#Rolfe Horn

[joeinct]

La Punta Overlook, Havana, Cuba, Photo by Rolfe Horn, 2017

[henk-heijmans]

Along the old Appian way, Rome, Italy, 2005 - by Rolfe Horn (1971), American

[mariaangels]

Rolfe Horn Waterfall, Zao, Japan 2008

[acourtofquestions]

Kingdom of Ash Chapter 63

Chapter; highlighted

Aedion and Kyllian kept their panicking troops in line as they marched, all the way to the banks of the Florine.

There was no use running northward. Not when the bone drums began pounding. And grew louder with every passing minute that Aedion ordered their legion into formation.

Stalking for the front lines, his armor so heavy it could have been made of stone, the lack of the ancient sword at his side like some phantom limb, Aedion said to Ren, "I need you to do me a favor."

Ren, buckling on his quiver, didn't bother to look up. "Don't tell me to run."

"Never." Close-they were so close to Theralis. How fitting it would have been to at last die on the field where Terrasen had fallen a decade ago. To have his blood soak into the earth where so many of the court he'd loved had died, for his bones to join theirs, unmarked on the plain.

"I need you to call for aid."

Ren looked up then. His scarred face was leaner than it had been weeks ago. When was the last time any of them had a proper meal? Or full night's rest? Where Lysandra was, what form she wore, Aedion didn't know. He had not sought her out last night, and she had stayed away from him entirely.

"I'm no one now," Aedion said, the lines of soldiers parting for them. Bane and Fae, Silent Assassin and Wendlynian and Wastes-hailing soldier alike. "But you are Lord of Allsbrook.

Send out messengers. Send out Nox Owen. Call for aid. Dispatch them to every direction, to anyone they might find. Tell Nox and the others to beg if they have to, but tell them to say that Terrasen calls for aid."

Only Aelin had the authority to do so, or Darrow and his council, but Aedion didn't care.

Ren halted, and Aedion paused with him, well aware of the soldiers within earshot. Of the Fae hearing many possessed. Endymion and Sellene already stood by the front line of the left flank, their faces grave and weary. A home that was what they'd lost, what they now fought to gain. If any should survive this. What would his father make of his son, fighting alongside his people at last?

"Will anyone come?" Ren asked, aware of those listening ears, too. Aware of the grim faces that remained with them, despite the death that marched at their backs.

Aedion fitted his helmet onto his head, the metal bitingly cold. "None came ten years ago. But maybe someone will bother this time."

Ren gripped his arm, tugging him close. "There might be nothing left to defend, Aedion."

"Send out the call anyway." He jerked his chin to the lines they'd passed through. Ilias was polishing his blades amongst a cluster of his father's assassins, his attention pinned on the enemy ahead. Preparing to make a final stand on this snowy plain so far from his warm desert. "You insist I'm still your general? Then here's my final order. Call for aid."

A muscle feathered in Ren's jaw. But he said, "Consider it done." Then he was gone.

They didn't bother with good-byes. Their luck was bad enough.

So Aedion continued, alone, to the front lines. Two Bane soldiers stepped aside to make room, and Aedion hefted up his shield, seamlessly fitting it between their unified front.

The metal wall against which Morath would strike first, and hardest.

The snows swirled, veiling all beyond a hundred or so feet.

Yet the bone drums pounded louder. Soon the earth shook beneath marching feet.

Their final stand, here on an unnamed field before the Florine. How had it come to this?

Aedion drew his sword, the other soldiers following suit, the cry of ringing metal cutting through the howling wind Morath appeared, a line of solid black emerging from the snow.

Each foot they gained, more appeared behind. How far back was that witch tower?

How soon would its power be unleashed?

He prayed, for the sake of his soldiers, that it would be quick, and relatively painless. That they would not know much fear before they were blasted into ashes.

The Bane didn't clash their swords on their shields this time.

There was only the marching of Morath, and the drums.

Had they gone to Orynth when Darrow demanded, they would have made it. Had time to cross the bridge, or take the northern route.

This defeat, these deaths, rested upon his shoulders alone.

Down the line, motion caught his eye-just as a fuzzy, massive head poked between Prince Galan and one of his remaining soldiers. A ghost leopard.

Green eyes slid toward him, drained and bleak.

Aedion looked away first. This would be bad enough without knowing she was here. That Lysandra would undoubtedly stay until she, too, fell.

He prayed he went first. So he wouldn't witness it.

Morath drew close enough that Ren's order to the archers rang out.

Arrows flew, fading into the snows.

Morath sent an answering volley that blotted out the watery light.

"We fight as one," Aedion called down the line, "We die as one."

A horn blared from deep within the enemy ranks. Morath began its all-out run on their front line.

Aedion's boots dug into the mud as he braced his shield arm. Like it could possibly hold back the tide stretching into the horizon.

He counted his breaths, knowing they were limited. A ghost leopard's snarl ripped down the line, a challenge to the charging army.

Fifty feet. Ren's archers still fired fewer and fewer arrows. Forty. Thirty. The sword in his hand was no equal to the ancient blade he'd worn with such pride. But he'd make it work. Twenty. Ten. Aedion sucked in a breath. The black, depthless eyes of the Morath soldiers became clear beneath their helmets.

Morath's front line angled their swords, their spears—

Roaring fire blasted from the left flank. His left flank.

Aedion didn't dare take his focus off the enemy upon him, but several of the Morath soldiers did.

He slaughtered them for it. Slaughtered their stunned companions, too, as they whirled toward another blast of flame.

Aelin. Aelin—

Soldiers behind him shouted. In triumph and relief.

"Close the gap," Aedion growled to the warriors on either side of him, and pulled back enough to see the source of their salvation, free and sate at last—

It was not Aelin who unleashed fire upon the left flank. It was not Aelin at all who had crept up through the snow-veiled river.

Ships filled the Florine, near-ghosts in the swirling snows. Some bore the banners of their united fleet.

But many, so many he couldn't count, bore a cobalt flag adorned with a green sea dragon.

Rolfe's fleet. The Mycenians.

Yet there was no sign of the ancient sea dragons who had once gone into battle with them. Only human soldiers marched across the snow, each bearing a familiar-looking contraption, scarves over their mouths.

Firelances.

A horn blasted from the river. And then the firelances unleashed white-hot flame into Morath's ranks, as if they were plumes from hell. Dragons, all of them, spewing fire upon their enemy.

Flame melted armor and flesh. And burned the demons that dreaded heat and light.

As if they were farmers burning their reaped fields for the winter, Rolfe's Mycenians marched onward, firelances spewing, until they formed a line between Aedion and their enemy.

Morath turned and ran.

Outright sprinted, their warning cries rising above the bellowing flames. The Fire-Bringer has armed them! Her power burns anew!

The fools did not realize that there was no magic-none beyond pure luck and good timing.

Then a familiar voice rang out. "Quickly! On board, all of you!" Rolfe.

For the ships in the river had pulled up, gangways lowered and rowboats already at the shore.

Aedion wasted no time. "To the river! To the fleet!" Their soldiers didn't hesitate. They sprinted for the awaiting armada, onto any ship they could reach, leaping into the longboats. Chaotic and messy, but with Morath on retreat for only the gods knew how long, he didn't care.

Aedion kept his position at the front line, ensuring no soldier lagged behind.

Down the line, Prince Galan and a spotted, furry form did the same. Beside them, red hair waving in the wind, Ansel of Briarcliff held her sword pointed at their enemy. Tears slid down her freckled cheeks. The heads of her men lay scattered in the snow around her.

