Since his death in 2001, tenor saxophonist Harold Land has been cast 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 a jazz genius is someone who invents a jazz form so potent or is such a strong, influential player that the music's direction is altered. There are probably 10 of these "geniuses" in all.
What Land was is a superb jazz saxophonist who, for whatever reason, remained on the West Coast longer than he probably should have. Had he moved to New York in the 1950s and been signed by Blue Note or Prestige, he might have become a household name like Hank Mobley, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Coltrane and other leading tenor saxophonists who rose to prominence on the East Coast.
Instead, Land chose to remain out West, where opportunities for Black jazz artists in the 1950s and '60s weren't nearly as abundant as they were for white jazz artists for a variety of unfair reasons outlined in important books such as the oral history masterpiece Central Avenue Sounds: Jazz in Los Angeles (1999). What we can say is that because Land was special, any new material by him is worth a careful listen. As a newly released album demonstrates, his work was as tasty and as gifted as any of his East Coast counterparts.
Harold Land: Westward Bound! (Reel to Real) is a recently issued collection of previously unreleased material recorded live during radio broadcasts at Seattle's Penthouse club over three different dates. The fidelity is stupendous. Here's how the tracks break out:
Vendetta, Beepdurple and Happy Dancing/Deep Harmonies Falling were recorded in December 1962. The gig featured Land (ts), Carmell Jones (tp), Buddy Montgomery (p), Monk Montgomery (b) and Jimmy Lovelace (d).
My Romance and Triplin' the Groove were recorded in September 1964. They featured Land (ts), Hampton Hawes (p), Monk Montgomery (b) and Mel Lee (d).
Autumn Leaves, Who Can I Turn To, Beau-ty and Blue 'n' Boogie were recorded in August 1965. The musicians were Land (ts), John Houston (p), Monk Montgomery (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d).
Co-produced by Zev Feldman and Reel to Real Recordings' founder, saxophonist Cory Weeds, the album features material Zev first encountered while exploring tapes of live radio broadcasts from The Penthouse in 2010. Zev is a tireless producer, and when he finds music he sinks his teeth into, he finds a way to drag it to market, regardless of the obstacles. Jazz fans owe Zev a debt of gratitude, considering how much music he has unearthed and turned into spectacular product. Not an easy task by any means. Cory also should be commended for understanding why unearthed music treasure needs a champion and a label. As a musician and club owner in Vancouver, Cory walks the talk. [Photo above of Seattle's Penthouse club in the 1950s, with singer Chris Connor performing, courtesy of the Puzzo Family / Penthouse Club Archives]
The music on this album is so good it needs to be heard three or more times in a single sitting. The first listen allows your ear to hear the big picture. The second listen allows your ear to pick up on the music's special corners. By the third listen, your ear can fully appreciate what's going on and the distinct personalities of the different ensembles featured. It would be folly to compare one session on the album with the other two. Instead, all are tantalizing for different reasons, with Land and Monk Montgomery functioning as the common denominators. [Photo above of Monk Montgomery]
Land weaves and bobs melodically, with his powerful, biting tone pushing notes around like folding chairs on a marble floor while Montgomery plays off him perfectly, serving up big, warm, spirited bass notes. In this regard, these sessions should be heard as saxophone-bass duets supported by the other artists on the dates. Land was exceptional, as these recordings demonstrate. Just remember to give the album three consecutive listens. By the third swing-through, you'll experience what I did—a revelation. [Photo above, from left, of Philly Joe Jones, Monk Montgomery (unseen) and Harold Land, at Seattle's Penthouse in 1965]
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Harold Land's Westward Bound! (Reel to Real) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's My Romance with Hampton Hawes on piano...
And here's Beepdurple, a bop workout on the chord changes to Deep Purple...
