''Harras'' is an album of

improvised music Musical improvisation (also known as musical extemporization) is the creative activity of immediate ("in the moment") musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous ...

by Derek Bailey,

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...

& William Parker. The album was released by the Japanese

Avant AVANT, also known as AVANT street art guerrilla collective, was the artist group active in New York City from 1980 to 1984. By 1984 AVANT had produced thousands of acrylic on paper paintings and plastered them on walls, doors, bus-stops and gallerie ...

label in 1996. Towards the end of the track "Evening Harras" there is 10 minutes of silence followed by a Bailey solo. "According to Derek Bailey, the abrupt cutoff was planned. Derek wanted to end it "on a high". The Bailey solo material appended after the silence was apparently Zorn's idea."Zorn mailing list FAQ
accessed July 21, 2008.

Reception

The

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

review by Dean McFarlane awarded the album 3 stars stating "Evidently the candid session that took place on a night in New York resulted in a chaotic collision of ideas. With the performers being such strong voices individually, the abundant ideas fly in and out of the picture with no apparent regard to form; the session evolves from tepid beginnings into a no-holds-barred, rapid-fire assault on the senses. Fans of ultra-high-energy free improvisation will find it a delight to hear these three masters sparring on this one-off collaboration, making Harras a vital historical document which requires the gumption of a hardened avant-garde music fan to take the whole recording in one listen".McFarlane, D.
Allmusic Review
accessed June 7, 2011

Track listing

:''All compositions by Bailey/Parker/Zorn'' # "Morning Harras" – 12:35 # "Noon Harras" – 8:59 # "Evening Harras" – 36:00

Personnel

* Derek Bailey – guitar *

– alto saxophone * William Parker – bass

References

{{Authority control Derek Bailey (guitarist) live albums John Zorn live albums 1996 live albums Avant Records albums