And ahead of them, still unleashing flame, Rolfe's Mycenians bought them the time to retreat.

Each second dripped by, but slowly, those boats filled. Slowly, their army left the shore, every boat that departed was replaced by another. Many Fae shifted, birds of prey filling the gray sky as they soared over the river.

And when there were none left but a few boats, among them a beautiful ship with a mast carved after an attacking sea dragon, Rolfe roared from the helm, "Fall back, all of you!" The Mycenians and their firelances made a quick retreat, hurrying for the longboats returning to shore.

Lysandra and Ansel ran with them, and Aedion followed suit. It was the longest sprint of his life.

But then he was at the gangplank of Rolfe's ship, the river deep enough that they'd been able to pull up close to the shore. Lysandra, Galan, and Ansel were already past him, and Aedion had barely cleared the deck when the gangway was lifted. Below, around, the Mycenians leaped into their longboats and rowed like hell. Not a single soldier left behind.

Only the dead.

Light flashed, and Aedion whirled toward the ship's helm in time to see Lysandra shift from ghost leopard to woman, naked as the day she was born. Rolte, to his credit, only looked mildly surprised as she flung her arms around his neck. And to his credit once more, the Pirate Lord wrapped his cloak around her before he gripped her back

Rolfe let go of Lysandra, offering her his cloak completely. As the shifter wrapped it around herself, he said, "You looked like you were in need of a rescue."

Aedion only embraced the man, then nodded toward Rolfe's gloved hands. "I assume we have that map of yours to thank."

"Turns out it's good for something other than plundering." Rolfe smirked. "Ravi and Sol of Suria intercepted us near the northern border," he admitted. "They thought you might be in trouble—-and sent us this way." He ran a hand through his hair. "They remain with what's left of your fleet, guarding the coast. If Morath attacks from the sea, they won't have enough ships to stand a chance. I told them that, and they still ordered me here." The Pirate Lord's tan face tightened. "So here I am."

Aedion hardly noticed the sailors and soldiers making the quick sailing to the other side of the river. "Thank you," he breathed. And thank the gods for Ravi and Sol.

Rolfe shook his head, gazing toward the mass of Morath soldiers still retreating. "We surprised them, but it won't hold them off for long."

Lysandra stepped to Rolfe's side. Aedion tried not to cringe at the sight of her bare feet and legs, her uncovered shoulders, as the bitter wind off the river bit at them. "We only need to get to Orynth and behind its walls. From there, we can regroup."

"I can't carry your entire army to Orynth," Rolfe said, gesturing to the soldiers massed on the far shore. "But I can bear you there now, if you would like to arrive in advance to prepare." The Pirate Lord studied the shore, as if looking for someone. "She's not here, is she." Lysandra shook her head. "No."

"Then we'll make do," was all Rolfe said, the portrait of cool command. His sea-green eyes slid to where Ansel of Briarcliff stood at the ship's rail, staring toward the field of heads left in the snow.

None of them spoke as the young queen slid to her knees, armor thunking on the deck, and bowed her head.

Aedion murmured, "Let me send word to our troops to march to Orynth, and then we'll sail for the city."

"I'll do it," Lysandra said, not looking at him. She didn't bother to say anything else.

Cloak falling to the planks, she shifted into a falcon and aimed for where Kyllian now climbed out of a longboat. They exchanged only a few words before Kyllian turned toward Aedion and lifted a hand in farewell.

Aedion raised one in answer, and then Lysandra shifted again. When she landed on the ship, returning to her human form and snatching up the cloak, it was to Ansel that she walked.

In silence, the shifter laid a hand on the queen's armored shoulder. Ansel didn't so much as glance up. Aedion asked Rolfe, "How many of those firelances do you have?"

The Pirate Lord drew his gaze from Ansel to the black mass fading behind them. His mouth tightened. "Not enough to outlast a siege."

And even the firelances would do nothing, absolutely nothing, once the witch towers reached Orynth's walls.

[jayfinch]

Slim Susie

[paradoxbeta]

what do you think the ancients looked like under their masks?

ANON THANK YOU FOR ASKING I COULD CRY TEARS OF JOY

The short answer: Human-like, but dubiously. Very colorful, ornate, and diverse. Heavy on body modification: piercings, implants, tubes of all sorts, and dramatic face/eye changes are everywhere. It's hard to describe one thing they all are, because they're each so different.

The long answer: (my ocs are here!)

Okay, so, important bare minimums: They can have pretty much any skin tone, and come in all of the patterns and markings you can think of (whether they were born with them or had them added.) The default Ancient eye is exactly like a humans, but people can and often do get changes to their pupils and sclera/eye color. They have "hair" that sort of looks like worm grass. I figure some kinda splatoon inkling type logic applies when taking into mind haircuts and buzzes and all that. They generally have elven, goat-like, or other non-human type ears. Most if not all of them have openings in their bodies for tubes a la cyberpunk, because Ancient fashion gonna Ancient fashion.

Now for the fun/personalized part. Their faces!

Ancients come in a range from the most humanoid to the least. Note that "animaloid" is an EXTREMELY nebulous term and not exclusive to the one shown in the picture. I'm not yet sure how something like this would come about. I like to think this is a result of generations upon generations of extreme genome modification, or "animaloid" Ancients are a subspecies/branch off of whatever the humanoid Ancients are, OR they're the same species, but just have an insane amount of genetic variation. This is an issue for me to figure out another time. Regardless, there is no strict line between what constitutes an animaloid and what constitutes a humanoid. Both are bipedal and have a variable amount of pectorals/arms,* with the primary differences being in the face. There are some Ancients that you can look at and immediately classify as one of the two, but most of them fall somewhere in between, like "humanoid" Ancients with exaggerated facial proportions or "animaloid" Ancients that are just close enough to human looking that it becomes difficult to put a label on it. Trying to classify individual Ancients is often a fruitless endeavor, but having the general spectrum in mind is important.

*Can have 1-2 pairs of each: note that an Ancient with one pair of arms may have 2 pairs of pectorals but an Ancient with 2 pairs of arms cannot have only 1 pectoral set. Ancients with 2 pairs of arms are rare.

As mentioned a million times prior, Ancients are super gung ho about body modification, and things we deem extreme in human society are probably only uncommon or even unremarkable in Ancient society. Obviously, not every Ancient is making themselves into the next Rolf Buchholz. Some are more conservative about changing their body, some are more extreme. But the general idea is that not having ANY sort of change made, be it as minute as an ear piercing or as dramatic as horn implants, is bizarre.

I know there's other possible takes on the Ancients that are much more separated from human aesthetics, and I love those! But I wasn't really concerned about the spec bio-y aspect this time around. I have enough alien aliens in my roster already, so my Ancients are entirely a product of me having fun without much concern for making them super believable. Hopefully they look cool enough for that to be a valid excuse.

And finally, some pictures of my Ancients, because it's hard to get the full scope without examples. Some of these are from wips I hope to post someday, so you might see them again later. Also I'm trying to format them all nice and next to each other so they don't take up so much space, but tumblr is losing its mind right now so if it doesn't format right then whoops.

[mkorpse13]

Time to ramble about my Ed Edd n Eddy Fantasy AU that I keep forgetting about.

I really like the idea of a lot of them being mythical creatures, it’s so fun to draw them as mythical creatures! I decided to give you guys the roles all the characters play in this au.

The pictures below each description is more of a reference than the actual design. Most designs will turn out to be much different from how the original design looked in each image.

(Any drawings of this au from the past are considered outdated as some of the designs have changed)

———————————————————————

Ed - Half dragon that is learning magic

Ed, like his sister is half dragon. He had more human features but he still has visible horns and sharp teeth. He wears a cloak and wizard hat with star and moon designs all over them.

