Harold Land
Encyclopedia
Harold de Vance Land was an American
hard bop
and post-bop
tenor saxophonist. Land developed his hard bop playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown band into a personal, modern style. His tone was strong and emotional, yet displayed a certain fragility that made him easy to recognize.
in 1949. In 1954 he joined the Clifford Brown
/Max Roach
Quintet. Because of family problems he moved to Los Angeles
in 1955. There he played with Curtis Counce
, led his own groups, and co-led groups with Bobby Hutcherson
, Blue Mitchell
, and Red Mitchell
. From the 1970s onwards his style showed the influence of John Coltrane
.
In the early 1980s through to the early 1990s he worked regularly with the Timeless All Stars, a group sponsored by the Timeless
jazz record label. The group consisted of Land on tenor, Cedar Walton
on piano, Buster Williams
on bass, Billy Higgins
on drums, Curtis Fuller
on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson
on vibes. Land also toured with his own band during this time, often including his son on piano and usually featuring Bobby Hutcherson and Billy Higgins as well. During these years he played regularly at Hop Singhs in Marina Del Ray in the L.A area and the Keystone Korner in San Francisco.
Land was a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles
. He joined the UCLA Jazz Studies Program as a lecturer in 1996 to teach instrumental jazz combo. "Harold Land was one of the major contributors in the history of the jazz saxophone," said jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell
, founder and director of the UCLA Jazz Studies Program. "He was a vital and well-loved member of the jazz faculty here at UCLA."
Land died in July 2001, from a stroke
, at the age of 73.
With Bill Evans
With Chico Hamilton
With Bobby Hutcherson
With Blue Mitchell
With Clifford Brown
and Max Roach
With Donald Byrd
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hard bop
Hard bop
Hard bop is a style of jazz that is an extension of bebop music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz which incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano...
and post-bop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
tenor saxophonist. Land developed his hard bop playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown band into a personal, modern style. His tone was strong and emotional, yet displayed a certain fragility that made him easy to recognize.
Biography
Land was born in Houston and grew up in San Diego. He started playing at the age of 16. He made his first recording as the leader of the Harold Land All-Stars, for Savoy RecordsSavoy Records
Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
in 1949. In 1954 he joined the Clifford Brown
Clifford Brown
Clifford Brown , aka "Brownie," was an influential and highly rated American jazz trumpeter. He died aged 25, leaving behind only four years' worth of recordings...
/Max Roach
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
Quintet. Because of family problems he moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1955. There he played with Curtis Counce
Curtis Counce
Curtis Counce was an American hard bop and West Coast jazz double bassist. The fruit of his 1956 Contemporary Records studio collaboration with tenor saxophonist Harold Land, trumpeters Jack Sheldon and Gerald Wilson, pianist Carl Perkins and drummer Frank Butler was issued in 2007 on a double CD...
, led his own groups, and co-led groups with Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson is a jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His vibraphone playing is suggestive of the style of Milt Jackson in its free-flowing melodicism, but his sense of harmony and group interaction is thoroughly modern...
, Blue Mitchell
Blue Mitchell
Richard Allen Mitchell was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter, known for many albums recorded as leader and sideman for Riverside, Blue Note and then Mainstream Records.-Biography:...
, and Red Mitchell
Red Mitchell
Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927, New York City - November 8, 1992, Salem, Oregon, was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet. He was the brother of Whitey Mitchell....
. From the 1970s onwards his style showed the influence of John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
.
In the early 1980s through to the early 1990s he worked regularly with the Timeless All Stars, a group sponsored by the Timeless
Timeless Records
Timeless Records is a jazz record label from The Netherlands.Timeless was founded in Wageningen in 1975 by Wim Wigt. It has specialized in bebop, though it also did a subseries of important releases of Dixieland and swing recordings. As of ca...
jazz record label. The group consisted of Land on tenor, Cedar Walton
Cedar Walton
Cedar Anthony Walton, Junior is an American hard bop jazz pianist.-Biography:Walton grew up in Dallas, Texas. His mother was an aspiring concert pianist, and was Walton's initial teacher. She also took him to jazz performances around Dallas...
