Search - Harold Land, Blue Mitchell :: Mapenzi

Twice Fine!

A. K. L. | Steilacoom, WA USA | 06/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This fine fine session was made in the mid-seventies when most bop stars had sold out and crossed over to fusion with a lot of new toys: synthesizers, Fender basses, wired saxes and weird electric trumpets. The black-gold years of bebop faded away: the locus of the recording industry shifted from Rudy Van Gelders studio in Englewood, N.J. to L.A. But there were one or two of the great tenors who kept playing real jazz: Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, and Harold Land. They tended the flame through a pretty dark and tasteless period until the hard bop revival of the 80's. That's why this rare piece of true (and all acoustic) jazz in not only fine, but twice fine for its heroism. Land was simply the best tenor on the West Coast in the late 50's. His exquisite playing can be heard in the groups led by Curtis Counce and Clifford Brown/Max Roach. Land also cut two fine records in '58-'59 under his own name: Harold In The Land of Jazz, and The Fox. He recorded with Bobby Hutcherson in the late sixties, but was eclipsed by Coltrane, Rollins and Wayne Shorter. Land was listening though, encorporating new techniques from Coltrane and a modal harmonic sense that smoothed out the frenetic angularity of bop chord structure. Here he teams up with another bop legend, Blue Mitchell, who played trumpet for Horace Silver's greatest quintet. With Kirk Lightsey, one of the best new jazz pianists, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Al Heath of the great Heath brothers on drums, they dance through original compositions by the members of the group (mostly Land). The quintet takes off from the opener with a blue flame, full of passionate improvisation mellowed by harmonic maturity, and dazzling rhythmic changes that never fall into a 70's beat - that cliche-ridden style, more fitting for the disco, which so many jazz musicians adopted just to sell more records, and which has now blossomed into the sound of 'smooth jazz.' None of that here. This is hard but elegant bop, full of beautiful fire. So put Kenny G. back in the elevator and buy this twice fine C.D. You also might want to check out two other tasteful CD's with Harold Land from this period: Bill Evans' 'Quintessence,' and Land's own 'Xocia's Dance.'"

Land-Mitchell's Rapture - A Beauty

Partanen Timo Juhana | Heredia, Costa Rica | 11/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A beauty of an album. Blue Mitchell composed a song on the everlasting chords of Horace Silver's Peace - dig it here! Rapture is an incredible ballad, in the vein of Hancock's Maiden Voyage. Each piece is a delight after another. Harold Land plays as he is: a post-bop master of chords, moods, swing, everything, including a tasty drop of Coltrane/Shorter, but all his own. What a tenorman, what a band, what music. Close your eyes, and you'll SEE the music flowing!"

Delicious

WillieB | 07/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This seems to be an overlooked and undervalued jazz record. What a shame since there is so much passion and soul on this disc. All seven original compositions, ranging from serious swing to heartfelt ballads, are well written and very melodic. Also noticeable are the intricate arrangements and interplay between musicians, like they have been playing together for years. The quintet is: Harold Land (tenor sax), Blue Mitchell (trumpet, flugelhorn), Reggie Johnson (bass), Kirk Lightsey (piano) and Al Heath (drums). If you love jazz and have not heard this, definitely check it out."