He practices magic and mainly learns from the picture books he reads. He somehow learns way better from pictures than he does from actual spell books and actual magic classes.

Edd - Lizard Human Hybrid

Edd specializes in potions, and usually is a big help whenever you need a remedy for healing, strength, etc. He mostly is going on adventures with his two best friends.

Eddy - Jester

When he isn’t entertaining the royalty, he is usually scamming the towns people or stealing with the help of his two friends.

Kevin - Royal Guard in Training

He’s usually riding around on his horse or is training to be the top guard.

Rolf - Faun

His family had recently traveled up to the village know as “Peach Creek”, where he meets his new friends. He is mostly seen at his farm, but sometimes has the free time to goof off with Kevin and Nazz.

Nazz - Mermaid

She is usually found near the ocean talking with the village boys who make attempts to date her, she usually brushes them all off. When she isn’t being flirted with she’s usually hanging out with Kevin whenever he isn’t training.

(Didn’t have a picture for her 😭)

Jimmy - Princess

Jimmy prefers to be referred to as a princess and wear a princess dress as he thinks it makes him look more royal. He enjoys long walks in his garden or secretly running off to go enjoy his time with his friends of Peach Creek.

Sarah - Human Dragon Hybrid

She is very fond of gold and treasure and tends to hide it from everyone else, although she gives Jimmy some when she feels generous. She has the more dragon features out of her and Ed.

Jonny - Elf

He is usually found in the woods hanging out with his buddy, Plank. He can clone himself using certain spells, and is quite helpful with direction or when you are lost in the woods.

Kanker Sisters - Witches

The three sisters are usually in their cottage far into the woods plotting their next evil plan against the people of Peack Creek.

This AU idea is so fun, hopefully I can and even maybe make fanfics for it in the future :D

[mysticbeaver]

what's your favorite rolf line, and favorite kevin line?

I mentioned some lines in the past and I guess the favorites always change around, so here's a few favorites I can think of at the moment (it's hard with Rolf especially cause everything he says is gold)

For Kevin one line that sticks out is "this show needs subtitles". I love the idea of Kevin's own brand of fourth-wall break naturally being sarcastic and unfazed (it also makes me wonder which other characters apart from the Eds directly broke the fourth wall, can't remember now. Was there anyone apart from Kevin? Not surprised he's the one to do it tho haha), would have loved to see more Kevin glancing at the "camera" with a puzzled/annoyed look 🤨

Another one (not necessarily the line but the delivery) is when Eddy accidentally swallows him whole and he just says "no really, I'm pouding ya, dork", like he's not even horrified or disgusted, just absolutely done with Eddy's shit 😂 (btw when he drops the piano on Eddy as revenge that's such a Looney Toons rivalry gag between the two of them, Bugs-Daffy coded)

Also with Rolf in Boom Boom Out Goes the Ed, "this pageant thing's got you tied in a knot." Don't know why I like it, the deadpan delivery just rings out so well, it makes me imagine older Kev getting very good at those off-handed remarks, hopefully he loses his more unfunny jokes and develops his dry sense of humor (also that particular exchange makes me imagine KevRolf daily life, like the bit where Edd's in the sewer and you can hear them bickering about the generator, but nevermind this is another topic)

A Rolf favorite lately is when he's sharpening Victor's horns and he's all joyful and gleaming, "Rolf's eyes sting with your beauty!" lmao calm down Rolf it's just a goat's horns. Or the scene in Wish You Were Ed where he speaks in his language, I love how it sounds even if it's silly gibberish. Not to mention all of the silly noises he makes, especially the one where he's just humming/mumbling to himself, he really sounds like a furby 🤣

Then there's the bit from Dueling Eds when he's donning his sea-cucumber suit. "The fittings were excruciating... but that's another story." Also from Truth or Ed, talking of Eddy's shouting, "His shrieks rip through Rolf like Nana's cabbage stew!" How does a cabbage stew rip through you? What does it mean? Sounds uncomfortable. I assume he's talking about a terrible gas attack lol.

Finally I always love the gem, "Shall Rolf rub Kevin's belly with the oil of fermented figs?" I love that he just takes Kevin's words literally and thinks he's got a belly ache or something so he offers some... help lol. It's kinda cute apart from being funny (recently I thought about how the storyboards were run through scene-by-scene in front of the whole studio crew when they were working on an episode, commentary and criticism encouraged... I can only imagine the reaction to that joke haha).

[clairethecutepup]

Chaotic Quintet: Turkey Troubles (Ch. 4)

Seve and Alexis have a hard time leaving the store, but it's even harder when Sarah and Jimmy are right outside. Unfortunately, things don't get any easier when Claire (and Rolf) find them... Will this Thanksgiving have an ending worth being thankful for?

Reading elsewhere if preferred:

But if you prefer here...

---------------

[Chapter 4: Dead or Alive, Turkeys Mean Strife]

Seve and Alexis continue to run, as the pursuing mob attempts to rob them of their last-minute bird. Alexis' horn still adorned the marshmallow bag she previously "rescued" Seve from, bouncing and rustling with each running step her hooves took.

"Dangit, Lex; next time, just let the stupid marshmallows 'kill' me!!"

"But Seve, good friends don't let others get attacked by sweets!"

"Oh, but it's fine to cause a friggin' mob to chase them?!"

"Well, at least we're being chased together!"

"Yeah, I guess it's nice to have someone go down with me..."

"Well, it's better than Sarah!"

"... Eh, true..."

"Although, we'll probably have to deal with her, too, when she and Jimmy get back and see everything..."

"Thanks for helping the silver lining there get killed off just as much..."

Of course, there couldn't be a chase without the classic cliche: a dead end!

"Huh, I never thought 'sweetened condensed corn' would be the last thing I ever saw..." Alexis examines the surprisingly intact shelf, before turning to Seve, "Do you think it'd taste like 'nacho soup' if we mixed cheese with it? Chips also come from corn!"

"Who'd even want this crud?" Seve sticks his tongue out, "No wonder it's the only spotless part of the store..."

"Uh, I think they're about to make it messier..."

They turn around and face the giant, glaring mob.

"Okay kids," a human man stepped forward, "hand over that turkey... My dog ate my own turkey; and I need this meal to go smoothly, or my wife's gonna do worse than just banish me to the couch..."

"Uh, I dunno..." Seve raises an eyebrow, "Sounds more like ya need some kinda therapy than a turkey..."

"Back off, buster!" a cheetah pushes the man aside, "I need that turkey to finally get my mother-in-law off my back... 'I don't know how to properly cook for my family,' I'll show her!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" a coyote-human-hybrid asked, "Sure, we can all gang up on the kids, but who actually gets the turkey in the end?"

There's an awkward pause, before the mob proceeds to turn on each other. Seve and Alexis watch the quarrel unfold.

"Well, I guess that works..." Seve shrugs, then walks, "Come on, Lex, let's get outta here..."

"Yay! We only have to worry about Sarah killing us now!"

"Nah, we just gotta find some way to--"

"Hey, those brats are walking away!"

All eyes follow the finger of the pointing human man, as the cheetah pauses her attempts to choke him out.

"Yeah, we gotta take them down first," a ram added, one horn broken and one eye blackened, "then we can fight over who gets the bird!"

The kids scream and run again, but this time with someplace to actually run. They run outside, but Alexis trips over a dropped can and accidentally tackles Seve to the ground. The two are surrounded by the time they open their eyes.

