Harold Land – Damisi LP WeWantSounds (UK)

Wewantsounds reissue for the first time Harold Land‘s classic LP Damisi, recorded in Los Angeles for Bob Shad‘s Mainstream Records and released in 1972. Featuring Buster Williams (b), Ndugu (ds), Bill Henderson (keys), and Oscar Breashear (tp), the album was recorded at a crucial time when Land was shifting to a more spiritual sound. The session is a superb mix of funk and modal jazz and features monster grooves. Harold Land was born in Houston in 1928 and grew up in San Diego, California. in 1954, he joined the Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet recording one of the most important albums in the development of hard Bop, which was produced by Bob Shad, then the head of the Emarcy jazz label. Land quickly moved to Los Angeles and became a key saxophone player on the West Coast scene, recording as a leader for Contemporary and Pacific Jazz Records in the sixties. In 1968, he started a fruitful collaboration with vibe player Bobby Hutcherson forming the Harold Land/Bobby Hutcherson Quintet that would last until 1971. Together they produced several records for Blue Note, Cadet, and Mainstream Records. Shad decided to go back to his jazz roots and record young emerging talents plus a handful of seasoned musicians from his Emarcy days, including Harold Land. He primarily recorded out of New York City but went to Los Angeles in 1971 with his A&R Ernie Wilkins for a short trip to record a few sessions with the sax player. Shad brought back three albums: two with the Land/Hutcherson Quintet — A New Shade of Blue reissued by Wewantsounds (WWSCD 008CD/WWSLP 008LP) and Choma both released in 1971 — and Damisi recorded with Oscar Brashear on trumpet replacing Hutcherson, released in 1972. Damisi, comprised of five extended tracks, kicks off with the up-tempo post bop “Step Right Up to the Bottom” before switching to the slow burning funk of “In The Back In The Corner, In the Dark” showcasing Buster Williams’s formidable bassline and Ndugu’s funk chops. Side one ends with “Pakistan”, a beautifully serene tribute to the country, full of Eastern influences and featuring Land on oboe in the reflective tone. Side two opens with “Chocolate Mess” penned by Ndugu Chancler, a muscular funk groove backing great solos by Land, Oscar Brashear (who would soon join Earth Wind & Fire‘s horn section) and Bill Henderson on Fender Rhodes. “Damisi” the title track follows up and intricately alternates slow sequences with funkier passages, closing the album on perfect note. Original gatefold sleeve with never-seen session photos; newly remastered audio; includes two-page insert including new liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre.