An innovative tenor saxophonist and composer who was also proficient on the electric piano and organ, Chicago based musician Eddie Harris was best known for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone and for his composition "Freedom Jazz Dance," recorded and popularized by Miles Davis in 1966. In 1961, his own jazz arrangement of Ernest Gold's theme from the movie Exodus became the first jazz record ever to be certified gold. One of the first musicians to successfully blend funk and jazz, Harris' 1967 album, "The Electrifying Eddie Harris," reached the number 2 spot on the R&B charts. Presented here is Eddie's vintage 1970 album "Smokin,'" a classic collection of mostly original compositions that once again blurred the lines between funk and jazz. All selections have been newly remastered.
