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Harold Land

The West Coast saxophonist known for his associations with the masterful quintet led by trumpeter Clifford Brown and drummer Max Roach in the mid-50's and with the internationally acclaimed quintet he co-led with Bobby Hutcherson in the late '60s. He engaged in an individualistic style and an expressive tone, mixing compelling melody readings with alluring improvisations.

Land, born in Houston and raised in San Diego, moved to Los Angeles in the early '50s. In 1954, he joined the famed Brown-Roach quintet, with which he toured the United States and recorded several albums for EmArcy (all of which are available as reissue CDs). After two years with the ensemble, Land felt the need to be closer to his family, which was in Los Angeles, and so he returned and resided there ever since.

He soon began to establish himself as one of the most singular and powerful of jazzmen, making albums with bassists Red Mitchell and Curtis Counce and then, in 1958, making his solo debut (he had recorded four selections in 1949 that were released by Savoy). “Harold in the Land of Jazz,” was issued on Contemporary Records, and was followed a year later by “The Fox,” which many consider his best early recording. He did an impromptu date in the spring of 1960, rising star Wes Montgomery was living in San Francisco and the Cannonball Adderley Quintet—with its Barry Harris/Sam Jones/Louis Hayes rhythm section was all brought in for a classic blowing session that resulted in “West Coast Blues.”

He also began performing with Gerald Wilson's orchestra, and with pianists Hampton Hawes and Carl Perkins, becoming an essential element in the Los Angeles jazz scene. Nonetheless, the saxophonist didn't really get much exposure outside LA until he formed a quintet with vibes player Bobby Hutcherson in the late '60s. The band recorded for Blue Note and toured the US and Europe.

Also during the '60s, Land, like so many saxophonists, became enamored with John Coltrane, and he found that both his smooth sound and his approach to improvising changed during this period. "John definitely inspired me with his intense spirit, and I usually say that spirit moved me so much that I became a little more intense in my own musical presentation," says Land. "At the same time, I was trying to maintain a certain individuality that I hope I have managed to do."

In the late '70s and '80s, Land joined the Timeless All-Stars, which also included Higgins, Hutcherson, Cedar Walton (piano), and Curtis Fuller (trombone). In and around performances with the Timeless band, Land fronted fine quintets that featured trumpeters Blue Mitchell (their “Mapenzi,” on Concord Jazz, is a classic) and Oscar Brashear (documented on “Xocia's Dance” on Muse). Land remains one of the most impressive and deep improvisers in jazz.

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8
Album Review

Curtis Counce: You Get More Bounce With Curtis Counce!

Read "You Get More Bounce With Curtis Counce!" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


When bassist Curtis Counce died of a heart attack at the age of 37 in 1963, the jazz world was deprived of a major talent. Not that one would have known much, for his death, while noted, was not extensively covered. Counce, a Midwesterner, had come to California and to jny:Los Angeles to learn his craft, where he played with such incubator orchestras at the Club Alabam as Johnny Otis (trumpeter Art Farmer started there too). He gigged in the ...

6
Album Review

Harold Land: Westward Bound!

Read "Westward Bound!" reviewed by Peter J. Hoetjes


One can't help but wonder how large the stage may have been for tenor saxophonist Harold Land had he not tethered himself to the west coast for the majority of his career. In 1954 Land moved from Santa Monica to Los Angeles and quickly earned himself a place in the immensely popular Clifford Brown/Max Roach band, beginning with the aptly named Jam Session (EmArcy, 1954). Called back to Los Angeles in 1956 by the responsibilities of being a ...

10
Album Review

Harold Land: Westward Bound!

Read "Westward Bound!" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


Until 1954 Harold Land was a relatively unknown tenor saxophonist. He experienced a surge in his standing with the release of Clifford Brown & Max Roach (Emarcy 1954) when he was part of this high-profile, but short lived, bebop quintet (1954-56). A decade later, this hard-bop player was recognized for his engaging ideas and robust tone and is the center of Westward Bound! a Reel To Real Limited Edition 180 gram 2LP gatefold release produced by Cory Weeds and Zev ...

