Harold in the Land of Jazz


Harold in the Land of Jazz is the debut studio album by saxophonist Harold Land, recorded in 1958 and released on the Contemporary label.

Background

Land's band on the album included jazz pianist Carl Perkins in one of his final appearances on record. Perkins died two months after the recording session. The original LP cover showed Land playing his saxophone in front of the Watts Towers, which at the time had been condemned by the City of Los Angeles and were in danger of being destroyed.

Reception

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states: "Land shows that hard bop was very much alive in Los Angeles in the late '50s. His tone is cooler and softer than it would become later on, but it was already pretty distinctive".

Track listing

All compositions by Harold Land except as indicated
  1. "Speak Low" - 5:35
  2. "Delirium" - 6:40
  3. "You Don't Know What Love Is" - 3:55
  4. "Nieta" - 4:35
  5. "Grooveyard" - 7:02
  6. "Lydia's Lament" - 5:46
  7. "Smack Up" - 7:11
  8. "Promised Land" - 6:27 Bonus track on CD reissue

Personnel