on piano, Buster Williams
Buster Williams
Charles Anthony Williams is an American jazz bassist.-Biography:Williams has gained prestige among jazz musicians as a solid supportive player. Since the early 1960s, he has made subtle swing, a precise rhythm and superb technique the landmark of his playing...
on bass, Billy Higgins
Billy Higgins
Billy Higgins was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop.Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, beginning in 1958...
on drums, Curtis Fuller
Curtis Fuller
Curtis DuBois Fuller is an American jazz trombonist, known as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributor to many classic jazz recordings.-Biography:...
on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson is a jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His vibraphone playing is suggestive of the style of Milt Jackson in its free-flowing melodicism, but his sense of harmony and group interaction is thoroughly modern...
on vibes. Land also toured with his own band during this time, often including his son on piano and usually featuring Bobby Hutcherson and Billy Higgins as well. During these years he played regularly at Hop Singhs in Marina Del Ray in the L.A area and the Keystone Korner in San Francisco.
Land was a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. He joined the UCLA Jazz Studies Program as a lecturer in 1996 to teach instrumental jazz combo. "Harold Land was one of the major contributors in the history of the jazz saxophone," said jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell
Kenny Burrell
Kenneth Earl "Kenny" Burrell is an American jazz guitarist. His playing is grounded in bebop and blues; he has performed and recorded with a wide range of jazz musicians.-Biography:...
, founder and director of the UCLA Jazz Studies Program. "He was a vital and well-loved member of the jazz faculty here at UCLA."
Land died in July 2001, from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, at the age of 73.
As leader
- Grooveyard (Contemporary) 1958
- Harold in the Land of Jazz (Contemporary/OJC) 1958
- The Fox (HiFi Jazz/OJC) 1959 with Elmo HopeElmo HopeSt. Elmo Sylvester Hope was an American jazz pianist, performing chiefly in the bop and hard bop genres. His highly individual piano-playing and, especially, his compositions have led a few enthusiasts and critics such as David Rosenthal to place him alongside his contemporaries Bud Powell and...
, DuPree BoltonDuPree BoltonDupree Bolton was a bop jazz trumpeter from Oklahoma City, OK, probably best known for his obscure recordings with Harold Land and Curtis Amy.- Discography :*1959: The Fox - Harold Land...
, Herbie LewisHerbie LewisHerbie Lewis was an American hard bop double bassist.He played or recorded with many prominent jazz musicians, including Cannonball Adderley, Stanley Turrentine, Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, Harold Land, Jackie McLean, Archie Shepp, and McCoy Tyner.Herbie recorded his last CD Just a Lucky So...
, and Frank ButlerFrank Butler (musician)Frank Butler was an American jazz drummer. Butler was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but later moved west and was associated in large part with the West Coast school...
. - Eastward Ho! Harold Land in New York Jazzland (OJC) 1960
- West Coast Blues!West Coast Blues!-Track listing:# Ursula – 7:07# Klactoveedsedstene – 9:59# Don't Explain – 4:54# West Coast Blues – 6:02# Terrain – 7:46# Compulsion – 6:48-Personnel:...
Jazzland (OJC) 1960 - Hear Ye! Harold Land Quintet with Red Mitchell (Atlantic) 1961
- The Peacemaker (Cadet) 1967
- Take Aim (Blue Note) 1969
- Jazz Impressions of Folk Music (Imperial) 1971
- A New Shade of Blue (Mainstream) 1971
- Choma (To Burn) (Mainstream) 1971
- Damisi (Mainstream) 1977
- MapenziMapenzi-Track listing:# "Mapenzi" - 5:15# "Rapture" - 5:08# "Habiba" - 10:19# "Blue Silver" - 4:58# "Everything's Changed" - 5:13# "Inner Voice" - 6:08# "Tres Senderos" - 5:29...
with Blue Mitchell (Concord Jazz) 1977 - Xocia’s Dance (Muse) 1981
- A Lazy Afternoon (Postcards RecordsPostcards RecordsPostcards Records was an American jazz record label active during the 1990s, an imprint of Arkadia Jazz.-Discography:...
