California Hard Explained

California Hard
Type:	Album
Artist:	Dolo Coker
Border:	yes
Released:	1977
Recorded:	December 27, 1976
Genre:	Hard bop
Label:	Xanadu
Producer:	Don Schlitten
Prev Title:	Dolo!
Prev Year:	1976
Next Title:	Third Down
Next Year:	1977

California Hard is a jazz album by pianist and composer Dolo Coker, recorded in 1976.^[1] Two of the six pieces were written by Coker. The album was reissued as a CD in 1994, with one bonus track (a solo piano version of "Round Midnight").

Reception

AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow called the album "a strong effort."^[2]

Track listing

1. "Jumping Jacks" (Coker) – 4:03
2. "Gone with the Wind" (Herb Magidson, Allie Wrubel) – 4:26
3. "Roots 4FB" (Mitchell) - 14:58
4. "Mr. Yohe" (Pepper) - 6:23
5. "Gone Again" (Gladys Hampton, Curtis Lewis, Curley Hamner) - 8:08
6. "Tale of Two Cities" (Coker) - 6:28
7. "'Round Midnight" (Thelonious Monk) (on CD reissue only; not on original LP) - 2:27

Personnel

Recorded on December 27, 1976.

• Dolo Coker - piano
• Blue Mitchell - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Art Pepper - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
• Leroy Vinnegar - bass guitar
• Frank Butler - drums

Notes and References

1. Keresman . Mark . California Hard . Jazzed . Nov 2016 . 11 . 6 . 26.
2. Yanow, S., AllMusic Review accessed March 14, 2020