7
Multiple Reviews

Jazz in the Key of Japan: The J Jazz Masterclass Series on BBE

Read "Jazz in the Key of Japan: The J Jazz Masterclass Series on BBE" reviewed by Jakob Baekgaard


It's widely known that Japan is a country with a jazz-loving population. The audience appreciates the music and shows it proper respect. It has been that way for a long time. In fact, the history of jazz in Japan goes back to the 1920s when jazz was still popular dance music. Since then, the music has evolved with the times and made the transition from popular music to modern art music. The American influence has been there from the beginning, ...

6
Album Review

Harold Land: A New Shade Of Blue

Read "A New Shade Of Blue" reviewed by Chris May


If Harold Land had left nothing else behind him other than the 1960 Contemporary Records album The Fox, a place in jazz history would be secure. The disc not only featured some of the finest mid-period hard-bop tenor saxophone to come out of the West Coast, but in Land's frontline partner, Dupree Bolton, it showcased a trumpet soloist of outsize talent, one, tragically, who was cut down by heroin addiction and psychiatric problems almost as soon as the recording session ...

7
Album Review

Harold Land: A New Shade Of Blue

Read "A New Shade Of Blue" reviewed by Mark Corroto


What came first, craft beers or the revival of vinyl records? I ask because both revolutions have moved your collective attentions away from corporate culture to smaller more specialized boutiques. That means better beer and certainly a more diverse choice in music. Case in point, saxophonist Harold Land's A New Shade Of Blue originally issued on Los Angeles' Mainstream Records in 1971. When the big record companies were touting their answer to rock-and-roll with electric Miles and Herbie, producers like ...

386
Album Review

Harold Land: Take Aim

Read "Take Aim" reviewed by George Harris


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 ...

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1

Recording

Harold Land: Westward Bound!

Harold Land: Westward Bound!

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Over the years, tenor saxophonist Harold Land has been positioned as unheralded, underappreciated and not fully celebrated. He has also been referred to as John Coltrane's true heir and a genius. None of this is true, of course. Land recorded 15 leadership albums between 1958 and 2001 and four times that number as a sideman. Jazz fans have known about him for decades, since his early recordings with the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet in 1954. A genius? My definition of ...

109

Recording

Harold Land - A West Coaster Worth Surfing For

Harold Land - A West Coaster Worth Surfing For

Source: Riffs on Jazz by John Anderson

Hard bop saxophonist Harold Land (1928-2001) grew up in San Diego and started playing saxophone at the age of 16. He recorded some early sides as a leader in the late 1940s, but he really came into his own in 1954 when he joined the famous Clifford Brown/Max Roach quintet. He toured and recorded with the group for a couple of years before returning to Los Angeles to be with his family. Land remains lesser known because he spent his ...

403

Recording

Ray Nance, Roy Ayers, Don Ellis, Pepper Adams, Harold Land, Eddie Condon, Edmond Hall Reissues on Mighty Quinn

Ray Nance, Roy Ayers, Don Ellis, Pepper Adams, Harold Land, Eddie Condon, Edmond Hall Reissues on Mighty Quinn

Source: All About Jazz

Mighty Quinn Productions was developed out of my respect for music and the people who make it. Our goal is to reissue recordings by quality artists that have not yet been released on CD, or have sadly fallen out of print. We want to make sure that worthy albums in all genres of music aren't lost or forgotten. We also plan to produce compelling new artists who we believe should be heard. Mighty Quinn is committed to providing the best ...

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Music Industry

Harold Land, tenor saxophonist, dead at 73

Harold Land, tenor saxophonist, dead at 73

Source: All About Jazz


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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

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Craft Recordings
2023

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A Lazy Afternoon

Postcards
2022

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Thank You, Duke!

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2022

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Magic Moments

Arkadia Records
2022

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Westward Bound!

Reel to Real
2021

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The Stars of Jazz #1

Arkadia Records
2021

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