Stan Harrison, Some Poor Soul Has a Fire Review

by Jeff Becker

With Some Poor Soul Has a Fire, Stan Harrison shapes a universe all his own, spinning jazz with a contemporary lyricism and a breadth of influences that he makes unmistakably his. Released on Adhyâropa Records, this nine-track album traverses today’s jazz territories, unearthing fragments of jazz’s past, existential influence from today’s music, and an impressive deftness that combines this into a musical statement that speaks from the cutting edge of today’s jazz. While Harrison’s musical portfolio boasts credits with icons like David Bowie, Radiohead, and Laurie Anderson, this album channels his jazz vision with these experiences with a poignancy that signals his artistry at its core.

The album’s opener, “(Smaller Than) The Big Picture,” sets an immediate contemporary tone with its call-and-response pattern of modern harmonic colors. The composition’s form encapsulates Harrison’s approach of blending structured composition with expansive improvisation. It’s a piece that resists confinement, swirling between rhythmic motifs from Elias Stemeseder and Harrison’s tenor saxophone. Harrison’s solo has interesting patterns of fluctuating between inviting and withholding, pushing and pulling. Much like the entire album, this track resists singular definitions, offering a jazz experience that grows richer with each listen.

Harrison’s talent as a bandleader truly shines across the album, with a standout in “The Details.” Here, he crafts an interplay that highlights his compositional skill in combining today’s musical influences from outside the genre with its harmonic and rhythmic aspects while still establishing a space for groove and improvisatory expression. The track’s rhythm section, powered by Steven Crammer’s propulsive drumming and Kim Cass’ richly anchored bass, allows Harrison to explore tones and textures on his saxophone. Stemeseder’s synth work adds a sonic depth, lending the piece a sound quality that feels like an organic development of seventies jazz and contemporary jazz—a testament to the band’s cohesion, orchestrating creativity, and Harrison’s confidence in his ensemble to express his creativity.

Diversity in sonic texture takes center stage with “It’s Time to Put the Dog to Bed,” where the album veers towards elements of classical. The inclusion of the string quartet is excellent. The composition is very creative, sonically, harmonically, and rhythmically. On top of all that, Harrison’s vocals and spoken word enhance a playful dimension. The various parts are shrouded in layers of string colors from Sara Caswell, Erin Benim Mayland, Carla Fabiani, and Jessie Reagen. This unique piece is a testament to Harrison’s compositional depth, where musical themes become as tactile as the soundscapes he weaves.

Harrison’s inclusion of guitarist Michael Gregory Jackson adds a new dimension to the album’s flow and expression in “The Details” and “They Must Be Praying.” Jackson’s creative guitar layers blend perfectly with the ensemble’s progressive jazz style.

“All That Remains” will enthrall your senses with shifting rhythmic patterns and unhurried melodic development, both unfolding like a series of vignettes on the hypnotic power of music. Each phrase and accent is purposeful. Harrison’s saxophone solo is a statement of improvisation exploration of styles and intensities. The swing feel of the interlude is an excellent feel change and shows another side of Harrison’s wonderful writing style. Cass’ bass solo is agile, expressing single lines and chords with equal fluidity.

The album’s title track, “Some Poor Soul Has a Fire,” is a creative composition that organically builds a dramatic motif through many permutations and rhythmic intensities. The middle section’s jazz ballad feel finds Harrison’s saxophone speaking volumes, as though it is burdened by an intimate sorrow expressed through his tone and shaping of his lines.

The closing track, “Joy,” brings the album full circle. The piece opens with a catchy ostinato, then builds with a rhythmic insistence as each member of the quartet adds their voice to a harmonious crescendo of rhythmic layers. Harrison’s tenor sax sings out with a tone that’s joyous and clear. Harrison achieves something remarkable as he weaves us through his composition in that we forget we are listening to a ‘jazz’ album and instead start listening to the music as it unfolds with no predetermined genre expectations but something universal, a universal language, unfolding in the moment.

Throughout Some Poor Soul Has a Fire, Harrison’s style is intense yet accessible, his vision clear but enigmatic, and his leadership ever-present yet unintrusive. This album invites you to listen; it beckons you to experience its stories, wander through its many shifting layers, and connect with the myriad of emotions elicited by the music.