"Aw crap..." Seve grimaces, "I was just hungry..."

Then, the cry of a bird gets everyone's attention-- the cry of a seagull! Alexis gasps through her open grin, while Seve stares in equal bewilderment with everyone else.

"Seagull friends!"

The birds assume a proper offensive formation that would make the warring Valkyries proud-- their flight's theme a fitting background symphony for such an event! The birds then dive to the side, one after the other, as they descend upon the mob that threatened their beloved: each bird picks its respective target, signifying that Peach Creek apparently has many seagulls. With the mob subdued, Seve and Alexis stand once again, Seve still holding the less alive bird.

"Thanks, seagull friends!" Alexis cheers, then holds her hooves out when seeing them approach, "Aww, victory hug!"

Some birds pull the marshmallow bag off her horn and fly away with it. They pick a spot to feast, with other seagulls grabbing the plastic and vying over it until the contents spill out. Then, they go from seagulls to feasting chickens. Alexis just watches, before she smiles and rests her fists onto her hips.

"Aw, that's okay! I know you still love me."

"Yeah, yeah, you're ‘Miss Popular’..." Seve grabs her wrist, moving the turkey under an arm, "Now hurry up! We gotta get back and cook this thing..."

The two skid to a stop when they spot Sarah and Jimmy, whom they definitely didn't need to worry about getting home too soon... Sarah literally digs her heels in, gripping the sedan's bumper, as the tow truck driver tries doing his job. Once again, Jimmy tries to settle matters involving his "wife"...

"Lady, let go already!" the driver sticks his head out the window, unable to press the gas pedal down further, "You have to put your car in a proper parking spot, otherwise it's illegal parking!"

"I've already had a lot to deal with today, fathead!" Sarah roars, "Don't add worrying about Jimmy's stupid car to the list!!"

"To be fair, Sarah..." Jimmy grits his teeth and shifts his eyes embarrassedly, "We did have the option of finding a proper parking--"

"You, zip it!" Sarah snaps her head toward him, "You practically ate up all my patience at that point! Believe me, anyone else would've been wearing that cranberry bag on their head...!"

"Come on, give me a break here!" the driver snarls, "I have to work on the holidays, and I already had to deal with an illegally parked car in a freakin' tree-- and not where it'd be easy to pull out! That was some knothole..."

"Sarah, we can just walk--"

Finally, Sarah manages to whip the car behind her, detaching the truck and sending it crashing elsewhere. Then, she slams the car down-- right on top of Jimmy. Debatable whether accidentally or because she's dealing with all of this stress from his stupid need for cranberries.

"--home..." the man finishes in a groan, "Sarah, do you mind--?"

She pulls him out, sets him onto his feet and dusts him off.

"DRIVE."

Before the man can respond, he spots an unconscious alpaca-man "floating" past them... The straight and cone-like nature of the horns behind him, combined with the familiar hooves walking underneath, tipped Jimmy off immediately.

"Seve, Alexis?!"

Immediate freeze.

"...Uh, no!" Alexis deepens her voice, "I'm... 'Steve Lex'! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to head home to my family because it's Thanksgiving!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Sarah storms over, then snatches away their hiding body, "It is you two!" Sarah tosses the man aside (not like he can feel it anyway), then crosses her arms and narrows her eyes, "What're you doing here...?"

Alexis looks away, "Nnnnnooooothiiiing..."

"You mean, 'soooommmeethiiiinnng'..." Sarah growls, "Now, spill it! If you two are here instead and especially trying to hide from us, it can't be anything good!"

"Um, Claire ran away," Alexis rocks on her heels, hooves behind her as she still looks away, "so Seve and I are trying to find her..."

"So, that turkey's to try and lure her out then...?"

Seve's and Alexis' eyes widen, before their giant spheres look down at the packaged bird in Seve's hooves. He quickly moves it behind himself.

"Uh, we dunno what you're talkin' about..." he gulps, "Lex and I don't got a bird..."

Sarah grips his shirt's backside, lifting him up and shaking the turkey onto the ground. Now, Jimmy can also tell there’s trouble afoot-- especially at the sight of the packaged poultry...

"Alright, you two..." he approaches, his brow furrowing, "Tell Sarah and I why exactly you're here with that-- and please tell me you haven't done anything to poor Claire..."

Her absence further cemented trouble’s presence.

"NEVER!" Alexis gasps and recoils, "I could never do anything bad to my poor puppy!"

"Will ya quit talkin' about her like she's a pet?" Seve asks, "It's always creepy..."

Jimmy folds his arms, "Well...?"

"Okay, so, uh..." Seve gulps, "... Alexis knocked me into the table, then, uh..."

"No I didn't!" she rebuttals, "I was trying to help Claire stop you--" she presses a finger into his snout, "--from eating the food!"

"Did you eat the turkey?!" Sarah roars, leaning into their faces, "Is that why you've got a new one?!"

"We only ate it because it got dirty and you'd kill us anyway!!"

"Lex, don't tell 'em!!"

"But they caught us anyway, Seve!!"

Sarah towers over them, far enough to make the goats basically lay on their backs.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT--!!"

"-- 7 HOURS!!!"

Jimmy, face now red and practically foaming at the mouth, knocks Sarah to the side and takes over as the towering figure.

"7 HOURS: BASTING, STUFFING, COOKING...!!!"

Jimmy could often be the prime example of: "Never mess with the quiet and nice guys..." True, he was a more compassionate soul, if not of a mischievous slyness or scoffing sassiness at times; but Heaven help the poor soul who tries his patience, whether ruining his culinary efforts or other means of flaring tempers enough... Sometimes, the goats and little wolf-hybrid thought he could be scarier than even Sarah. Case in point, for Seve and Alexis' own opinions...

They don't even try showing off the new bird they obtained, instead they run for their miserable lives! When Sarah regains her barings, she glares at the scene and joins the chase. The recovered truck driver, though with a more devastated vehicle, finally manages to tow away the unattended sedan. Believe it or not, he's recovered from far crazier attempts to stop him...

"When I get my hands on you traitorous ne'er-do-wells...!!" Jimmy roars, "Oh just you wait, I'll render you too traumatized to even utter the word 'turkey'!"

"Save some for me, Jimmy!" Sarah adds, "I've had it up to here with Seve not listening to me!!"

"Alexis, you're usually the one who comes up with suggestions...!" Seve gulps, "Can't ya think of something?!"

"Yeah, we run away to Alaska!"

"A friggin' rocketship to Mars ain't gonna save us...!"

"Well, I guess it's a good time to get ready then..." Alexis clasps her hands together, "Um, hi, Heaven-Dad... So, Seve and I might've done some bad things here and there, but--"

They all come to a skidding halt, after Rolf's entire family and Claire turn the corner-- that turkey-hijacked tractor still chasing them down! Now, everyone is being chased by the homicidal fowls...

"Claire!" Alexis grins at the girl quadrupedally running alongside her, "There you are..." she then wags a finger, putting on her most serious face, "Bad girl, don't just run off like that! I was worried..."

Claire flinches at being called "bad," her ears hanging and her face giving its most apologetic look.

"Claire…!" Sarah growls, "you were supposed to keep them from ruining everything!! What the hell were you doing?!"

Claire jumps into Alexis' arms, making them the perfect replication of Scooby Doo and Shaggy Rogers, while Claire's eyes enlarge and her face pales.

"Aw, it's okay, Claire," Alexis cradles the slightly taller girl, "I'm right here to die with you..."

