Harold Land: A Burning Sensation

Harold Land’s family moved around a bit when he was a kid, eventually winding up in San Diego. While not known as a bastion of jazz, during the ‘40s Land picked up a saxophone and was soon working locally around his hometown. He would eventually tour with an RnB band, as sax players were wont to do at the time – Ornette Coleman for example. But after that brief foray into more hard edged territory, Land relocated to Los Angeles. By this date, that Southern California destination, while still tied to cool styles, had a burgeoning bop and post-bop scene going on, regardless of how long Miles saw fit to hang around town.

Supposedly at some late night jam, hosted by Eric Dolphy of all people, Land was scorching the earth when Clifford Brown, one of the bigger names in jazz at the time, heard the saxophonist and was pretty impressed. Land gaining entrance into Brown’s band was probably the biggest leap that his career would take. But the talent that Brown saw in this young player was a fleeting thing. Ending up on the East Coast and gigging around with Brown found Land in good company. Unfortunately, just when it seemed that Land had gained enough momentum to earn a spot leading groups, his grandmother fell ill and he returned to California. While a more than understandable – and a stand up move – on the part of Land, it ostensibly killed his career. He wouldn’t again have the kind of company the Brown afforded him.

With that being said, Land did work with Bobby Hutcherson for well over a decade as the two, alternating leading dates, worked in everything from some pretty straight ahead jazz to some out and out avant dates. Hutcherson during the ‘60s and ‘70s, while as interesting a player as Brown in different ways, didn’t really possess the same sort of draw as the trumpeter during the ‘50s.

Regardless of the live draw that the tandem presented, they collaborated a great deal in the studio. One of the resultant projects was Land’s 1971 Mainstream Records release of Choma (Burn). There’s no indication of what’s in store for listeners based on the album cover or in the lineup, which includes, Land and Hutcherson who are joined by Land’s son on piano, Ndugu and Woody Theus on drums and Reggie Johnson on bass.

The titled track and disc opener might represent the most aggressive (in tone) and detached from traditional jazz that Hutcherson would ever get – and by extension, Land as well. “Choma (Burn)” begins with some modal movement from the piano and Hutcherson before the entire track becomes a chaotic whir of fine drumming and Land’s work on the flute. It might not count as the highlight of the disc only by virtue of the other tracks’ strength – “Our Home” coming off as a funky sound track piece, “Black Caucus” combining tenets of the first two offerings with the rest of the disc working around in some combinations of it all. It’s a stunning effort from an underrated an oft forgotten duo. But Land and Hutcherson turned in more than one disc – go check out San Francisco for further proof.