Land grew up in San Diego and started on the saxophone in his teens. His debut with the Harold Land Allstars came in 1949, and a couple of years later he joined the Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet. The hard bop group left a lasting impression on his sound. Land moved to Los Angeles and was soon playing with bassist Curtis Counce and trumpeter Blue Mitchell. He struck up a fruitful collaboration with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, showcased on the album “The Peace-Maker”, which went on through the 1970s. Land continued to explore hard bop styles and became increasingly influenced by Coltrane as the years went on. Land also taught as professor of jazz at UCLA and passed away aged 72.