"Rolf…!" Jimmy pants, "What is the reason for this horrible madness?! Aren't I troubled enough by turkeys with the ruining of mine, must I also apparently meet a gruesome end at the feathery fingertips that commandeer your vehicle?!"

"Silence and flee, you fool!" Rolf snarls, "Reserve your energy for escape, instead of whining like a wee baby of a broken rattle!!"

"AHHHHH!!" Seve points, "ROAD WORK!!"

They approached the giant, trenchlike nature of the currently modified road: that yellow tape, traffic cones and obvious drop came in fast...

"No, we must use it to our advantage!" Rolf decrees, "Keep running, encourage them to chase...!"

"Screw that!" Seve yelps, "Do it yourself, ya nut!!"

The rest of the Chaotic Quintet agreed with Seve: Seve and Alexis (with Claire in hoof) sway to the tractor's left, Sarah and Jimmy run away to the tractor's right. Rolf's family bravely continue their path forward, but then run to either side and jump off the edge-- each one clinging to their respective portion. The turkeys yelped as they ran over the sudden edge, having been too focused on their once-owners. The birds jump and flutter away, as the vehicle falls in and explodes upon landing. When Rolf's family climbs out, it's time to duel with the birds that betrayed them...

"Scoundrels..." the man growls, "It is time you fully understood the consequences when the livestock turns upon the shepherd... Prepare yourselves, for the almighty shoe-beating!"

Some may find simple footwear rather lenient for what the birds did, but those "some" are unaware of the shoe's full potential. Those of the old country knew it all too well... As the farmers tussle with birds, shoes clashing with beak and talons, the Chaotic quintet peer out from their respective hiding spots. Sarah and Jimmy then spot the goats and wolf-girl, who respond to the formers’ furious glares with their timid eyes. Alexis utters a simple, "Eep..." as the only one able to make a sound. Well, not exactly the "only" one, as Sarah and Jimmy both roared in their resumed chase... A chase that happened in the background, as war happened in the forefront.

"Oh, come on...!" Seve cried, "We even got you a replacement bird...!"

"It shouldn't have needed replacing in the first place!!" Sarah snarls, "Now quit running, you're only making it worse!!"

A turkey then flies into the fleeing trio, making them all roll to the side. When the bird sits up, it notices the prepared turkey in Seve's hooves. Oh no, one of its brethren had already been slaughtered and plucked! The farmers could wait, as those who actually committed the (perceived) deed of slaughter were far worse... The turkey lets out a loud crow that gets the others' attention, then it points its wing toward the goats.

"W-What, what?!" Seve gulps, "W-Why're they lookin' at us like that...?"

Seve and Alexis can only scream, as the gobbling birds rush past everyone else and swarm them. Claire, having been knocked further away, was spared the piling wrath; however, she, Sarah and Jimmy became instantly mortified at the sight of potential death-by-turkey...

"AH, WE DIDN'T DO IT...!!" Seve yelps, "IT REALLY WAS LIKE THAT WHEN WE GOT IT...!!"

"NO, BAD TURKEYS, BAD...!!" Alexis cries, "I KNOW WHERE TO GET YOU GUYS SOME SWEETENED CONDENSED CORN IF YOU LET US GO...!! IT'S PROBABLY TASTIER THAN ACTUAL CORN...!"

Sarah roars, "YOU GET OFF OF THEM!!"

Sarah and Jimmy vent out that frustration on the birds instead, while Claire truly proves she's part wolf...

"Face Rolf and his family, you fiends!" Rolf leads his own group over, "They are where the war had begun!"

-------

Soon, everyone in the quintet's different families arrived at Sarah and Jimmy's home. The gathering had long since started, so they all naturally: stood and talked with one another, watched TV together, or played and generally had fun with each other. Even Rolf's family found themselves a part of the festivities, since they needed a happier turn for their otherwise tragic holiday. The only family member not present was Sarah and Ed's mother... for obvious reasons of both hers and theirs.

As for the Chaotic Quintet themselves: they all stood gathered around the long table, although "sat" in the case of the casted and wheelchair-seated goats. Turkeys are ruthless... At the very least, they could be assisted with enjoying the actually available food and drink; while Jimmy, Sarah and Claire helped themselves to their own meals and red wine (they are the ones old enough).

"Well, I hope you two learned a lesson in respecting our wishes..." Jimmy began, then sighed, "... Oh, how I wish that turkey could've been enjoyed..."

"I hope you learned a lesson in not being a perfectionist," Sarah scoffs, "If you just decided those stupid cranberries wouldn't be worth it in the first--"

"--Yes, yes, Sarah, I'm as much to blame... I suppose I had a lesson to learn, myself, in stopping while ahead."

"Just remember that we need to head over to the car lot, the first thing tomorrow..."

"Yes, Sarah..."

"We're sorry, Jimmy..." Alexis frowns, "If it makes you feel better, that turkey was awesome!"

"Don't say 'turkey'..." Seve growls, "In fact, don't try out doin' yourself next year, 'cause I ain't having any... Not after what just happened."

Sarah would normally say, "Well, it serves you right!" but it's both a little too soon and insensitive. Those birds were lucky she, Claire and Jimmy were as merciful as they were... in terms of "instantaneousness," of course. Although, it's not exactly like Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day of longevity for the birds.

In fact, Thanksgiving wasn't exactly intended, nor any other holiday, as a time of stress-free relaxation... Those hectic times of the year are indeed somehow crazier, when you're part of a Chaotic Quintet.

[End Episode]

[katriniac]

IkeVamp OC Bio

Meet Katarina - Half human, half succubus.

All you see is a gorgeous woman with a big ol' tote bag of yarn and knitting needles. The horns and wings? She keeps those invisible. She decided to come back in time with le Comte and leave the 1980s because she couldn't stand all the synthetic fabric (No, really! That's the real reason! I promise it makes sense, LOL 😅)

Name: Katarina Koser

Gender: female

Race/Birthplace/Planet: Human female with Succubus bloodline, Hungary (ancestral home in Kiskunsagi Forest), Earth, 1890s

Current Home: Northern Italy, 1980s (but then she travels back in time with le Comte to 1890s Paris!)

Age (and how long does your race usually live?): 80-ish now. Lifespan varies. Because of her succubus lineage, the females of her family live much longer than humans, and therefore age more slowly. But they are not immortal. Their appearance will depend on the volume of life-force they recently absorbed. Some can retain the look of a young adult their entire life if they regularly take in adequate energy. They can always de-age from any elderly appearance if enough life-force is consumed, but they can never look younger than when puberty first hit them.

Build: voluptuous hourglass

Height: 5’8"

Hair: Deep reddish-mahogany. Long to mid-back, with slight wave/curl.

Eyes: Gray

Most Treasured Possessions: Thimble used by her grandmother, red headscarf with embroidery done by all her relatives.

Family: Two aunts, a sister, many cousins. Probably has male relatives but knows nothing of their existence.

Friend: Her cousin Lucia in Italy/Austria/Slovenia

Romantic Relationship History: In a rebellious streak at 17 eloped with her sweetheart Rolf. A mistake at that age, but she was revolting against the matriarchal rule and the anti-male mentality of the family. Divorced him two years later. Only dallies with men now when she’s feeling the urge for sex. Has come to accept that falling in love will only result in grief since she will outlive any man she chooses to stay with. Besides, she doesn't really need or want a partner; independence suits her globe-trotting lifestyle. (See *Deepest Secret* below)

Education/Training: communally raised so her basics were taught in an unorthodox manner, but as she traveled to more developed countries she was able to supplement/improve her education. Has a Masters of Fine Arts (just don’t ask to see what decade her degree was issued! LOL)

Things They’ve Done: Documented hundreds of diagrams/patterns/instructions for weaving/knitting/crocheting/embroidery techniques which had previously only been passed down through generations through oral tradition. Traveled to almost every country in Europe and South America, plus several key places in the Mediterranean, India, and North America. All for the sake of collecting artifacts, stories, and samples of the oldest thread-work. Once used her powers of charm to get unprecedented access to the 70-meter-long historial Bayeux Tapestry in a French museum.

