Compulsion – Harold Land
This exciting Harold Land composition is a technical tour de force.
- Recording: Harold Land - West Coast Blues!
- Recorded on: May 17, 1960
- Label: Jazzland (JLP 20)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Style: Swing (uptempo)
- Trumpet - Joe Gordon
- Tenor Sax - Harold Land
- Guitar - Wes Montgomery
- Piano - Barry Harris
- Bass - Sam Jones
- Drums - Louis Hayes
0:00
0:00
Our audio excerpt starts right on the melody. On the recording, there is an 8-measure rhythm section intro that nicely sets up the melody. The intro is notated in the C treble clef lead sheet. Compulsion is a great "head" that dazzles the audience. It's also a superb etude for both technique and breath control. Interestingly , the consistent 9-measure A sections of the melody (A-9,A-9,B-8,A-9 form) are treated differently for the solo section. Therefore, the solo section is written out on a separate page for each lead sheet (A-9,A-8,B-8,A-8).
Harold Land is one of the great unsung jazz composers and a compelling tenor saxophonist. If you're not that familiar with Harold's music, check out Harold's other two compositions from this recording, Ursula and Terrain.
Land is the tenor sax soloist who recorded in the classic Clifford Brown-Max Roach quintet. Like many other jazz artists, Harold's first recordings were with R&B groups. He broke away into jazz recording in 1954 when he joined the Brown-Roach quintet. Harold got to record his first album as a leader in January of 1958 for Contemporary Records ("Harold In The Land Of Jazz"). In August, 1959, he did his second album as a leader, this time for the Hifijazz label. This was Harold's legendary quintet album "The Fox". In May of 1960 he recorded his third album as leader, "West Coast Blues!," a sextet date for the Jazzland label, featuring three of his compositions on jazzleadsheets.com.
Land is the tenor sax soloist who recorded in the classic Clifford Brown-Max Roach quintet. Like many other jazz artists, Harold's first recordings were with R&B groups. He broke away into jazz recording in 1954 when he joined the Brown-Roach quintet. Harold got to record his first album as a leader in January of 1958 for Contemporary Records ("Harold In The Land Of Jazz"). In August, 1959, he did his second album as a leader, this time for the Hifijazz label. This was Harold's legendary quintet album "The Fox". In May of 1960 he recorded his third album as leader, "West Coast Blues!," a sextet date for the Jazzland label, featuring three of his compositions on jazzleadsheets.com.
From Harold Land's 1960 album "West Coast Blues!", Compulsion features Wes Montgomery at the height of his abilities as a sideman. Besides weaving tasteful melodies through the tune's dense harmonies during his solo, Montgomery displays his ability to comp simultaneously with pianist Barry Harris without getting in the way.
Beginning with Montgomery's octave intro which sets up the tune, our guitar part to Compulsion captures the rhythmic clarity and judicious voicings that make Montgomery's accompaniment blend with the rest of the band. This is a great choice for guitarists of all levels to develop their repertoire of voicings, sense of orchestration and rhythmic feel.
Beginning with Montgomery's octave intro which sets up the tune, our guitar part to Compulsion captures the rhythmic clarity and judicious voicings that make Montgomery's accompaniment blend with the rest of the band. This is a great choice for guitarists of all levels to develop their repertoire of voicings, sense of orchestration and rhythmic feel.
- Recording: Larry Coryell - Inner Urge
- Recorded on: February 23, 2000
- Label: HighNote (HCD 7064)
- Concert Key: F minor
- Style: Swing (uptempo)
- Trumpet - Don Sickler
- Guitar - Larry Coryell
- Piano - John Hicks
- Bass - Santi Debriano
- Drums - Yoron Israel
This version of Compulsion has a very similar arrangement to the original recording. It is slightly slower, with a Latin feel instead of swing on the intro; the rhythm section hits from the original's intro are not played (neither intro is included in our audio excerpts). On the original recording, guitarist Wes Montgomery did not play the melody together with the horns; this version having only one horn, the guitar also plays the melody.
All three Harold Land originals from the 1960 album "West Coast Blues" were covered forty years later by Larry Coryell. Terrain also appears on this album, while Ursula was covered on the 1999 album "New High." It should be noted that Harold was alive at the time of these recordings. For another from the "Inner Urge" album, check out Abra Cadabra.
On his version of Harold Land's up-tempo composition Compulsion from his 2000 album "Inner Urge", Larry Coryell pays tribute to fellow guitarist Wes Montgomery, a sideman on Land's original session. However, while Montgomery provides chordal accompaniment on that record date, here Coryell plays the melody in unison with trumpet.
With our C treble clef lead sheet, intermediate to advanced guitarists can work on their facility and coordination between their picking and fingering hands as well as develop their sense of articulation and phrasing.
With our C treble clef lead sheet, intermediate to advanced guitarists can work on their facility and coordination between their picking and fingering hands as well as develop their sense of articulation and phrasing.
Harold Land
February 18, 1928 – July 27, 2001
Many people only know of Harold Land as the great tenor saxophone soloist who made the classic quintet recordings with the Clifford Brown - Max Roach Quintet: Joy Spring, Daahoud, The Blues Walk and other classics—many of which are available from jazzleadsheets.com. Harold is far more than just a great tenor saxophonist sideman. Read more...