Harry South: 'Say No More,' 1969

October 17, 2023

Harry South: 'Say No More,' 1969

Harry South was an English jazz pianist, composer and big band arranger who eventually wound up scoring for British film and TV. In 1966, he formed a big band with some of the U.K.'s finest jazz musicians and released Harry South Big Band on Mercury. He's probably best known as Annie Ross's musical director when she was in England in the 1960s and beyond. [Photo above of Harry South]

With the advent of Swinging London and the big beat in the 1960s, South dipped a toe into pop. One of his best albums of this period was Say No More: The Harry South Stereo Brass (Philips). The tracks are Scarborough Fair, Reza, Meditation, Girl Talk, I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, The Fool on the Hill, Mas que Nada, I Think I'm Going Out of My Head, Live for Life, The Best Is Yet to Come, I Say a Little Prayer and Tempo Feliz.

Among the key players on the album were Derek Watkins (tp), Kenny Wheeler (tp,flhrn), Don Lusher (tb), Duncan Lamont (fl,sax,cl) and Harry South (p). Be sure to dig Duncan Lamont's flute playing.

What makes this album special is its James Bondian sexiness, big beat and smart arrangements of hits of the day. As readers know, I love this genre of British recorded music. Unlike American albums from this period in this category that seemed determined to put older listeners to sleep, the British easy listening mod approach was much more energizing, vivacious and flirty.