Charlie Harris is the sort of name that sounds vaguely familiar, but probably only a small part of the vast audience who have listened to the jazz bassist would be able to identify him by name. Nonetheless, a case could be made that Harris is one of the most listened-to bassists from his particular genre background. He was best known as one third of the Nat King Cole Trio, present on such '50s hits as Mona Lisa, Unforgettable, and Ramblin' Rose. Harris had paid his dues in the previous decade with Lionel Hampton His Big Band, truly one of the most challenging of assignments for any rhythm section player.

The bassist grew up in Baltimore as part of a large family, starting out as a violinist and then switching to the bass in high school. His professional performing began while he was in college and continued in the house band of Baltimore's Royal Theater after graduation. In 1941 he joined up with Hampton, who was carrying at least two bassists at this point. The other was Charles Mingus, who became one of Harris' closest friends. Harris also recorded with bebop trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie in the '40s. Ill at ease on the road, Harris limped back to Baltimore in 1949.

Cole heard the bassist at his old regal stomping grounds, the Royal Theater, where he was working in Three Strikes and a Miss, a combo and not a description of the last batter up. While the bebop chops Harris had developed came in handy with Cole, the pianist and singer would also begin devoting himself to interpreting pop melodies, developing an influential persona as well as a commanding musical style. The mainstream music audience seems to never tire of either Cole or his legion of disciples, including his daughter, Natalie Cole, as well as Ravi Shankar's daughter, Norah Jones. The subtle accompaniment style of Cole's close collaborators such as Harris is surely part of this great appeal, but since Mingus loved Harris' playing, any other opinion is probably unimportant. Remaining in Baltimore until his death of cancer, Harris continued playing bass with local groups, gave music lessons, and also had a job as a furniture salesman. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi