A local band is releasing a holiday album on vinyl 10 years after recording it. The Harry Bells say the release pays tribute to a founding member who died from blood cancer.
Percussionist Josh Kay started the band to play Harry Belafonte songs.
“And hence the name Harry Bells; that’s where it comes from,” saxophonist Matt Rippetoe said. “After some years, we decided to flesh it out and we added a bunch of percussionists and horns, and it turned into an eight-piece band of three percussionists and five horns.”
The Harry Bells played lots of gigs and recorded lots of music, and holiday music always was part of the band’s identity. They recorded a holiday album 10 years ago but never put it out on vinyl.
Then Kay was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
“We always wanted to have it on vinyl, and six years ago, our original band member Josh passed away from a rare form of blood cancer,” Rippetoe said. “And so what we wanted to do is release this in his memory.”
So, on the 10th anniversary of the recording, the Harry Bells decided to release the album on vinyl for the first time as a way to honor their friend and bandmate.
“He was always so lively, always in the pocket with the percussion, and me being the drummer in the band and Josh being the percussionist, we clicked immediately,” drummer Lee Durham said.
“He was just a very warm and outgoing kind of person,” Durham said. “He always made friends everywhere he was.”
“He’s the kind of guy that’s so nice and easy to talk to, like you’ve known him forever,” saxophonist Chris Watling said.
The Harry Bells will donate the money from the record sales to the National Marrow Donor Program.
“Just to spread awareness,” Rippetoe said. “You know, these blood cancers happen and it’s important that we find donors with matching bone marrows to the patients.”
A spokesperson for the donor program told News4, “We are grateful to Matt and bandmates, in honoring Josh’s memory, by joining the movement to help more patients receive life-saving blood stem cell transplants. Becoming a blood stem cell donor starts with a simple cheek swab.”
The Harry Bells still play occasional gigs, and every time, they think about their friend.
“It is about the hang, and with Josh there was a lot of laughs,” Rippetoe said. “And so, in long hangs in a green room or in a tour bus or at a recording session those laughs are very important to keep morale up. And so, Josh was good with that.”
“Holidays with the Harry Bells” on vinyl is available on Bandcamp.
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