Audio By Carbonatix
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Vibraphonist Greg Harris is best known around here for his membership in Pete Wernick’s Live Five, a quirky, innovative ensemble that blends jazz and bluegrass. Open Space, for its part, focuses on the former — and while its musical blend is mellower and more conventional than the Live Five’s, the results are just as noteworthy.
Harris is an egalitarian bandleader, providing plenty of opportunity for his fellows to shine. Indeed, trumpeter/flugelhornist Erinn Bone may get more spotlight time than the man whose name is above the title; that’s certainly the case on “Reach,” a Bone composition. Likewise, guitarist Matt Fuller steps forward throughout tunes he penned, including “Open Space Park.” Yet the grooves are every bit as enjoyable as the solos on cuts such as “Flank Fuzz,” during which Harris, bassist Rob Fahie and drummer Bill Larson create a backdrop every bit as intricate and intriguing as what’s in the foreground.
Open Space overflows with good vibes, in more ways than one.
