Manny About Town
Allan Harris – Remembering King Cole

By Manny Meland

Manny Meland and Allan Harris

South Florida music lovers were once again treated to a great jazz afternoon by Ed Bell and the South Florida Arts Beat at radio station WLRN in downtown Miami. Pollo Tropical donated a nice lunch. The captivating songs of Allan Harris followed. Harris chose a selection from his soon to be released CD, Nat King Cole: Long Live the King, recorded live at the Kennedy Center.

He was accompanied by Miami’s Robert (BeBob) Grabowski on base, versatile Jim Gasior on piano and young Andrew Atkinson on drums.

The Miami Herald said, “Harris’ voice and demeanor project the warmth of Tony Bennett, the bite and rhythmic sense of Frank Sinatra and the sly elegance of Nat King Cole”. CNN’s “Showbiz Tonight” said Harris is “one of the three best male jazz vocalists in the country.”

Who could argue with this after hearing him whisper “A Blossom Fell”, caress us with “I Love You for Sentimental Reasons”, swing with “It’s Only a Paper Moon” and “Walking My Baby Back Home”? Following these, he sang “No Damente Car”, “Pretend”, “Too Young” and the unforgettable “Unforgettable”. Finally, what Nat King Cole program would be complete without a rendition of “Mona Lisa”?

After his WLRN appearance on January 5, Harris played Heidi’s Jazz Club in Coco Beach. On January 10, he did a “Tribute to Nat King Cole” at Broward Center for Performing Arts, where he featured Miami’s Jesse Jones on the sax. If you’d like to experience this superb artist, you can still catch his act on February 5 at the China Grill in South Beach for the Franco Harris Superbowl Party.

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