Gene Harris, in my opinion the world's greatest keyboard/piano player, consented to an interview with me on the date above. We conducted it via telephone from our respective homes, Gene's in Boise, Idaho, mine in Three Rivers, Michigan.

I began by thanking him for his time, knowing that he probably had heard most of my questions many times over his lengthy and successful musical career (he told his audience a week later at the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival that he had just turned 60 September 1, 1994).

I mentioned a jazz saxophonist, Ray Silkman, with whom I was currently working, and an incident that occurred when Ray had just begun working in Chicago, literally on the streets in front of Water Tower Place shopping mall. Famed saxophone legend Benny Carter, a friend of Gene's, had come along, heard Ray playing his horn, and had his chauffeur give Ray $100 saying, "I can feel his music - he is sure to go places!". Gene loved this story.

He provided a brief biographical recitation, saying he was born and raised in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and his name at birth was Eugene Hair (he changed it when he began performing professionally). His parents still live there - in fact, he appeared at Benton Harbor High School in November 1993, and asked his father from the stage, "Do you forgive me?" (for changing his name) during a phenomenal performance with his current quartet.

He moved to Huntington Beach, California after high school and formed the 3 Sounds, one of his most famous groups (a trio with Bill Dowdy); they toured and recorded for many years. Then later he formed the Gene Harris Quartet, with Paul Humphrey on drums (you should look for Paul on the old Lawrence Welk television programs - he was the only black on the show), Ron Eschete' on guitar, whom he met in Orange County, California, and Luther Hughes on bass, whom he met in Cincinnati while with the 3 Sounds. This group stayed together, performing for quite awhile, then it broke up.

Gene was not heard from on the national music scene for many years. In the mid '80's, famed bassist Ray Brown sought him out and found he was a musical director at a large hotel in Boise, Idaho, Gene's current home. Ray convinced Gene to start touring again, and after several years performing for Concord Records with Ray and drummer Jeff Hamilton, Gene decided to put his old quartet back together. The guys all enjoyed their time together and said yes when he asked them to reunite several years ago.

Gene's main influences include Albert Ammons, Jay McShann, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Erroll Garner, and Oscar Peterson. Gene feels nuances of the music escape the public because they are in too much of a hurry when listening. Too much training also causes overanalysis of the music, Gene commented. He says you should enjoy the feeling and the total experience of the performance, without trying to get too technical in your understanding of the music. He remembers playing a song, and it came naturally without thinking about whether he was playing a certain chord etc. "Let it happen" - that's Gene's advice to musicians during performance.

Gene really enjoys composing, which he says he has done "forever."

His wife Jane is a very important part of his life. He's known her about 20 years, and they've lived together for about 17 of those years, some while married. When you see them together, it's obvious that the strength of their marriage gives Gene's music much more feeling than it otherwise would have had. Gene agrees.

Jane accompanies Gene wherever he tours, and he says she writes notes about people they encounter. She is doing a book on Gene, about experiences with various people who approach them to say something like, "I was about to do something terrible, and then I heard you on the radio playing "Willow Weep For Me", and I stopped what I was doing, sat down, and cried, and I didn't do that terrible thing I was about to do." This sort of thing happens to Gene and Jane all the time, wherever they go. I said, "Someone NEEDS to do a book on you," and he was flattered by that.

When I asked him about his pet peeves when on the road, he said it was too far to walk to the plane, although he loves to travel; paradoxically, he loves to be at home as well. In fact, he wishes he had more months in the year to travel as well as more time to be at home. When he gets to the club or other venue such as a festival, the quality of some pianos is not up to par, and he's at the mercy of the proprietor, since he can't bring his own instrument.

When I asked him what were his biggest dreams, he said, "Doing everything." He says they've already happened, everything he's ever dreamed of doing, he has done. His recent involvement with movie scores was something he never wanted to do, but he's doing it. He wrote the score for the movie, "Malice" and "Funny Valentine." This is a new area for him, and there are rumors he'll be used in that way even more in the future.

Next goals for him would be to end up doing more solo piano work, and performances with symphonies on scores that are written specifically with him and his talents in mind, just as he plays or would play them.

When I asked him what he has always wanted to say in an interview but never had the chance or opportunity to say, he said there was nothing, everything's been covered.

When asked what promotions he would like to see in print about future activities, Gene said he's a firm believer that things happen when the time is right. He also said that nothing detrimental has been said about him. He's had a very exciting career.

He waited for me to end the interview, and I was very reluctant to do so, but knew he had granted this interview as a special favor to me, a huge fan and fledgling music journalist. I told him at the end of the conversation that I would send him a copy to approve before publication, and he said there was no need. I then said he would receive a copy when it was published, and he thanked me for that.

Gene Harris is truly a very wonderful man in addition to his enormous talent, as Diana Trouy, personal assistant to Carl Jefferson, president of Concord Records, told me in a letter a few months prior to my first meeting with Gene. There has never been a statement of more truth than that one. Gene Harris leads a charmed musical and personal life because he is truly one of the most wonderful people and musicians I have ever had the privilege to meet. Even if I had never met him personally to talk to, he has spoken to me many times, touched my heart, given me so much in the way of emotion and love through his musical performances.

As he said during our interview, don't overanalyze the music - the feeling is the most important thing, and you should cherish that. And I do, and I will, for as long as I live, and probably long after my life here ends. That feeling is one I will always carry with me, no matter what.

After I wrote the article shown above, Gene passed away due to renal failure (he was about to receive a kidney from one of his daughters when that happened, in January 2000). There was a huge outpouring of grief worldwide, and many wonderful reminiscences, some of which were published in the Idaho Statesman, the Boise newspaper.

Most talked about what a wonderful human being Gene was, in addition to raving about his astonishing talent in music. Over and over again people said that when Gene discovered that they were amateur musicians or singers, he encouraged them to share the stage with him. Whether their talents were great, mediocre or small, he encouraged them to continue to perform. I know of no other artist who was so generous. I know someday I will encounter Gene, playing as he always has, and thrilling fans as he always will.