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Description
Don “Sugarcane” Harris
Don Bowman Harris
June 18, 1938 - November 30, 1999

Pioneer, innovator, electric violin master, multi instrumentalist, rock and roll madman, and blues man. Don “Sugarcane” Harris was each and every one of these things to the core, be it as one half of Don & Dewey, as a solo performer, or while collaborating with the likes of Little Richard, Johnny Otis, Frank Zappa, and John Mayall to name a few.

Born and raised in Pasadena, California to a pair of carnival performers, Don Harris was a musical prodigy from a young age, studying classical violin from the age of six trough his late teens. In addition, he would become proficient on guitar, bass, piano, and harmonica. Then one day, the sound of his violin drifted into the streets and attracted the ears of a young lad named Dewey Terry. The two developed an instant rapport, and would form a Doo wop group called The Squires while in high school. The group would end up recording “Lucy Lou” among a small handful of singles on Kicks, but proved unsuccessful. Both being accomplished songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, Don and Dewey decided to disband the Squires and begin life as...Don And Dewey.

After making one single for Shade, the two moved to Art Rupe’s label Specialty, home to much traditional pop along with the duo’s peers Little Richard and Larry Williams. If you thought Little Richard was dynamite, imagine two Little Richards on stage. Two guys with the powerful gospel shouts, the vocal trade offs between Don’s smoother vocal mixed in with Dewey’s gritty throttle predating the likes of Sam&Dave and the Righteous Brothers. And other than the odd session drummer, most notably the great Earl Palmer, it was largely the duo providing instrumentation. Dewey thrashing out some boogie woogie piano and some mean guitar licks straight out of the school of Guitar Slim. Don could provide some rock solid guitar, both could lay down some sweet walking lines on bass, and with the help of a tape cartridge hooked up to his old violin, Don introduced the electrified violin to rock and roll music.

The duo wound up crafting a pretty solid set of singles, ranging from the full throttle rockers of “Jungle Hop” and “Koko Joe”, the energetic rhythm and blues of “Hey Thelma” and “Farmer Joe”, the gritty country blues of “Pink Champagne”, all through some surprisingly tender numbers like “The Letter” and “Leavin’ It All Up To You”. In later years, their songs would come to be covered by the likes of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Sonny & Cher, Donny & Marie, The Searchers, The Righteous Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, and Jimmie Vaughan. Unfortunately, the original singles failed to gain commercial traction, and the act would be put on ice.

In the meantime, two would offer their services to other artists. In the mid sixties, Don, or “Sugarcane” as Johnny Otis dubbed him for his skills with the ladies, would play bass in Little Richard’s band, appearing on records like Bama Lama Bama Loo and Whole Lotta Shakin. In addition, he’d appear on records like Otis’ Cold Shot, Ben Benay’s The Big Blues Harmonica of Ben Benay, and John Lee Hooker’s Folk Blues. But everything changed when one old fan of his sought him out.

It was 1969, and Frank Zappa was crafting Hot Rats, his first proper solo album. While listening to a track, he thought of the old Don & Dewey records from his youth and imagined Sugarcane’s violin on the track. With Johnny Otis’ help, Frank located and bailed Cane out of jail, and so their partnership began. First appearing on “Willie The Pimp”, Cane’s fiddle provides the appropriate degree of sleaze and street life to compliment Frank’s guitar and Beefheart’s voice. And the comes “The Gumbo Variations”; Ian Underwood delivers some of the nastiest sax he has ever laid down, challenging Cane to cook some mean times in response. And respond he DOES, shredding his fiddle to Hell and laying in some of the most ruthless and intensive blues violin one could possibly imagine, with Frank now having a very tough act to follow. With that perfect balance of technical ability and pure instinct and inspiration, Frank found a perfect foil and worthy opponent. Through the few shows they’d do together, this chemistry would reveal itself time and time again, with Frank delivering some of his most inspired work in the process.

Not surprisingly, Cane would appear on more Zappa releases. On Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh, two albums created to tie up any loose ends with the Mothers, Cane would provide one of Weasels’ highlights with his cover of Little Richard’s “Directly From My Heart To You”, a gritty blues number with a streak of tenderness serving as a perfect breather through all the album’s chaos and psychosis, but then there is “Little House I Used To Live In”. The penultimate track on Burnt Weeny, “Little House” truly is a movie for your years. And if it’s a movie, then Cane’s solo is the monstrous climax, the nail biting fight to the death. Cane rips up his fiddle, playing a solo on the teetering edge of the abyss. In what could have been a technical gymnastic, Sugarcane really brings some light and shade to the piece, matching Don Preston’s piano work beat for beat. His work really tells a story and truly feels as epic as a Zappa composition should sound and feel. Even in a canon as rich and vast as Frank’s, Cane’s solo here is arguably among the most mesmerizing moments in the whole Zappa discography, Mothers or otherwise.

