Harold Land

Other than four titles from 1949, this CD reissue has tenor saxophonist Harold Land's first sessions as a leader. Teamed up on the West Coast with trumpeter Rolf Ericson, pianist Carl Perkins, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Frank Butler, Land shows that hard bop was very much alive in Los Angeles in the late '50s. His tone is cooler and softer than it would become later on, but it was already pretty distinctive. Land performs three of his swinging originals, the original version of Perkins' "Grooveyard" (which became a minor standard), an obscurity by Elmo Hope, and the standards "Speak Low" and "You Don't Know What Love Is." The reissue also adds "Promised Land" to the original program. Fine straight-ahead music.

Harold Land - Choma (Burn) (1971) {Mainstream-Ace Records CDBOPM 026 rel 2014}
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© 1971, 2014 Mainstream Records / Boplicity / Ace Records | CDBOPM 026
Jazz / Post Bop / Groove / Saxophone / Vibes

One of the hippest albums ever from the team of Harold Land and Bobby Hutcherson – and a set that's even more open than some of their other records on Blue Note or Chess! This set's a bit more electric than some of the other records from the pair – with these drawn-out Fender Rhodes lines from Bill Henderson – who comps and vamps with modal energy that really draws out some searing, searching solos from Land's tenor! Bobby's vibes are maybe a bit more restrained, but offer a key element in the overall soundshape of the record – and the rest of the lineup includes Reggie Johnson on bass, Ndugu and Woody Theus on drums, and Harold Land Jr on additional piano.

Harold Land’s hard bop album “The Fox” was originally released in 1960, with Contemporary Records reissuing it in ‘69. Featuring Harold Land (tenor sax), Dupree Bolton (trumpet), Elmo Hope (piano), Herbie Lewis (bass), Frank Butler (drums) it was produced by David Axelrod. This new edition features remastered hi-res audio from the original tapes.

Harold Land & Carmell Jones Quintets - Complete Studio Recordings (2007) {2CD Lone Hill Jazz LHJ10268 rec 1961-1963}
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© 1961-63, 2007 Lone Hill Jazz | LHJ1026
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone / Trumpet

One of the hippest jazz pairings on the LA scene in the early 60s – presented here in a 2CD set with nearly 4 albums' worth of material! First up is the well-titled Remarkable Carmell Jones – one of the few sessions cut as a leader by trumpeter Carmell Jones – a wonderfully talented player from LA, who was one of the leading lights in that city's hardbop scene during the early 60s! The set grooves like the best Blue Note sessions of the time – Jones leading a combo that features Harold Land on tenor, Frank Strazzeri on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Leon Pettis on drums – all working with a careful blend of soul jazz and modern influences, on a wonderful batch of well-written tunes.

Harold Land - Take Aim (1960) {Blue Note Japan, BNLT Series TOCJ-50293 rel 2012}
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© 1960, 2012 Blue Note / EMI Music Japan | TOCJ-50293 | 24bit remaster
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Saxophone

Originally recorded in 1960 for Blue Note but not released until 1980, Take Aim, like Harold Land himself, has undeservedly fallen through the cracks. Most famous for his association with the Clifford Brown/Max Roach quintet of the '50s, Land is another unheralded West Coast giant who made a name for himself out here in California, but was under the radar of the jazz elitists. Take Aim, featuring an obscure group of musicians, is a pleasant surprise, and should be a welcome refresher for anyone looking for music similar to the tenorist's earlier and more famous exploits.

This Concord release was tenor saxophonist Harold Land's first as a leader in a decade, although he had co-led many sessions in the interim with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. Starting in 1975, Land and trumpeter Blue Mitchell worked regularly in a quintet up until Mitchell's death in 1979, but this album was just about their only joint recording. With keyboardist Kirk Lightsey, bassist Reggie Johnson, and drummer Al "Tootie" Heath offering solid support, the group performs four originals by Land (including the title cut and "Rapture"), two songs by Lightsey, and Mitchell's "Blue Silver." Fusion may have been the dominant force at the time, but despite Lightsey doubling on electric piano, this is an excellent example of 1977 hard bop.

Harold Land - The Fox (1959) {Contemporary OJCCD-343-2 rel 1988}
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© 1959, 1988 Contemporary Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-343-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone

Due to his decision to settle in Los Angeles, tenor saxophonist Harold Land has long been underrated. A strong bop stylist who later on would be influenced a great deal by John Coltrane, Land in 1959 had a sound closer to Sonny Rollins. For this excellent straight-ahead quintet set with trumpeter Dupree Bolton and pianist Elmo Hope, Land performs four of Hope's superior but little-known compositions along with two of his own. This is high-quality hard bop, easily recommended to fans of straight-ahead jazz.