Search - Harold Land, Billy Higgins, Bill Henderson :: Lazy Afternoon

On A Lazy Afternoon, the esteemed and seasoned tenor vet Harold Land and drummer Billy Higgins combine forces with the orchestration of Ray Ellis, who arranged Billie Holiday's Lady in Satin, to create a recording of jazz drive, tensile strength, and lush romanticism. For the twelve standards included on the disc, Ellis has crafted deft arrangements that showcase Land's proclivity for emotion-laden performances; the result is a dynamic package that celebrates both melody and rhythm in an atmosphere rich with feeling. For many performers, working with a string section is a long-held dream. The lush backdrop warmly supports an instrumentalist or a singer, setting the stage for emotional, often unforgettable performances. Listen to orchestral albums by such greats as Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, and Johnny Hodges, and the beauty and feeling that arise from these situations is soon appreciated. A Lazy Afternoon is a stellar contribution to this genre. Here, the consummate tenor saxophone artistry of Harold Land, easily one of jazz's premier improvisers, meets the sumptuous string orchestrations of Ray Ellis, who is best recalled for Lady in Satin, the 1958 session for Columbia Records for which he wrote gorgeous string backdrops for Holiday. A Lazy Afternoon features ear-pleasing renditions of such evergreens as "You Go To My Head," "Invitation," "You Don't Know What Love Is," "Nature Boy," "In A Sentimental Mood," "Wave," and the title track, "Lazy Afternoon." Land and the string and orchestral palette are accompanied by the ace rhythm team of Billy Higgins (drums), William Henderson (piano), and James Leary (bass).