As a young rock fan and as a Zappa fan, this was naturally how I first discovered Sugarcane. While I was never anti-violin, I don’t think every got just how hard one could truly ROCK on a violin until hearing this man play. And even beyond “it’s a violin guy”, I just loved his playing so much. Frank got to work with some pretty stellar violinists like Jean-Luc Ponty, L. Shankar, and Eddie Jobson, and yet it’s Sugarcane Harris who truly touched me the most. As beautifully elegant and swan like as the others could be, Cane could truly make that violin cry tears of rage. He had heart, had soul, had conviction, and a certain level of emotional and spiritual pathos that just simply can’t be learned. And thanks in large part to the original version of “Sharleena” off The Lost Episodes, by far the best version, and the Hot Rats Sessions set, his and Frank’s partnership continues to wow us long after both of them have passed on.

And of course, it would be a grievous error to not mention his subsequent. With John Mayall, you get USA Union, an album of just Mayall, Cane, Harvey Mandel, and Larry “The Mole” Taylor, no drums whatsoever. As a result, you get this very stark, intimate feeling as befitting Mayall’s writing around that time; even with the electric instruments, you still feel as though you are huddled campfire with these guys all jamming under the stars and moon. This band would then form the core band on Back To The Roots, where Cane got to play with legends such Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Aynsley Dunbar, and Keef Hartley. Following this, Cane and Mole would form Pure Food And Drug Act with drummer Paul Lagos, which recorded a respectable effort in Choice Cuts before internal problems and lineup instability ended the group in 1973.

Around this time, Sugarcane would release several solo efforts concentrated on his violin work. You get New Violin Summit, where he joins forces with fellow violinists Jean-Luc Ponty, Michal Urbaniak, and Nipso Brantner to pretty spectacular results. You have Fiddler On The Rock, kicking off with an powerhouse interpretation of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” before capping off with the same rock and blues based sound that made made Zappa and Mayall fans fall for his charm. You get Keyzop, dipping back into his Jazz and classical background without losing the raw grit and edge. And you get Sugarcane’s Got The Blues, a live recorded effort with the exact sense of danger and raw, exposed nerve that Cane is so known for. In later years, he would play with LA’s genre defying outfit Tupelo Chain Sex as well as enjoying the odd reunion with old partner Dewey Terry.

Sadly, Cane struggled with a lot of demons throughout his life, which took a tole on his career and health. But when he got back up, not matter how much he was fighting, he reminded us all just how special he really was and why we were always captivated by him. He’s been physically gone for some time now, but the music and magic he created speaks for itself. There was never anybody like Sugarcane before, and there never will be again. So here’s a happy birthday to the blues fiddler himself.

Description
Don “Sugarcane” Harris
Don Bowman Harris
June 18, 1938 - November 30, 1999

Pioneer, innovator, electric violin master, multi instrumentalist, rock and roll madman, and blues man. Don “Sugarcane” Harris was each and every one of these things to the core, be it as one half of Don & Dewey, as a solo performer, or while collaborating with the likes of Little Richard, Johnny Otis, Frank Zappa, and John Mayall to name a few.

Born and raised in Pasadena, California to a pair of carnival performers, Don Harris was a musical prodigy from a young age, studying classical violin from the age of six trough his late teens. In addition, he would become proficient on guitar, bass, piano, and harmonica. Then one day, the sound of his violin drifted into the streets and attracted the ears of a young lad named Dewey Terry. The two developed an instant rapport, and would form a Doo wop group called The Squires while in high school. The group would end up recording “Lucy Lou” among a small handful of singles on Kicks, but proved unsuccessful. Both being accomplished songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, Don and Dewey decided to disband the Squires and begin life as...Don And Dewey.

After making one single for Shade, the two moved to Art Rupe’s label Specialty, home to much traditional pop along with the duo’s peers Little Richard and Larry Williams. If you thought Little Richard was dynamite, imagine two Little Richards on stage. Two guys with the powerful gospel shouts, the vocal trade offs between Don’s smoother vocal mixed in with Dewey’s gritty throttle predating the likes of Sam&Dave and the Righteous Brothers. And other than the odd session drummer, most notably the great Earl Palmer, it was largely the duo providing instrumentation. Dewey thrashing out some boogie woogie piano and some mean guitar licks straight out of the school of Guitar Slim. Don could provide some rock solid guitar, both could lay down some sweet walking lines on bass, and with the help of a tape cartridge hooked up to his old violin, Don introduced the electrified violin to rock and roll music.

The duo wound up crafting a pretty solid set of singles, ranging from the full throttle rockers of “Jungle Hop” and “Koko Joe”, the energetic rhythm and blues of “Hey Thelma” and “Farmer Joe”, the gritty country blues of “Pink Champagne”, all through some surprisingly tender numbers like “The Letter” and “Leavin’ It All Up To You”. In later years, their songs would come to be covered by the likes of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Sonny & Cher, Donny & Marie, The Searchers, The Righteous Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, and Jimmie Vaughan. Unfortunately, the original singles failed to gain commercial traction, and the act would be put on ice.

