The Jazz Show Episode July 17, 2023
Tenor saxophonist Harold Land: "West Coast Blues"
9:04pm - 12:35am
Tonight`s Jazz Feature is a kind of meeting between east and west. The leader is the great tenor saxophonist Harold Land and he is paired with trumpeter Joe Gordon who had moved to Los Angeles from Boston and guitarist Wes Montgomery who was living for a time in San Francisco. Those three made up the western contingent. The eastern group consists of Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums who all were Cannonball Adderley`s rhythm section and one of the best. This adds up to a solid straight-ahead Jazz record date. It was recorded at The Jazz Workshop, San Francisco`s leading Jazz club on a night when it was closed, The venue was chosen for it`s good acoustics. The album consists of 3 new Harold Land tunes, Wes Montgomery`s famous `West Coast Blues` (the title track) a ballad by Billie Holiday called `Don`t Explain` and a Charlie Parker tune. All in all a good record date with lots of inspired moments. All recorded in May of 1960 and tonight`s Jazz Feature.