The memorial held for Eddie at the Angeles Funeral home was probably the most beautiful way I've seen a person be sent home to God. The chapel was standing room only. He was surrounded by his family and friends. Eddie's music was played, not only by him on tape, but by his musician friends and ex-band members. The stories that were told about Eddie had everyone laughing. He was one of the world's best musicians, a good friend to many, a teacher, writer, comedian, -- a complete human being.
On the 27th of October, 1996, Jazz Promoter Al Williams hosted a tribute to Eddie at the Musician's Union Building (Local 47 AF of M), on Vine Street in Hollywood California. Many of Eddie's musician friends were there to render their support and perform for this great artist we all loved.
Eddie Harris, a tenor saxophone virtuoso whose 1961 recording of the theme from the movie "Exodus" was one of the earliest jazz-pop hits, has died at 62.
Mr. Harris, who suffered from bone cancer and kidney disease, died Tuesday in the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center.
Born in Chicago, Mr. Harris began his professional career as a teenage pianist accompanying tenor saxophone giant Gene Ammons. After touring Europe in the 1950s with the 7th Army Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Harris returned to Chicago to record "The Theme From Exodus."
Critics became wary of Mr. Harris because of the recording's success; it sold well over 1 million copies. Mr. Harris for years did not perform the song because of the criticism he received for going "pop."
The author of several books of music theory, Mr. Harris emulated the smooth bop style of Stan Getz, while other tenor players were adopting the earthier styles of Sonny Rollins and Coleman Hawkins.
Turning from the bop to pop, he became a master of soul-jazz. The inventor of an electric sax and the "saxobone" -- saxophone with a trombone mouthpiece, he was a pioneer in jazz-rock fusion.
After "Exodus," Mr. Harris rebounded in record classic jazz originals such as "Freedom Jazz Dance" and "Compared to What," recorded with pianist Les McCann at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Mr. Harris, who moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1974, wrote much of the music heard on "The Bill Cosby Show."
We had all gathered at Los Angeles' International airport very early in the morning. My Magic Band, wives and friends, Eddie's band, his wife and one of his daughters were with us also. There were a few other groups traveling with us. All of us headed for Europe and the Jazz festival season. This marked our third tour in a row with Eddie. His band members as well as my guys all knew the Harris family well. One of his normal morning rituals after reading jazz magazines or newspapers was, he would give us all, what I came to call the 'daily marble orchard entry'...... the dreaded 'Eddie Harris death report'.
In the jazz world everyone knows Eddie Harris. It would be hard to find a professional musician anywhere in this world that he has not played with, or, that wasn't in his distant family. He always started his report each time the exact same way.... with this question: "Damn man, did yaw'll hear bout 'so and so' dying?" " NO EDDIE...WHO DIED..." all of us would answer in perfect unison. Then in a sad tone he would tell us, and very often, none of us had ever heard of the person he was naming.
And so... on this lovely morning he had just finished reading a German Jazz magazine (Eddie was fluent in German). His beautiful, loyal, 'at his side' wife Sally gave us the sign... "Oh here he comes yaw'll, get ready... here's Eddie".
"Hey you guys... guess what?" "WHAT EDDIE!!!!" "Do Yaw'll know how many saxophone players have died already this year???" "NOoooooo... HOW MANY EDDIE?" "DAMN... 16 SAX PLAYERS DIED THIS YEAR ALREADY... MAN THAT'S REALLY A DRAG...DAMN".
His wife Sally always had the proper response, she simply added... "Aren't you glad you're a drummer."