Harold Land - West Coast Blues (1960)

Artist: Harold Land
Album: West Coast Blues
Rating AMG: 4
Recording Date: May 17, 1960,May 18, 1960
Release Date: May 17, 1960-May 18, 1960
Label: Jazzland/OJC
Genre: Jazz, Styles: Hard Bop
Time: 42:26
Format/Bitrate: mp3, 320 kbps
Size: 97 Mb

Тенор-саксофонист эры боп Harold Land. Интересный исполнитель, играл с известными музыкантами. По мнению Скотта Янова, обозревателя AMG, сильно недооцененный.

Tracks:
1. Ursula
2. Klactoveedsedstene
3. Don't Explain
4. West Coast Blues
5. Terrain
6. Compulsion

Personnel:
Harold Land, tenor saxophone
Joe Gordon, trumpet
Wes Montgomery, guitar
Barry Harris, piano
Sam Jones, bass
Louies Hayes, drums

Продолжение текста / More text
Review Dustygroove.com:
One of our favorite albums ever from Harold Land, and a great set that has a hard soul jazz feel -- despite the "west coast" in the title. Harold's playing with a great group that includes Barry Harris, Joe Gordon, and Sam Jones -- as well as guitarist Wes Montgomery, who's work on the session really gives it a soulful edge! The cover lists the rhythm section as "all-soul", and it's right, as the accompaniment for Harold here is more sensitive, and more swinging than on most of his other records. The set sparkles with brilliance, and with great relaxed soulful playing.

Amazon.com reviewer:
Harold Land's "West Coast Blues" may be a one-time gathering of jazz all-stars, but it is one of the best jam sessions in the OJC catalog. This album is quite a departure from his more personal previous effort "The Fox", in that Land has to be more of a team player due to the immense talents of his colleagues featured here -- Wes Montgomery on guitar, Joe Gordon on trumpet, and as the album jacket says, "the all-soul rhythm section" of Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. If this seems like an unlikely lineup, you're right it is. This session came together in May 1960 for the Jazzland label (an offshoot of Riverside) when the Cannonball Adderley Quintet (of which Harris, Jones and Hayes were members) was in San Francisco for an extended gig. Wes Montgomery was also living in San Fran and was just beginning to receive acclaim (one wonders if he would have cut this session even a year later -- probably not he would have been too big). Orrin Keepnews then brought Land and Gordon up from L.A. to complete the session. The fact that the rhythm section had played together so frequently provides this jam session with a solid foundation, but it is the magical interplay between Wes, Land and Gordon that really sets this disc on fire. There are three Land originals here (all are excellent) and the title track is Wes Montgomery's composition. Any fan of Land, Montgomery or even Cannonball will thoroughly enjoy this fantastic outing.

Review Scott Yanow, AMG:
This reissue (which surprisingly has not yet come out in complete fashion on CD) was originally recorded for the Jazzland label. Tenor saxophonist Harold Land leads an all-star sextet that includes guitarist Wes Montgomery, trumpeter Joe Gordon, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes. Together, they perform three of Land's originals, "Don't Explain," and Charlie Parker's "Klactoveedsedstene," and an early version of Montgomery's "West Coast Blues." The music is as well-played and swinging as one would expect from this superior bop group.

Биография исполнителя (Bio):

Harold Land
Real name: Harold de Vance Land
Born: Dec 18, 1928 in Houston, TX
Died: Jul 27, 2001
Genres: Jazz
Styles: Hard Bop, Post-Bop
Instruments: Sax (Tenor)

Harold Land is an underrated tenor saxophonist whose tone has hardened with time and whose improvising style after the 1960s became influenced by (but not a copy of) John Coltrane. He grew up in San Diego and started playing tenor when he was 16. After working locally and making his recording debut for Savoy (1949), Land had his first high-profile gig in 1954 when he joined the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet. Land performed and recorded with the group until late 1955 when due to family problems he had to return home to Los Angeles (where he has been based ever since). He played with Curtis Counce's band (1956-1958), recorded a pair of memorable albums for Contemporary (1958-1959), led his own groups in the 1960s, and co-led groups with Bobby Hutcherson (1967-1971) and Blue Mitchell (1975-1978). Harold Land continued freelancing around Los Angeles up until his death in 2001. Land recorded as a leader (in addition to Savoy and Contemporary) for such labels as Jazzland, Blue Note, Imperial, Atlantic, Cadet, Mainstream, Concord, Muse, and Postcards. His son, Harold Land Jr., occasionally played piano with his groups.
— Scott Yanow

www.allmusic.com

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