Nat King Cole's Music Visited CSULB

As the audience sat relaxed with wine at their tables, vocalist Allan Harris intermittently allowed his colleague take over the stage with his saxophone, while he closes his eyes, dancing to the music. “This is the life for me,” Harris said to the audience after he opened his eyes.








Allan Harris. Photo courtesy of Carpenter Performing Arts Center



Harris then impersonated as a rapper for a moment, and the room filled with laughter. Snapping his fingers and dancing to the beat of the drums behind him, with his invitation, the audience joined him clapping hands. Then at times out of the blue, he stops moving and stares at the audience in silence. “But I love you...” Harris begins singing again.


“Please do not forget to please..” Harris sang on. Harris was a black man dressed in black with a married ring who was ready to entertain. “My love? My tears? Or Forever?” Harris asked the audience which of Nat King Cole's songs to sing. On stage, men of two different races (Black and Caucasian) performed together in harmony.





“Racism is simply a fact of life in America - even though there are times it can be very subtle,” Harris said. “However, if you want to be creatively successful in this life, you've got to reach above and beyond any kind of discrimination and use it to empower you. It's not easy but success never is.”

Learn more about Allan here: http://www.allanharris.com/.