Customer Reviews

Lazy Afternoon

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Terrific arrangements by Ray Ellis allude to but never repeat his charts for (five of the same songs) Billie Holiday's "Lady in Satin" If you love that album, this one will make your day! Harold Land's tenor has a lovely tone and the strings support rather than Wrestle him. This is a lovely album for a lazy afternoon or evening!
P.S. If you think Lady in Satin is Billie's worst or find the strings sepulchral or overdone this will NOT be to your taste.

I've always been a big fan of sax master Harold Land, who still maintains the subtle and incisive manner that he has displayed over decades in the business. This album includes some of the greatest standards that ever were. While it is true that many jazz purists will object to the sometimes intrusive orchestral background on these tracks, Land's remarkable interpretations still manage to soar above everything else. Yeah, it would probably have been better with a small ensemble, but Land's performance remains breathtaking.

Had a bad day? Need to tweak your mood. Want to change your "frame of mind" to a mellower one. Play this CD and Harold Land will soothe your soul with standards of serenity. Add the becalming support of an orchestra arranged and conducted by Ray Ellis, and the end results are songs more beautiful than a bouquet of flowers. We're not talking about jazz that falls into the genres of hard bop or bebop; it's far removed from these categories. These melodies remain true to their composers and are played with peerless perfection for their melody and rhythm. This CD is a testimonial to the kind of melodic jazz first-rate jazz musicians create for world-weary listeners who need breathing spells and lulls from the demands of their sometimes hectic lives. The jazz is smooth, but not "smooth jazz", for it is an acoustical production crafted and executed by a fine corps of musicians who understood and mastered the melody and rhythm of each of these twelve classics. The total listening experience is greater than the sum of its parts, just as the beauty of a bouquet exceeds the beauty of any individual flower. Beginning with the Broadway musical song, "Lazy Afternoon", to Thelonious Monk's best-known jazz composition, "Round Midnight", Land caresses each song with unmitigated grace. You're sure to forget your troubles and stress while this relaxing music reveals itself as an antidote for the frustrations of your day. Like a bouquet, these songs have hues of a different color, guaranteed on lifting your spirit . . . performed with tenderness by Harold Land, one of tenor saxophonist's incomparable artists.

"A Lazy Afternoon" released in 1995 on Postcards represents a new step in the horn with strings approach in which so many jazz musicians have done in the past. What makes this recording so compelling are the arrangements. Many times you have the horn player simply improvising on top of the strings, while this is beautiful, it doesn't quite hold up very well to repeated listenings. This isn't the case with this release. The strings are interacting with Land's improvisations, which gives the music a livelier feel.

Harold Land, who happens to be one of my favorite saxophonists, is in fine form. His warm tone and his less is more approach to improvisation on this recording make it an absolute dream to listen to. I would wager this is one of the finest "with strings" albums I've ever heard.

Land is supported by a stellar group of musicians: Bill Henderson on piano, James Leary on bass, Billy Higgins on drums, and Alan Pasqua on synthesizer. All of the arrangements and conducting are done by Ray Ellis.

The music itself can only be summed up with two words: lush and gorgeous. If you're a classical fan looking to get into something with more improvisation, then this is the record for you or if you're already a jazz fan and love these with strings sessions, then you're going to love this.

On a side note, Downbeat magazine gave this recording 3-stars, which only proves that time after time again that Downbeat doesn't have a clue as to what is good and what isn't. This is easly a 5-star album, no doubt about it.

Pick this one up today!