“The Fox” is an album by Harold Land, recorded in August 1959 at Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, and originally released on Hifijazz Records (J 615). The Jazz Workshop Vinyl reissue as a 180-gram audiophile LP (JW-086) revives this record with remastering that highlights the saxophone’s intensity. The lineup features Harold Land (tenor saxophone), Dupree Bolton (trumpet), Elmo Hope (piano), Herbie Lewis (bass), and Frank Butler (drums). The album includes Land’s originals like The Fox and Mirror-Mind Rose, plus Hope’s compositions. The music is hard bop with avant-garde touches, with Land’s saxophone powerful and inventive, and Bolton adding vibrant trumpet parts. The rhythm section provides a tight, energetic foundation. The Jazz Workshop reissue, limited to 500 copies, is celebrated for its clean, dynamic sound, capturing the session’s passion. “The Fox” is a landmark record, highlighting Land’s creative peak.
Harold Land (December 18, 1928 – July 27, 2001) was an American tenor saxophonist, a key figure in West Coast jazz and hard bop. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in San Diego, he began playing saxophone as a teenager, inspired by Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker. In the 1950s, Land became a star of the Los Angeles scene, collaborating with Clifford Brown, Max Roach, and Curtis Counce. His style featured a powerful, expressive tone and intricate improvisations, blending bebop with bluesy soul. Later, Land moved to New York, where he continued recording and teaching, leaving a legacy as one of his era’s most respected saxophonists.
TRACKLIST
Side One:
1. The Fox (Harold Land) 5:36
2. Mirror-Mind Rose (Elmo Hope) 6:32
3. One Second, Please (Elmo Hope) 5:51
Side Two:
1. Sims A-Plenty (Elmo Hope) 6:17
2. Little Chris (Harold Land) 5:10
3. One Down (Elmo Hope) 7:23
Personnel:
Dupree Bolton (trumpet), Harold Land (tenor sax), Elmo Hope (piano), Herbie Lewis (bass), Frank Butler (drums).
Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, August 1959
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