After recently listening to some rap songs, this writer had somewhat of an epiphany. Since Freshout is not only about introducing dope music and new music to the general populace, but also introducing artists (dead or alive) the recognition that they deserve in a time in which harmful sonic waves radiate from televisions and radios worldwide. It was the song “Do You Know Him?” by Rise, of Demigodz/Axis 360 “fame,” that got Transmute thinking it is time to be fresh and change his writing direction. Instead of posts that focus on one song, it is time to focus on the artist as an artist over various songs. Once there is an understanding of the artist as such, then the music makes more sense. With that said, the question is now being posed: do you know him? Freshout Media would like to introduce the reader to one jazz saxophonist whose style is comparable to the great Coltrane or Parker: Harold Land.

The tenor saxophonist by the name of Harold Land, was the type of jazz musician that had the ability to captivate his audience through the enchanting sounds of the tenor sax. He did not blare into his sax in a boisterous manner, instead his playing hypnotized the listener. In a sense, Land made the playing of his instrument seem like a romantic gesture. This way of playing is very evident on A Lazy Afternoon. This album features Land being accompanied by a stringed orchestra, adding to the sensuality of his instrumentation. The strength and dominance of the sax accompanied by the soothing strings presents a musical juxtaposition that is rarely undertaken by jazz bands, unless they are one of the big bands like that of the bands that accompanied singers like Tony Bennet and Frank Sinatra. There are few jazz musicians who would employ the use of a string section; but on this endeavor, Land was about to create an emotional landscape through music as the jazz element acts almost like a raw emotional outfit as the accompanying strings echo the sentiments. The bass player, James Leary, helps provide the structural backbone of all of the songs, while the pianist, William Henderson, in a way acts as a mediator between the language of the jazz band and that of a stringed orchestra. A Lazy Afternoon is simply that type of music for a lazy afternoon, as Land delivers an album of real soothing jazz.

Beyond his ability to merge the elegance of strings with the jazz band; Land’s knack for rearranging more somber jazz tunes into a fast paced jamboree is evident in his rearrangement of the Kurt Weill song “Speak Low.” “Speak Low” is traditionally a slow song that is accompanied by a singer, such as the beautiful version of the song sang by Ella Fitzgerald with Joe Pass on guitar that came out in 1982. However, the Land version is so up beat that song could be used at a dance venue or party, and receive an uproarious crowd response. “Speak Low” is a song from the album Harold in the Land of Jazz, which in a sense the complete opposite of A Lazy Afternoon. Land of Jazz is a more up-tempo “traditional” jazz album that does not as much experiment with new ways of presenting jazz, as much as it just gives it to you raw. On this album, Land is about to show his dominance within a traditional jazz band setting, which in lay man’s thinking is the playing of a common bridge or chorus and then breaking out into solos. This album allows the listener to hear Land a bandleader with the ability to command the direction of a song. Songs like “Smack Up,” which has a dope call and respond part between Land, Frank Butler on drums, and Rolf Ericson on trumpet, and “Delirium,” consisting of some strong solo pieces, showcase Land and his band as excellent jazz musicians.

Harold Land has recorded a number of albums throughout his career, as well as appeared on recordings with other musicians such as Wes Montgomery, Thelonious Monk, Red Garland, and Billie Holiday. His musical understanding deemed him a commanding figure in the jazz community. Though he has passed away (July 27, 2001), his legacy will continue to be a staple to jazz heads worldwide.

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