description Joe Harriott Overview
Joe Harriott was a Jamaican-born British jazz alto saxophonist and composer. In the late 1950s, he developed an original approach to free-form improvisation roughly concurrent with, but independent of, Ornette Coleman's innovations in the United States. Harriott later collaborated with Indian classical musician John Mayer on the groundbreaking "Indo-Jazz Fusions" recordings, which blended jazz improvisation with traditional Indian rhythms and structures.
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What was Joe Harriott's contribution to free jazz?
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Jamaican-born British saxophonist Joe Harriott developed an original approach to free-form improvisation. His innovations occurred roughly concurrent with, but entirely independent of, Ornette Coleman's groundbreaking work in the United States.
What are Joe Harriott's most important albums?
His pioneering free jazz concepts are best heard on his early 1960s albums, specifically *Free Form* and *Abstract*. He later released *Move Together* and the critically acclaimed Indo-Jazz Fusions albums.
Did Joe Harriott collaborate with Indian classical musicians?
Yes, in the mid-1960s, Harriott collaborated with Indian composer John Mayer to form the ensemble Indo-Jazz Fusions. The group successfully blended Indian classical ragas and rhythms with Harriott's avant-garde jazz improvisation.
Where was Joe Harriott born?
Joe Harriott was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1928. He moved to London, England, in 1951, where he became a central and highly influential figure in the British jazz scene.
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