Harold de Vance Land (December 18, 1928 – July 27, 2001) 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, often rivalling Clifford Brown's instrumental ability with his own inventive and whimsical solos. His tone was strong and emotional, yet hinted at a certain introspective fragility.
Biography Land was born in Houston, Texas, United States and grew up in San Diego, California. He started playing at the age of 16. He made his first recording as the leader of the Harold Land All-Stars, for Savoy Records in 1949. In 1954, he joined the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet, with whom he was at the forefront of the hard-bop/bebop movement. The Land family moved from San Diego 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, Harold Land Jr., on piano and usually featuring Bobby Hutcherson and Billy Higgins as well. During these years he played regularly at Hop Singh's in Marina Del Rey 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.
Land died in July 2001, from a stroke, at the age of 72.
Playing style Land had an inimitably dark tone within the hard-bop and modal jazz paradigms. Over time this would contrast more and more with the brighter tonalities of more Coltrane-influenced saxophonists, although Land started to implement Coltrane's musical innovations. Land's "dire, brooding [tenor saxophone] sound began somewhere between rhythm and blues and Coleman Hawkins, and after the early 1960s owed more and more to John Coltrane's harmonies, phrasing and experiments with modalism."
Discography As leader/co-leader Year recordedTitleLabelYear releasedPersonnel/Notes1958-01Harold in the Land of JazzContemporary1958Quintet, with Land (tenor sax), Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Carl Perkins (piano), Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Frank Butler (drums); reissued as Grooveyard (Contemporary, 1963)1958-11Jazz at the Cellar 1958Lone Hill Jazz2007Quartet, with Land (tenor sax), Elmo Hope (piano), Scott LaFaro (bass), Lenny McBrowne (drums)1959-08The FoxHiFi Jazz1960Quintet, with Land (tenor sax), Dupree Bolton (trumpet), Elmo Hope (piano), Herbie Lewis (bass), Frank Butler (drums)1960-05West Coast Blues!Jazzland1960Sextet, with Land (tenor sax), Joe Gordon (trumpet), Barry Harris (piano), Wes Montgomery (guitar), Sam Jones (bass), Louis Hayes (drums)1960-07Eastward Ho! Harold Land in New YorkJazzland1961Quintet, with Land (tenor sax), Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Amos Trice (piano), Clarence Jones (bass), Joe Peters (drums)1960-07Take AimBlue Note1980Quintet, with Land (tenor sax), Martin Banks (trumpet), Amos Trice (piano), Clarence Jones (bass), Leon Pettis (drums)1961-101961-12Hear Ye! – with Red MitchellAtlantic1962Quintet, with Land (tenor sax), Red Mitchell (bass), Carmell Jones (trumpet), Frank Strazzeri (piano), Leon Pettis (drums)1963-07Jazz Impressions of Folk MusicImperial1963Quintet, with Land (tenor sax), Carmell Jones (trumpet), John Houston (piano), Jim Bond (bass), Mel Lee (drums)1967-121968-02The Peace-MakerCadet1968Quintet, with Land (tenor sax), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes), Joe Sample (piano), Buster Williams (bass), Donald Bailey (drums, harmonica) 1969–07 Blow Up – with Bobby Hutcherson Jazz Music Yesterday 1990 Quintet, with Bobby Hutcherson (vibes). Stanley Cowell (piano), Reggie Johnson (bass), Joe Chambers (drums). Live at Jazz à Juan in Juan-les-Pins.1971?A New Shade of BlueMainstream1971Sextet, with Land (tenor sax), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes), Bill Henderson (piano, electric piano), Buster Williams (bass), Billy Hart (drums), James Mtume (congas)1971?Choma (Burn)Mainstream1971Septet, with Land (tenor sax), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes, marimba), Bill Henderson (piano), Harold Land Jr. (piano, electric piano), Reggie Johnson (bass), Billy Hart (drums), Ndugu Chancler and Woody Theus (drums)1972?DamisiMainstream1972Quintet, with Land (tenor sax, oboe), Oscar Brashear (trumpet), Bill Henderson (piano, electric piano), Buster Williams (bass), Ndugu Chancler (drums)1977-04Mapenzi – with Blue MitchellConcord Jazz1977Quintet, with Land (tenor sax), Blue Mitchell (trumpet, flugelhorn), Kirk Lightsey (keyboards), Reggie Johnson (bass), Albert Heath (drums)1980-12Live at Junk – with Eiji KitamuraYupiteru1981Quintet, with Land (tenor sax), Eiji Kitamura (clarinet), Toshihiko Ogawa (piano), Mitsuaki