In the meantime, two would offer their services to other artists. In the mid sixties, Don, or “Sugarcane” as Johnny Otis dubbed him for his skills with the ladies, would play bass in Little Richard’s band, appearing on records like Bama Lama Bama Loo and Whole Lotta Shakin. In addition, he’d appear on records like Otis’ Cold Shot, Ben Benay’s The Big Blues Harmonica of Ben Benay, and John Lee Hooker’s Folk Blues. But everything changed when one old fan of his sought him out.

It was 1969, and Frank Zappa was crafting Hot Rats, his first proper solo album. While listening to a track, he thought of the old Don & Dewey records from his youth and imagined Sugarcane’s violin on the track. With Johnny Otis’ help, Frank located and bailed Cane out of jail, and so their partnership began. First appearing on “Willie The Pimp”, Cane’s fiddle provides the appropriate degree of sleaze and street life to compliment Frank’s guitar and Beefheart’s voice. And the comes “The Gumbo Variations”; Ian Underwood delivers some of the nastiest sax he has ever laid down, challenging Cane to cook some mean times in response. And respond he DOES, shredding his fiddle to Hell and laying in some of the most ruthless and intensive blues violin one could possibly imagine, with Frank now having a very tough act to follow. With that perfect balance of technical ability and pure instinct and inspiration, Frank found a perfect foil and worthy opponent. Through the few shows they’d do together, this chemistry would reveal itself time and time again, with Frank delivering some of his most inspired work in the process.

Not surprisingly, Cane would appear on more Zappa releases. On Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh, two albums created to tie up any loose ends with the Mothers, Cane would provide one of Weasels’ highlights with his cover of Little Richard’s “Directly From My Heart To You”, a gritty blues number with a streak of tenderness serving as a perfect breather through all the album’s chaos and psychosis, but then there is “Little House I Used To Live In”. The penultimate track on Burnt Weeny, “Little House” truly is a movie for your years. And if it’s a movie, then Cane’s solo is the monstrous climax, the nail biting fight to the death. Cane rips up his fiddle, playing a solo on the teetering edge of the abyss. In what could have been a technical gymnastic, Sugarcane really brings some light and shade to the piece, matching Don Preston’s piano work beat for beat. His work really tells a story and truly feels as epic as a Zappa composition should sound and feel. Even in a canon as rich and vast as Frank’s, Cane’s solo here is arguably among the most mesmerizing moments in the whole Zappa discography, Mothers or otherwise.

As a young rock fan and as a Zappa fan, this was naturally how I first discovered Sugarcane. While I was never anti-violin, I don’t think every got just how hard one could truly ROCK on a violin until hearing this man play. And even beyond “it’s a violin guy”, I just loved his playing so much. Frank got to work with some pretty stellar violinists like Jean-Luc Ponty, L. Shankar, and Eddie Jobson, and yet it’s Sugarcane Harris who truly touched me the most. As beautifully elegant and swan like as the others could be, Cane could truly make that violin cry tears of rage. He had heart, had soul, had conviction, and a certain level of emotional and spiritual pathos that just simply can’t be learned. And thanks in large part to the original version of “Sharleena” off The Lost Episodes, by far the best version, and the Hot Rats Sessions set, his and Frank’s partnership continues to wow us long after both of them have passed on.

And of course, it would be a grievous error to not mention his subsequent. With John Mayall, you get USA Union, an album of just Mayall, Cane, Harvey Mandel, and Larry “The Mole” Taylor, no drums whatsoever. As a result, you get this very stark, intimate feeling as befitting Mayall’s writing around that time; even with the electric instruments, you still feel as though you are huddled campfire with these guys all jamming under the stars and moon. This band would then form the core band on Back To The Roots, where Cane got to play with legends such Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Aynsley Dunbar, and Keef Hartley. Following this, Cane and Mole would form Pure Food And Drug Act with drummer Paul Lagos, which recorded a respectable effort in Choice Cuts before internal problems and lineup instability ended the group in 1973.

Around this time, Sugarcane would release several solo efforts concentrated on his violin work. You get New Violin Summit, where he joins forces with fellow violinists Jean-Luc Ponty, Michal Urbaniak, and Nipso Brantner to pretty spectacular results. You have Fiddler On The Rock, kicking off with an powerhouse interpretation of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” before capping off with the same rock and blues based sound that made made Zappa and Mayall fans fall for his charm. You get Keyzop, dipping back into his Jazz and classical background without losing the raw grit and edge. And you get Sugarcane’s Got The Blues, a live recorded effort with the exact sense of danger and raw, exposed nerve that Cane is so known for. In later years, he would play with LA’s genre defying outfit Tupelo Chain Sex as well as enjoying the odd reunion with old partner Dewey Terry.

Sadly, Cane struggled with a lot of demons throughout his life, which took a tole on his career and health. But when he got back up, not matter how much he was fighting, he reminded us all just how special he really was and why we were always captivated by him. He’s been physically gone for some time now, but the music and magic he created speaks for itself. There was never anybody like Sugarcane before, and there never will be again. So here’s a happy birthday to the blues fiddler himself.