Swiss Movement, the previous Harris-McCann collaboration, had a lot going for it. There was a hip Swiss festival audience. There was the inspired playing of a great expatriate jazzman, trumpet wizard Benny Bailey. There was even an instant classic, Gene McDaniels' "Compared to What," a funky, forceful diatribe against the absurdity of life in America, rapped out unforgettably by McCann. "Compared to What" was strong enough to almost preclude a follow-up, and Second Movement, a studio effort, falls far short of its predecessor's excellence.

The first tune, "Shorty Rides Again," is great stuff, with some truly creative playing from Harris (fusing "the New Thing" and "the Blue Thing"), impressionistic McCann, and "Pretty" Purdie's kicking, powerhouse drums. But unless you happen to be an easy listening fan, the music declines drastically after this initial high point. "Universal Prisoner" is an innocuous R&B number that floats blandly on horns and strings arranged by producer Arif Mardin. "Carry on Brother" has a melody line suspiciously similar to "Compared to What," but just doesn't live up to the outspoken outrageousness of the earlier tune. "Set Us Free" hovers mostly in the area of the lunk cliche, and while "Samia" is a very pretty tune, reminiscent of "The Shadow of Your Smile." it shimmers without going much of anywhere.

Harris and McCann can really play, and they can move an audience. There are flashes of inspiration and creativity on Second Movement, as we would expect from such a talented team, but the talent is largely wasted on jazz muzak. The only way to equal Swiss Movement is to turn McCann and Harris loose on another live audience, find some topflight material, bring back Benny Bailey, and let 'em raise the roof. (RS 92)

BOB PALMER