, I have cut back the fastpaced life for something a little more manageable.” Harrison’s dedication to presenting and promoting jazz in a swift and professional manner became a staple for many jazz greats. In some instances, his contacts helped advance some careers while he was the personal promoter for Art Blakely, Betty Carter, Jackie McLean, Charles Tolliver, Billy Taylor, Barry Harris, Frank Foster, Mary Lou Williams, Jimmy Heath, Hank Mobley, Irene Reid, Chris Anderson, Frank Foster, Houston Person & Etta Jones. He is featured in Maxine Gordon’s biography “Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon” (University of California Press, 2018). As an effective promoter during the 1950s and ’60s, Harrison got the word out with flyers and posters. He handed out flyers to people on the street and used selected locations for drop-offs such as Showman’s Café, Lenox Lounge, lobbies of The Lenox Terrace, restaurants, Penn Station and Grand Central Station. “Jim Harrison: the heart, mind, body & soul of our music. Jazz. He brought to Sistas’ Place in the latter part of his life his presence. We were rewarded, we were recognized, by Jim. Speak his name; jazz lives,” said Viola Plummer, Sista’s Place, owner. James Thomas Harrison Jr. was born Sept. 11, 1932, in Queens, New York. His father was James Harrison Sr. and his mother Emma Mitchell Harrison was a hospitality consultant. After graduating from City College in 1956, he joined the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1958. He
Jim Harrison
then went into the retail business as a salesman. Listening to the music of Count Basie, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker gave him the bug to get actively involved in jazz. In 1961, Harrison started a fan club for saxophonist Jackie McLean. He promoted McLean in non-traditional jazz settings where a cabaret card was not needed, he promoted a McLean concert at Judson Hall (originally across the street from Carnegie Hall). That was the same year he met “Fannie” Henderson; they married shortly after and enjoyed 44 years of bliss before her transition in 2006. After leaving his Queens retail job, in 1962, it was apparent promotion was his entrée into the jazz world. He quickly moved to Harlem to become a full-time jazz promoter. He went on to promote McLean’s concert at Town Hall in 1963 and continued working with him until 1965. McLean connected Harrison with the management at Slug’s jazz club, where he was the promoter from 1965-1972. He also promoted concerts for trumpeter Lee Morgan in Staten Island and the Bronx before the trumpeter was fatally shot at Slugs in 1972. “Jim was a real stalwart fan, promoter and supporter of the musicians, the music and culture,” noted saxophon-
ist and composer Rene McLean. “He used his own resources to promote many events long before there were any kind of grants or support from the establishment. His contributions will forever be remembered.” He was trombonist Benny Powell’s promotion man in 1963. Harrison stated during an interview for the Amsterdam News, “I wanted to get a full-time job but Benny said, ‘We need you out here.’” For Powell’s Ben G Enterprises, Harrison did concert productions at Club Ruby in Queens. “Jim has done a lot for musicians,” said Powell. “He’s the greatest underground publicist I’ve ever met. He would go out at night and put-up posters. If you stood still long enough, he would put a poster on your back. He was very effective.” The pianist, composer, and educator Dr. Billy Taylor co-founded Jazzmobile in 1965, to bring live jazz to the city’s five boroughs. He hired Harrison, who was a consultant to Jazzmobile for 55 years. He only retired two years ago. “Fortunately, when I joined the Jazzmobile team, I was able to work with Jim and see firsthand how much the musicians respected him and the incredible impact he had on them,” stated Robin Bell-Stevens, direc-
tor, Jazzmobile, Inc. “After a life welll lived, I know my dear friend is restings in peace and joy—with Fannie!” Maxine Gordon and Hattie Gossett’s Ms. Management hired Harrison, ands he was the promoter of record forr then popular jazz clubs Boomer’s andI Sweet Basil’s (1976-1981). He becamen a publisher (1979-1982) with his jazzD publication Spotlight News that in-o cluded listings, reviews and features.g “Black writers weren’t getting pub-g lished in Down Beat Magazine [the jazz magazine of record at the time],”F said Harrison. “After reading a con-b cert review by the New York Times and other dailies it was the great review by John Sanders, jazz writer for the Am-a sterdam News, that made it clear wew needed Black writers to have a voicew in jazz, our music, so I started ‘Jazzn Spotlight News.’ The paper starteda with 12 pages and before it closede boasted 144 pages and 60 Black freelance writers. The closest resem-b blance to Spotlight News is today’s Hot House and All About Jazz.” p Harrison ran an ad in the paperw thanking his wife Fannie for her sup-l port; paraphrased, it read:“ThankR you Fannie Harrison for allowing mei to blow the rent money, food moneym and everything to allow me to becomep a jazz promoter.” She worked at theP door for his many jazz events ande helped type up the flyers. l “I met Jim around 1996 after Ip began emceeing the Jazzmobile,H Grant’s tomb concerts. He was thec heart and soul of the jazz commu-g nity. A humble man and a generousa man who shared his knowledge ofa the business to us young folk comingK along,” stated Sheila Anderson, WB-t GO-FM radio host. “However, thet love and commitment Jim showedU to his wife and family impressed meW the most.” s Harrison stopped publishing theL paper when he joined Barry HarrisV and Larry Ridley at the Jazz Cultur-s al Theater (1982-1987). He promot-a ed the Barry Harris Ensemble andp worked with Ridley at Rutgers Univer-s sity in New Brunswick, N.J. promot-c ing concerts. “Jim has been like a big brother to me,” said Ridley during anp interview. “I can’t think of anyone thatw has been more dedicated to jazz who’sR not a musician.” R Jim Harrison was a jazz promot-l er extraordinaire. He should have in-s structed a course in “The art of jazzt promotion: its history and signif-M icance.” Even technology with itsS email, social media and iphonesr didn’t depreciate the importancea of Harrison’s job or discourage mu-g sicians who sought out his cruciali promotion savvy. I will miss our con-a versations, his encouragement, hism words of wisdom, and those birth-m day and Christmas cards every year.u