Goals They Have: Preserve fiber craft traditions before they are lost.

What Motivates Them: Finding alternative ways of collecting/storing life-force without resorting to the traditional method of seduction and sex. And then somehow bringing that method to her clan and other succubi. So far she has developed a method that involves collecting and binding extra life force into plaits or knots to be used like batteries.

Favorite Entertainment (music, books, pastimes, etc.) : traditional European and Slavic folk music, music you can dance to. Sometimes has classical music records playing in the background while she knits. Doesn't watch much TV or film. Books are usually lace/knitting diagrams or research for weaving techniques. Reads some poetry. Loves to look through photo albums from world travels.

Favorite Food/Beverage: Enjoys cooking with lots of garlic and butter. Loves to eat berries and stone fruits of any kind, but raspberries and apricots are her favorites. Enjoys red licorice. Though she prefers cooking to baking, she is very proud of how her Paska bread and Sachertorte usually turn out perfect.

Personality: Confident, thoughtful listener, creative problem-solver, thinks outside the box, can appreciate the time/thought/skill that went into any effort (enthusiastically applauds her colleagues’ projects regardless of the size/scope), feminine/graceful, talks with her hands, cosmopolitan/worldly, unintentionally sensual in her mannerisms (unless she is deliberately mindful of maintaining a closed-off vibe), patient, is more likely to dive into deep discussions of how someone arrived at a decision/idea rather than be interested in the final decision itself, loves to travel, likes to help (is a bit of a “fixer”), can watch birds and spiders for hours at a time, can be a bit of a skeptic if a man begins “mansplaining”.

Note: At first glance she may appear kind and gregarious, but if watched closely over time you will see that she rarely offers any personal or private opinions/stories. She is friendly, but she doesn’t make friends. Katarina can be very invested in a person without letting that person get too close. This is an unconscious habit she has perfected over the decades while needing to move on from a place before they are suspicious of her not aging.

Deepest Secrets: Because Katarina rarely uses her power of seduction, she is out of practice. While she can usually keep it from seeping out, there is no way to put a cap on it 100%. Which means sometimes she will get VERY good service at a hotel or restaurant without even trying to charm them. The comedy starts when she actually DOES attempt to use her power for non-sexual purposes, such as getting through International check points quickly or convincing a cop to waive a parking ticket. In those instances, her inexperience often results in TOO MUCH power being used and the men throwing themselves at her or escaping with embarrassment at their sudden and unexplained erection (both predicaments are counter-productive to her reason for charming them in the first place!). Though she prefers to collect and absorb life-force that has been cast-off rather than feed off of a living human, she can perform seduction well and gets the job done quickly. However, this means she doesn’t have much experience enjoying sex inside the parameters of an established relationship. To elaborate even further: Katarina can’t recall the last time she was ever pampered or treated like a queen in bed. She is usually the one in control; just once it would be nice to feel treasured, to lie back and enjoy sex without having it feel like work. But that would mean having a lover she has a trusting connection with. She can’t have a normal relationship because she will outlive them. …Unless she finds someone worth giving up her immortality for. She doesn’t really believe there’s anyone out there like that. But that doesn’t stop her from wishing and fantasizing.

[burlveneer-music]

A Plane To Catch - Moko Jumbie - jazz/funk from Denmark

Bonded over the struggles of the pandemic and a mutual love for Motown, Soul and Afrobeat, Denmark’s renowned outlet for jazz, April Records, proudly presents ‘Moko Jumbie’, the debut by it’s latest outfit ‘A Plane To Catch’, set to release on April 28th. The vibrant Danish jazz scene came to a crashing halt along with the rest of the world in early 2020, and a tight-knit community of up-and-coming musicians were thrust into a void, robbed of the largest part of their livelihood and joy, live performance. Gathering in a graffiti-smudged artist's space in an old industrial facility in Copenhagen’s outskirts, they created a space for themselves to improvise in a funky, groove-based setting.. What came out was an expression of longing for all that was lost during the pandemic - a musical antidote to the loss of fun, joy, community, movement, travel and youthful abandon that the pandemic had temporarily put a halt to. Exploring the rich exchange between West African musical traditions and Western funk and soul, this is music meant for dancing, transporting the listener to dance floors both real and imagined. Featuring warm, raw production the record creates a real sense of energy and intimacy, as if the listener is in a dark club with an electric jam band. Through the eight compositions the quintet joyfully navigates familiar harmonic clichés from 70’s soul tunes, a variety of infectious toe-tapping grooves, playful improvisations and melodic duo horn arranging. Explorations of darker tonalites popularised by Ethio-Jazz legend Mulatu Astatke provide a welcome departure through harmonic contrast and propulsive polyrhythmic groove. The title ‘Moko Jumbie’ derives from a mythical character in Afro-Caribbean folklore. During carnival season masked Moko Jumbies can be seen dancing on stilts in colorful garments, towering over the crowds. Part gods, part healers, part ghosts, and most importantly: moving expressions of freedom and the perfect mascot for this celebratory album.  A PLANE TO CATCH is: Andreas Toftemark - Saxophone Rolf Thofte – Trumpet Mads Nørgaard - Guitar Anton Langebæk - Bass David Besiakov – Drums Guests: Simon Eskildsen – Organ (1, 3, 4, 5, 8) Yohan Ramon – Percussion (2, 4, 5, 7, 8) Cover Artwork by Simon Eskildsen All compositions by Andreas Toftemark, except “Lingon Grove” by David Besiakov and Andreas Toftemark. Published by April Publishing ApS

[joeinct]

Along the Old Appian Way, Study 3, Italy, Photo by Rolfe Horn, 2005

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

HAROLD LAND, À LA RECHERCHE DE LA TERRE PROMISE

Né le 18 décembre 1928 à Houston, au Texas, Harold de Vance Land est déménagé à San Diego avec sa famille à l’âge de cinq ans. Land a commencé à jouer du saxophone à l’âge de seize ans durant ses études au high school après avoir entendu l’enregistrement de ‘’Body and Soul’’ par Coleman Hawkins. Parmi les autres influences de Land à cette époque, on remarquait Charlie Parker, Ben Webster, Don Byas, Lester Young et Lucky Thompson.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

Après ses études secondaires, Land a travaillé avec un groupe dirigé par un contrebassiste local, Ralph Houston, qui l’avait aidé à se joindre à l’Union des Musiciens. Par la suite, Land s’était joint au groupe du trompettiste Froebel Brigham. Dans le cadre de sa collaboration avec Brigham, Land s’était produit au Creole Palace, un club de jazz. Land a d’ailleurs fait ses débuts sur disque à l’âge de vingt et un ans avec le groupe de Brigham. Après fait une brève tournée avec les musiciens de Rhythm & blues Jimmy et Joe Liggins, Land s’est installé à Los Angeles en 1954. Land a fait son premier enregistrement comme leader avec les Harold Land All-Stars en 1949.