Furuno (bass), Donald Bailey (drums); live1981-10Xocia's DanceMuse1982Septet, with Land (tenor sax), Oscar Brashear (trumpet, flugelhorn), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes), George Cables (piano), John Heard (bass), Billy Higgins (drums), Ray Armando (percussion)1984-06Topology – with Makoto TerashitaAketa's Disk1984Quintet, with Land (tenor sax), Makoto Terashita (piano), Yasushi Yoneki (bass), Mike Reznikoff (drums), Takayuki Koizumi (percussion)1994-12A Lazy AfternoonPostcards1995Quartet, with Land (tenor sax), Bill Henderson (piano), James Leary (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)2000-08Promised LandAudiophoric2000Quartet, with Land (tenor sax), Mulgrew Miller (piano), Ray Drummond (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)
As a member The Timeless All Stars It's Timeless (Timeless, 1982) Timeless Heart (Timeless, 1983) Essence (Delos, 1986) Time for the Timeless All Stars (Early Bird, 1990)
As sideman
With Clifford Brown and Max Roach Jam Session (EmArcy, 1954) - with Maynard Ferguson and Clark Terry Brown and Roach Incorporated (EmArcy, 1954) Daahoud (Mainstream, 1973) – rec. 1954 Clifford Brown & Max Roach (EmArcy, 1954) Study in Brown (EmArcy, 1955)
With Curtis Counce The Curtis Counce Group (Contemporary, 1956) You Get More Bounce with Curtis Counce! (Contemporary, 1957) Carl's Blues (Contemporary, 1960) – rec. 1957 Exploring the Future (Dooto, 1958) Sonority (Contemporary, 1989) – rec. 1957-1958
With Victor Feldman Vic Feldman on Vibes (Mode, 1957) Soviet Jazz Themes (Äva, 1962)
With Hampton Hawes For Real! (Contemporary, 1961) – rec. 1958 Universe (Prestige, 1972)
With Billy Higgins Bridgework (Contemporary, 1987) ¾ for Peace (Red, 1993) Billy Higgins Quintet (Sweet Basil, 1993)
With Bobby Hutcherson Total Eclipse (Blue Note, 1969) – rec. 1968 Now! (Blue Note, 1970) – rec. 1969 San Francisco (Blue Note, 1971) – rec. 1970 Head On (Blue Note, 1971) Cirrus (Blue Note, 1974) Medina (Blue Note, 1980) – rec. 1969 Inner Glow (Blue Note, 1980) – rec. 1975 Farewell Keystone (Theresa, 1988) – rec. 1982 Blow Up (Jazz Music Yesterday, 1990) – rec. 1969
With Carmell Jones The Remarkable Carmell Jones (Pacific Jazz, 1961) Business Meeting (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
With Philly Joe Jones Advance! (Galaxy, 1978) Drum Song (Galaxy, 1985) – rec. 1978
With Wes Montgomery Montgomeryland (Pacific Jazz, 1958) Wes, Buddy and Monk Montgomery (Pacific Jazz, 1959) Easy Groove (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
With Blue Mitchell Stratosonic Nuances (RCA, 1975) African Violet (Impulse!, 1977) Mapenzi (Concord, 1977) Summer Soft (Impulse!, 1978)
With Shorty Rogers The Swingin' Nutcracker (RCA Victor, 1960) An Invisible Orchard (RCA Victor, 1997) – rec. 1961
With Gerald Wilson You Better Believe It! (Pacific Jazz, 1961) Moment of Truth (Pacific Jazz, 1962) Portraits (Pacific Jazz, 1964) On Stage (Pacific Jazz, 1965) Feelin' Kinda Blues (Pacific Jazz, 1965) The Golden Sword (Pacific Jazz, 1966) Live and Swinging (Pacific Jazz, 1967) Everywhere (Pacific Jazz, 1968) California Soul (Pacific Jazz, 1968) Eternal Equinox (Pacific Jazz, 1969) Lomelin (Discovery, 1981) Jessica (Trend, 1982) Calafia (Trend, 1985)
With others Roy Ayers, Virgo Vibes (Atlantic, 1967) Jimmy Bond, James Bond Songbook (Mirwood, 1966) Donald Byrd, Ethiopian Knights (Blue Note, 1971) Dolo Coker, Dolo! (Xanadu, 1976) Bill Evans, Quintessence (Fantasy Records, 1976) Ella Fitzgerald, Things Ain't What They Used to Be (And You Better Believe It) (1969) Red Garland. Red Alert (Galaxy, 1977) Herb Geller, Fire in the West (Jubilee, 1957) Chico Hamilton, Chic Chic Chico (Impulse!, 1965) Al Hibbler, Sings The Blues - Monday Every Day (Reprise, 1961) Elmo Hope, The Elmo Hope Quintet featuring Harold Land (Pacific Jazz, 1957) Freddie Hubbard, Born to Be Blue (Pablo, 1982) Les McCann, Les McCann Sings (Pacific Jazz, 1961) Thelonious Monk, Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk (Riverside 1960) Frank Rosolino, Free for All (Fantasy, 1987) – rec. 1958 Jack Sheldon, Jack's Groove (GNP, 1961) Dinah Washington, Dinah Jams (EmArcy, 1955) Gerald Wiggins, Wiggin' Out (HiFi Jazz, 1960) Jimmy Woods, Conflict (Contemporary, 1963) Jimmy Rowles Sextet, Let's Get Acquainted With Jazz (For People Who Hate Jazz) (Tampa Records, 1957)
References
External links Harold Land discography An Interview with Harold Land by Bob Rosenbaum, October 1984