The Three Sounds

The Three Sounds (also known as The 3 Sounds) were a jazz trio that formed in 1956. The trio played and recorded with Lester Young, Lou Donaldson, Nat Adderley, Johnny Griffin, Anita O'Day, Stanley Turrentine and Sonny Stitt among others. They disbanded in 1973. The band formed in Benton Harbor, Michigan as the Four Sounds. The original line-up consisted of Gene Harris on piano, Andrew Simpkins on double bass and Bill Dowdy on drums, along with saxophonist Lonnie `The Sound' Walker, who dropped out the following year. The group moved to Washington and then New York, where as the Three Sounds, they cut a record for Riverside Records, before signing an exclusive contract with Blue Note. Between 1958 and 1962, the group released nine LPs for blue note. They toured nationally during this period, building a large following in jazz clubs across the country. Later Three Sounds recordings were also released by Limelight and verve records.