Hampton Hawes had an unmistakable swagger to his piano playing. To be sure, there was plenty of melancholy as well as nostalgia in there, but it was his bop cockiness that lit the match in the groups he assembled or joined as a sideman. As a trio leader, he tended to lean lush, filling the air with as much rich piano as possible. But when he led a quartet with a horn, he was jabbing and jaunty, as if working on a typewriter.
A prime example of Hawes's West Coast bluesy brashness was his album For Real! Recorded in March 1958, the album wasn't released until 1961. The quartet was remarkable on several levels. For one, this was the first meeting of Hawes and Land together. They were magical, playing off each other to create an earthy call-and-response approach. For another, the bassist was Scott LaFaro, giving listeners a chance to hear why he astonished so many listeners, critics and musicians at the time, especially pianist Bill Evans in New York. Rounding out the group was Frank Butler, who still remains largely in the shadows among fans of the West Coast jazz scene. [Photo above of Harold Land]
In his For Real! liner notes, Leonard Feather wrote something quite interesting about the Hawes-Horace Silver connection:
"Listening to Hamp's magnificent elan on these sides, I was reminded of something Andre Previn told me recently. 'Hamp has never been fully acknowledged for his influence. Half the people who are said to have been influenced by Horace Silver actually owe a lot to Hamp, who's more technical than Horace; that technique combined with the feeling has shaped the style of a lot of people.'"
The original vinyl album featured six tracks, three on each side. Hawes's Hip illustrates cool like no other. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams runs for 9:20 and addresses the standard from a different angle rather than playing it straight. On Bennie Harris's Crazeology, the quartet revives the early bebop anthem and lets both Land and Hawes show off their chops. Numbers Game and For Real are Hawes originals—the former a bop wailer with Latin touches and the latter showcasing the strong walking bass of LaFaro, with Land double-timing and Hawes playing blues underneath. [Photo above of Scott LaFaro]
And finally, the standard I Love You, which is taken at a breakneck tempo, the album's sole mistake. With the fiery speed, the song's grace is completely lost and it quickly turns into a Cherokee workout. What you do get in exchange is more of LaFaro's lyrical playing, Hawes very much in the Silver groove and Land sawing away with a Dexter Gordon bite. [Photo above of Frank Butler]
On the newly remastered vinyl release of For Real! by Concord's Craft Recordings, LaFaro sounds astonishing in terms of his strength and the lines he delivered to counter Hawes. Land's playing on the LP is vibrant and textured, and Hawes is bright and soulful, with Butler stirring up the rhythm with a hushed feel. Tragic that Hawes and Land didn't record more than just the two we know about—For Real! and Hawes's Universe album in 1972.
JazzWax tracks: For Real! has just been released on 180-gram vinyl by Concord’s Craft Recordings, complete with its original Contemporary cover and Feather's liner notes on the back. Bernie Grundman handled the updated mastering. You'll find the LP, download and stream here.
The album is also available as a digital download and streaming on most major platforms.
JazzWax clips: Here's the title track...
