Harold Land
b. 18 December 1928, Houston, Texas, USA. Resident in California from early childhood, tenor saxophonist Land practiced extensively with Eric Dolphy, holding informal, all-day sessions at Dolphy's home. Arising from the local fame these sessions engendered, Land was hired as replacement for Teddy Edwards in the Max Roach- Clifford Brown Sextet. This was in 1954, and by the time he left the band in November of the following year, Land's name and reputation were thoroughly established. In 1956, he became a member of Curtis Counce's influential group, made numerous important record dates with many leading west coast musicians, led his own groups and also co-led a fine band with Red Mitchell. An exceptionally gifted player, Land developed his own distinctive style early in his career although he later acknowledged John Coltrane by incorporating some of the latter's stylistic patterns into his own highly original work.