Ursula – Harold Land

With Ursula, Harold Land takes the typical AABA form and stretches it out a bit—instead of the typical 32 bars, he brings it out to 42 bars with 10-measure A section and a 12-measure bridge. The extended length of each section gives it a more relaxed feeling which complements the medium-swing groove. Another unusual feature is the bar of 6/4 that ends each A section, including the whole form. This unexpected long measure breaks up the form and twists the listener's expectations. On top of all of this, Ursula has a charming and pleasantly complex melody that is a delight to both play and hear—a winner all around.

Don Sickler writes: "I've run into quite a few guitarists who have heard this recording of Ursula. Obviously, with legendary guitarist Wes Montgomery on the date, I'm not surprised. Any tenor saxophonist who isn't that familiar with Harold Land should check it out. Harold Land is a marvelous player and composer."

From Wes Montgomery's first record date following the recording of the seminal "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery," Ursula documents Wes in a relatively rare position: a sideman on a record mostly comprised of tricky, advanced hard-bop compositions. Despite Wes's inability to read music, he performs Harold Land's intricate, unison melody with perfect phrasing and tonal blending, serving as testament to his masterful listening abilities and musicality in general. Wes also delivers a lively half-chorus statement atop the magic-carpet laid down by Barry Harris, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes, making extensive use of triplets as he weaves melodies through Land's quickly shifting harmonies.

In all, Wes's performance is a wonderful study for guitarists seeking to understand how to phrase melodies with musicality and navigate complicated chord changes in a melodic and economical manner.