Too many losses lately. Two that you may not have known were bassist/bandleader/arranger Chris Larson and composer/arranger/saxophonist Harvey Cohen. Harvey passed in January from ongoing heart problems; Chris left us last week, a victim of a fast-moving brain tumor. Both were young, not just by my standards, but by anyone's. Harvey was 55; Chris was 57.
The two had much in common, and though I'm not aware that they knew each other, they may well have. It's really a small circle out here, and after a while, you've played with or at least heard of pretty much everyone. Both were people who always spoke well of others, even when they could have been forgiven for venting. Both overcame tremendous physical challenges and became gifted, fluid players and writers who always brought their best to the bandstand. Both were sui generis; both will be missed.
I can't say that I knew Chris well, though I knew him for over ten years. I wish I had known him better, but we were running in different circles, though we managed to do a few gigs each year together. He lived in Idyllwild, so we didn't hang out, but we always found a lot to talk about on gigs, and he always brought a sense of humor and a sharp intelligence, along with his unerring instinct for the right notes (high praise for any bass player). He was comfortable and just kinda right in any musical situation. He always found a way to get along in some pretty challenging spots and make the best of any opportunity to play. A journeyman, he wasn't well known outside the local music community, but he was a quality cat, and he'll be long remembered.
Harvey was someone that I did know well, in fact he was one of the first players that I met when I returned to the LA scene after my road work days. My wife worked with him in a steady band for ten years. Harvey was a part of our life for a long time. I played in his big band; he played in several of my groups. We did dozens of shows together through the years. In fact, we worked two dates last December with vocalist Kenny Ellis promoting his "Hanukkah Swings" album at the Jazz Bakery and the Canyon Club. Harvey arranged and produced that CD and he was as proud of it as he was of his work on the Oscar telecasts, and his music for the animated "Superman" and "Batman" shows which brought him an Emmy. If Harvey was in your neighborhood, you were going to get a phone call. He'd be there in a few minutes, and you'd better have the coffee ready. We spent last New Year's Day at his and Marilyn's house; we hung out long into the evening and made plans for the next time. A week later, he was gone. The testimonies at his funeral were all the same when you stripped away the extra words, the fumbling to describe character in a finite way: Harvey was a mensch from the old school. There won't be many more like him, and we were privileged to have him as long as we did.
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