Cass Harrison is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

pianist and composer. He had two trio albums released by

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

in the 1950s.

Early life

''Who's Who in Entertainment'' lists Harrison as being born in New York on April 25, 1917; the liner notes from his second LP, released in 1957, describe him as "thirtyish". He began playing the piano at the age of four.

Later life and career

Harrison's first significant exposure as a professional musician came with

Teddy Powell Teddy Powell (March 1, 1905 – November 17, 1993) was born in Oakland, California, United States, as Teodoro Paolella, and became a respected American jazz musician, band leader, composer, and arranger. Some of his compositions were written unde ...

's band. Harrison played in Pennsylvania in 1944. In 1948, he played intermissions at Cafe James in New York. In 1954, he played with a singer at the Hotel Warwick in Philadelphia. He led a big band on a tour of South America prior to recording with his trio. Harrison's first trio album, ''The Duke and I'', consisting of versions of little-known

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was ba ...

compositions, was released by

in 1956. The reviewer for ''

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'' wrote: "Harrison is an extremely gifted pianist who ought to be better known. He is technically facile, imaginative, fresh in his harmonic conception and possessed of one of the most rock-ribbed beats imaginable." The following year, this was followed by ''Wrappin' It Up'', another trio release by MGM. Critic John S. Wilson described the performances as "a lightly swinging, unencumbered workout". Around 1960, Harrison led a trio performing at the

Park Central Hotel The Park Central Hotel is a 25-story, 935-room hotel located across the street from Carnegie Hall at 870 7th Avenue (between West 55th and 56th Streets) in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was designed in the Renaissance Revival style a ...

Early life

Later life and career

Discography

As leader

References