Après avoir entendu Land jouer dans une jam session dans le studio du multi-instrumentiste Eric Dolphy, le trompettiste Clifford Brown l’avait invité à remplacer le saxophoniste Teddy Edwards dans le groupe qu’il co-dirigeait avec le batteur Max Roach. Durant presque trois ans, Land avait vécu à Philadelphie, éloigné de sa femme Lydia et de son jeune fils. Pendant cette période, Land avait participé à certains des meilleurs enregistrements de hard bop de l’époque, y compris l’album ''Study in Brown'' avec le groupe de Brown et Roach, qui avait contribué à établir sa notoriété à travers le pays.

En janvier 1956, après avoir appris que sa grand-mère était mourante, Land avait quitté le groupe de Roach pour retourner vivre avec sa famille à Los Angeles. Sans cet événement imprévu, Land serait probablement devenu une grande vedette. Land avait enregistré trois albums avec le groupe de Roach: ‘’Brown and Roach Incorporated’’ (1954), ‘’Clifford Brown & Max Roach’’ (1954) et ‘’Study in Brown’’ (1955).

Comme Land l’avait fait remarquer plus tard: ‘’After being away from Lydia and my son for two and a half years, I figured the best thing for me was to go back home and stay.’’ Land avait éventuellement été remplacé par Sonny Rollins. Au début, Land avait éprouvé des difficultés à décrocher des contrats, ce qui l’avait obligé à se nourrir de biscuits soda et de beurre d’arachide, mais il avait progressivement établi sa réputation pour devenir un des musiciens les plus populaires de la Côte ouest.

Le départ de Land pour la Californie lui avait probablement sauvé la vie. Clifford Brown est mort dans un accident d’automobile avec le Richie Powell le 26 juin 1956. Or, comme l’expliquait Lydia, la femme de Land, ce dernier avait l’habitude de voyager avec Brown à l’époque. Lydia précisait: ‘’If Harold had not come back when he did, he probably would have been in that car with Brownie. He and Brownie always drove together.’’

Land avait rencontré son épouse Lydia à San Diego d’une prestation au Club Romance. Land expliquait: “I met Lydia at Club Romance. She was staring at me and staring at me one night and I ended up walking her home, carrying my horn-for 24 blocks!”

À Los Angeles, Land avait fréquenté la scène effervescente du jazz de la Central Avenue, où le cool jazz de Gerry Mulligan et Chet Baker était en train de faire fureur.

Sur la Côte ouest, Land s’était joint au groupe du contrebassiste Curtis Counce, avec qui il avait enregistré l’album ‘’Carl's Blues’’ en plus de produire ses propres disques sur étiquette Contemporary. Land avait fait partie du groupe de Counce de 1956 à 1958. Parallèlement, Land avait formé ses propres quintets de hard bop, se produisant notamment avec les trompettistes Rolf Ericson, Dupree Bolton, Gerald Wilson, Joe Gordon et Kenny Dorham, les pianistes Carl Perkins, Elmo Hope et Barry Harris, les contrebassistes Leroy Vinnegar, Herbie Lewis, Curtis Counce, Sam Jones et Jimmy Bond, et les batteurs Frank Butler, Louis Hayes, Leon Pettis et Mel Lewis.

Land travaillait avec Counce lorsqu’il avait enregistré son premier album comme leader intitulé ‘’Harold in the Land of Jazz’’ en 1958.  Participaient également à la session les trompettiste Froebel Bingham et Rolf Ericson, le pianiste Carl Perkins, le contrebassiste Leroy Vinnegar et le batteur Frank Butler.

Land avait enchaîné en 1959 avec ''The Fox'', un album de hard bop qui comprenait plusieurs pièces qu’il avait composées avec le pianiste Elmo Hope. Considéré comme un des meilleurs enregistrements de Land, l’album témoignait de son originalité comme compositeur ainsi que de son profond sens du blues. L’album avait été enregistré avec un groupe composé d’Elmo Hope au piano, Dupree Bolton à la trompette, Herbie Lewis à la contrebasse et Frank Butler à la batterie.

Durant cette période, Land a aussi co-dirigé des groupes avec Bobby Hutcherson, Blue Mitchell (avec qui il a enregistré l’album “Mapenzi” pour les disques Concord en 1977), Oscar Brashear (avec qui il a enregistré l’album  “Xocia's Dance” sur étiquette Muse) et Red Mitchell (1969-1971). Au printemps 1960, Land avait également enregistré avec le quintet de Cannonball Adderley et le guitariste Wes Montgomery. La section rythmique du groupe était composée du pianiste Barry Harris, du contrebassiste Sam Jones et du batteur Louis Hayes. En plus d’avoir joué avec le big band de Gerald Wilson et accompagné les pianistes Hampton Hawes et Carl Perkins, Land avait aussi accompagné Kenny Burrell et Thelonious Monk (avec qui il a enregistré l’album live ‘’At the Blackhawk’’ en 1960).

Au début des années 1960, Land s’était retiré progressivement de la scène et avait commencé à écrire des musiques de film. Il avait également collaboré avec un quintet de saxophones.

Durant cinq ans, Land s’était rendu à chaque année en Europe pour jouer avec une section rythmique italienne composée du contrebassiste Marco Marzola, un musicien bouddhiste avec qui il chantait souvent sur scène. En 1961, Land s’était joint aux Giants, un groupe dirigé par le trompettiste Shorty Rogers. En 1961-62, Land a aussi co-dirigé un quintet avec le contrebassiste Red Mitchell, un ancien collaborateur d’Ornette Coleman. Les autres membres du groupe étaient le trompettiste Carmell Jones, le pianiste Frank Strazzeri et le batteur Leon Pettis.

Jusqu’alors caractérisé par un son plutôt doux et mélodieux, Land avait modifié son approche de l’improvisation sous l’influence de John Coltrane. C’est probablement de cette époque que datait l’intérêt de Land pour le jazz modal. Land expliquait:  "John definitely inspired me with his intense spirit, and I usually say that spirit moved me so much that I became a little more intense in my own musical presentation. At the same time, I was trying to maintain a certain individuality that I hope I have managed to do." Lorsqu’on parlait à Land de ses influences, il mentionnait immédiatement le nom de Coltrane. Il précisait: ‘’Of course, Trane. But early influences included Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Don Byas, Lester Young and a guy who never got his just due, Lucky Thompson. I can’t name any tenor players who are saying much today because I don’t listen to radio or play new albums much. But John Coltrane, I always liked his constant dedication and constant searching.’’ Sous l’influence de Coltrane, le jeu de Land était devenu beaucoup plus intense, plus particulièrement dans les hauts registres. Ce changement de cap était particulièrement évident sur l’album ‘’Mapenzi’’ enregistré en 1977 avec le trompettiste Blue Mitchell.

De la fin des années 1970 au début des années 1990, Land avait fait partie des Timeless All-Stars, un sextet commandité par les disques Timeless qui avait aidé à le faire connaître à l’extérieur de la région de Los Angeles. Le groupe était composé de Land au saxophone ténor, de Curtis Fuller au trombone, de Cedar Walton au piano, de Buster Williams à la contrebasse, de Billy Higgins à la batterie et de Bobby Hutcherson au vibraphone. Le groupe, qui était sous contrat avec les disques Blue Note, avait aussi fait des tournées aux États-Unis et en Europe. À la même époque, Land était parti en tournée avec son fils Harold Land Jr. au piano, Hutcherson et Higgins. Land se produisait aussi régulièrement au Hop Singh's de Marina Del Rey dans la région de Los Angeles, ainsi qu’au Keystone Korner de San Francisco. Au cours des années 1970, Land avait également accompagné le chanteur Tony Bennett.

