Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Harold Land was a legendary hard bop tenor saxophonist who developed his playing with the Max Roach/Clifford Brown band into a personal, modern style. He moved to Los Angeles in 1955 where led his own bands and co-led ensembles with Bobby Hutcherson, Blue Mitchell and Red Mitchell. Over his career he was a sideman for Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald, Freddie Hubbard, Thelonious Monk and countless others. A new album, “Westward Bound,” contains previously unissued live recordings by Mr. Land from the Penthouse in Seattle from 1962-1965 with stellar musicians including Hampton Hawes, Philly Joe Jones, Buddy Montgomery and Carmell Jones. It was originally aired as part of a weekly broadcast from the venue.
Mike LeDonne belongs to an elite group of musicians—those who have mastered the piano and the organ while creating original voices for each. On his new CD, “It’s All Your Fault,” two groups are featured. Mike’s Groover Quartet with Eric Alexander, Peter Bernstein and Joe Farnsworth have played and recorded together for twenty years and counting. They had no difficulty integrating their sound into an all-star big band put together by Mike and his preferred arranger and conductor, Dennis Mackrel. The disc was recorded at the famed Van Gelder Studios using the original Hammond C-3 organ that Jimmy Smith and others used for their recordings.
Also this week, trumpeter Bruce Harris’ sophomore release, “Soundview,” is the first in a series of recordings celebrating Black bandleaders, produced by award-winning trumpeter Jeremy Pelt;
Jill McCarron Trio with Will Anderson Incorporates such influences as diverse as Gospel music and music of Brazil on her new album “Jazz Motif;”
and trumpeter Alex Sipiagin conducts his attention “Upstream” on his new release.