Cold Sweat - Plays J.B. & 4 Play (1989/1991)

Craig S. Harris (born September 10, 1953) is an American jazz trombonist, who started working with Sun Ra in 1978. He also has worked with Abdullah Ibrahim, David Murray, Lester Bowie, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Muhal Richard Abrams, and Charlie Haden. He has recorded since 1983 as leader for India Navigation, Soul Note and JMT. For the latter he recorded with two groups. The Tailgaters Tails was a quintet with clarinetist Don Byron, trumpeter Eddie Allen, Anthony Cox on double bass, and Pheeroan akLaff on drums. His large ensemble Cold Sweat was a tribute to the music of James Brown.

He is a graduate of the music program of State University of New York at Old Westbury, and was influenced by its founder and director Makanda Ken McIntyre. Harris's move to New York City in 1978 established him with trombonists Ray Anderson, Joseph Bowie, and George E. Lewis.

He first played alongside another of his teachers at SUNY, baritone saxophonist Pat Patrick, in Sun Ra's Arkestra for two years. Harris than embarked on a world tour with South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) in 1981. While on tour in Australia, Harris discovered the indigenous Australian wind instrument the didgeridoo, which he added to the collection of instruments he plays.

As fine an example of applying improvisational Èlan to R&B/soul idiom as you can find in the 80s. David Murray, Arthur Blythe, and du Daro stay in the groove and take it to the bridge.

The group Cold Sweat was formed in the late '80s to play jazz versions of songs associated with James Brown. By the time they recorded their third album in 1990, that concept had largely run out of gas and instead the group interpreted an eclectic program that includes several originals by trombonist Craig Harris, "'Round Midnight," Marvin Gaye's "If This World Were Mine," Quincy Jones' "The Secret Garden," a one-minute version of "Nefertiti," and pop songs. Mixing together avant-garde players with funksters, the music is somewhat strange, disturbing, and ultimately a bore. It is a pity considering that Craig Harris, trumpeter E.J. Allen, altoist Sam Furnace, and guest tenor George Adams are among the musicians.