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES

Après la mort de Thelonious Monk en 1982, Land s’était joint au T.S. Monk Tentet, qui était alors dirigé par le trompettise Don Sickler. C’est Sickler qui avait invité Land à venir jouer comme soliste avec le groupe. Land s’est produit avec le groupe dans la plupart des festivals européens majeurs. Durant cette période, Land avait également participé à un concert et à des ateliers à l’Université Stanford avec le pianiste Mulgrew Miller, le contrebassiste Ray Drummond et le batteur Billy Higgins.

À la fin des années 1990, Land s’était produit avec ses propres groupes sur une base plus régulière. Durant les trois dernières années de sa vie, Land a enseigné le jazz à l’Université de Californie à Los Angeles (UCLA). Land s’était joint à UCLA pour donner des ateliers en 1996. Il ne s’agissait pas de la première expérience d’enseignant de Land, qui avait donné des cours de saxophone dans les années 1980 dans les high schools de Los Angeles.

Passionné de tennis, Land continuait de se garder en forme en se rendant sur les courts trois fois la semaine, les lundis, mercredis et vendredis. Les seules choses qui pouvaient gêner sa routine étaient la température et des ‘’ennuis mineurs’’ comme ses participations à des festivals, à des tournées, à des concerts dans les clubs ou à des sessions d’enregistrement ! En fait, Land était tellement au sommet de sa forme qu’à l’âge de plus de soixante-dix ans, un réparateur de Sears qui était venu chez lui pour réparer sa machine à laver lui avait fait remarquer: ‘’I know you from somewhere. Oh yeah, you busted my butt on the tennis court, and I’m only 35 !’’

Ouvert aux nouvelles technologies, Land avait été approché un an avant sa mort par Dan Atkinson, le vice-président d’Audiophotic, une nouvelle étiquette de jazz. Après avoir appris que le quartet de Land devait se produire à Stanford, Atkinson avait convaincu le directeur de la compagnie David Phillips que le groupe était la formation idéale pour inaugurer son studio à la fine pointe de la technologie. Bénéficiant d’un processus d’enregistrement à la fine pointe de la technologie de l’époque, l’album ‘’Promised Land’’ avait été enregistré au studio de la compagnie à La Jolla, en banlieue de San Diego. Particulièremen fier du produit final, Phillips avait commenté: ‘’There’s no compression at all, no noise reduction, no equalization and no over-dubbing.’’

Land est mort d’une attaque en juillet 2001 à l’âge de soixante-treize ans. Il laissait dans le deuil son épouse Lydia, son fils Harold Land Jr. et un petit-fils. Saluant sa contribution au jazz, le guitariste Kenny Burrell, le fondateur et directeur du programme d’études de jazz de UCLA, considérait Land comme un des principaux pionniers de l’histoire du saxophone dans le domaine du jazz. Il avait ajouté: “He was a vital and well-loved member of the jazz faculty here at UCLA.”

Harold Land avait influencé de nombreux musiciens au cours de sa carrière. Le groupe de rock progressif Yes a même inclus une pièce intitulée ‘’Harold Land’’ sur son premier album publié en 1969. Dans un blog publié le 20 septembre 2010, le batteur Bill Bruford avait écrit au sujet de la chanson: "Harold Land was a hard-bop tenor saxophone player, dead now, but quite why we named a song after him I can't remember."

Grandement influencé par John Coltrane, Land est aujourd’hui considéré comme un des meilleurs improvisateurs de l’histoire du jazz. Autant Land était exhubérant sur scène, autant il était timide et réservé sur le plan personnel. D’une certaine façon, on pourrait dire que le jeu très expansif de Land au saxophone contrastait avec sa grande gentillesse, sa personnalité romantique et sa profonde spiritualité. Décrivant son adhésion au bouddhisme, Land expliquait:

‘’That was the major change in my life and the greatest thing that ever happened to me and my family. I can thank Buster Williams for getting me interested in it. Buster was staying with us when he was working with Herbie Hancock, who is also a practicing Buddhist. That’s 27 years ago, Lydia {my wife} just informed me because I can’ remember what happened 27 minutes ago. She’s been chanting with me for the pas 20 years, and our son, Harold Land Jr., has been doing it ever since I began.

It affected me spiritually, physically and materially, but I didn’t realize that it influenced my music until different people began coming up  to me and they’d say, ‘Wow, I really hear something different about your playing it sounds so great - there seems to be another source of energy.’’ Consequently I would tell them what they were hearing was the result of my chanting two times a day - from the Daimoku.’’

Les convictions de Land étaient particulièrement évidentes sur l’album “The Peace-maker” qu’il avait enregistré pour les disques Cadet en 1967. Land précisait:

“Those thoughts must have been deep in my subconscious for a long time. It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it, that I would write ‘The Peace-maker’ even before Buster officially introduced [Buddhism] to me. It’s like I had been searching for something, leaning towards it, then I found Buster. That was probably the most significant tune I’ve written because of its connection to my Buddhist practice. In addition to chanting for good health, good fortune and safety, there’s world peace. That’s one of our main goals. I have no way of knowing how ‘The Peace-maker’ affects people listening to the recording, but in clubs I notice the place quiets down, people seem to be moved-they get reflective and maybe they’re looking within themselves and at the world around them and thinking what peace is all about.”

Ironiquement, Land n’avait jamais vraiment expliqué ce que la pièce-titre de l’album “The Peace-maker” signifiait dans le contexte de ses croyances. Attribuant cette omission à sa personnalité peu expansive, Land avait déclaré: “You know, maybe I should explain it, but I don’t usually talk too much, as you might have noticed from these interviews.”

Très peu connu à l’extérieur de Los Angeles avant sa collaboration avec le vibraphoniste Bobby Hutcherson, Land n’avait pu dissimuler une pointe de regret lorsqu’il avait fait remarquer: “I know I would have received much wider acceptance if I had been based in New York.” Musicien polyvalent, Land avait tenté de faire la symbiose entre le bebop, le hard bop, le post bop, le swing et le cool jazz. Reconnu pour sa technique impeccable et son jeu particulièrement fluide, Land était aussi à l’aise dans les pièces hors tempo que dans les balades.

©-2023-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l’Imaginaire historique

SOURCES:

BRETON, Pierre. ‘’Land, Harold.’’ Universalis.fr., 2023.

FORDHAM, John. ‘’Harold Land, Saxophonist celebrated for the elegance of his jazz.’’ The Guardian, 31 juillet 2001.

‘’Harold Land.’’ Wikipedia, 2023.

‘’Harold Land.’’ All About Jazz, 2023.

RATLIFF, Ben. ‘’Harold Land, 73, Saxophonist Who Made a Splash in the Bop Era.’’ New York Times, 30 juillet 2001.

SHIVERS, Harvey. ‘’Harold Land.’’ Jazz Times, 2023.

[mariaangels]

Rolfe Horn

[weimarhaus]

Otto Mueller, Girl semi-nude in profile (in front of a painting), 1922, lithograph in colors, 60,8 cm by 48 cm. Via Stiftung Rolf Horn.

[robotrebelranch]

[ID: Three panels, all containing screenshots from Ed, Edd n' Eddy. The first shows the backside of a cardboard wall taped together. The second panel shows Ed drawing something in a sketchbook, smiling with his tongue sticking out. The third panel shows his drawing of Rolf about to be eaten by a large green reptilian monster. The first panel says: "My dream is to create a masterpiece-" then "that nobody ruins by understanding it." in the third panel. In the bottom left hand corner, is says: "e horne and j comeau" then "asofterworld.com" on the right. The comic mimics the style of those shown on the website. /END ID]

[a timeless classic, sure to be forgotten.]