) 1995 - Promised Land (Audiophoric) 2001
As sideman
With Ella FitzgeraldElla Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
- Things Ain't What They Used to Be (And You Better Believe It) (1969)
With Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
- Quintessence (Fantasy Records, 1976)
With Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton , is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.-Early life through 1960s:Hamilton was born in Los Angeles, California. He had a fast-track musical education in a band with Charles Mingus, Illinois Jacquet, Ernie Royal, Dexter Gordon, Buddy Collette and Jack Kelso...
- Chic Chic ChicoChic Chic ChicoChic Chic Chico is an album by American jazz drummer Chico Hamilton featuring performances recorded in 1965 for the Impulse! label.-Reception:...
(Impulse!, 1965)
With Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson is a jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His vibraphone playing is suggestive of the style of Milt Jackson in its free-flowing melodicism, but his sense of harmony and group interaction is thoroughly modern...
- MedinaMedina (album)Medina in its currently issued form is a disc by jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. It is composed of two sessions recorded for the Blue Note label...
(Blue Note, 1969) - Total Eclipse (Blue Note, 1968)
- Blow UpBlow Up (album)Blow Up is a live album by jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, released on the Jazz Music Yesterday label....
(Blue Note, 1969) - Now! (Blue Note, 1969)
- San Francisco (Blue Note, 1970)
- Head OnHead On (Bobby Hutcherson album)Head On is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson recorded in 1971 and released on the Blue Note label. The album was rereleased on CD with three additional recordings from the sessions as bonus tracks.-Reception:...
(Blue Note, 1971) - CirrusCirrus (album)Cirrus is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson recorded in 1974 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album 4 stars and stated "While it doesn't quite match the heights of their early collaborations, Cirrus finds...
(Blue Note, 1974) - Inner GlowInner GlowInner Glow is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson recorded in 1975 and originally released on the Japanese Blue Note label. While never issued in the U.S...
(Blue Note, 1975)
With Blue Mitchell
Blue Mitchell
Richard Allen Mitchell was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter, known for many albums recorded as leader and sideman for Riverside, Blue Note and then Mainstream Records.-Biography:...
- African VioletAfrican Violet (album)African Violet is an album by American trumpeter Blue Mitchell which features arrangements by McKinley Mitchell recorded and released on the Impulse! label in 1977.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 3 stars.-Track listing:...
(Impulse!, 1977) - Summer SoftSummer SoftSummer Soft is an album by American trumpeter Blue Mitchell recorded in 1977 and released on the Impulse! label in 1978.-Reception:Allmusic awarded the album 2 stars with reviewer Scott Yanow stating "Although there are some fine players on this LP they are largely wasted on inferior material and...
(Impulse!, 1978)
With Clifford Brown
Clifford Brown
Clifford Brown , aka "Brownie," was an influential and highly rated American jazz trumpeter. He died aged 25, leaving behind only four years' worth of recordings...
and Max Roach
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
- Clifford Brown & Max RoachClifford Brown & Max RoachClifford Brown & Max Roach is a 1955 album by influential jazz musicians Clifford Brown and Max Roach as part of the Clifford Brown and Max Roach Quintet, described by The New York Times as "perhaps the definitive bop group until Mr. Brown's fatal automobile accident in 1956"...
(EmArcy, 1954) - Brown & Roach, Incorporated (EmArcy, 1954)
- Study in BrownStudy in BrownStudy in Brown is a Clifford Brown and Max Roach album. The album consists predominantly of originals by members of the band. The songs "Lands End," by tenor saxophonist Harold Land, and "Sandu", by Brown, have gone on to become jazz standards...
(EmArcy, 1955)
With Donald Byrd
Donald Byrd
Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd is best known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while simultaneously remaining a...
- Ethiopian KnightsEthiopian KnightsEthiopoian Knights is an album by American trumpeter Donald Byrd featuring performances by Byrd with Thurman Green, Harold Land, Bobby Hutcherson, and Joe Sample recorded and released on the Blue Note label in 1971.-Reception:...
(Blue Note, 1971)