Dorothy Ashby - The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby

New Land is proud to present the first standalone vinyl release of this album for the first time in 60 years.

Preceding the seminal Afro Harping, this masterpiece was recorded in New York across two sessions in May 1965, The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby is widely regarded as the culmination of Ashby’s early jazz
recordings.

Having spent the previous decade establishing the harp as a serious improvising instrument, Ashby arrived at Atlantic Records with a distinctive voice fully formed, combining bebop fluency, blues feeling and strikingly original arrangements. The album was produced by Arif Mardin and engineered by Tom Dowd, two key figures in the label’s golden era. Ashby is joined by an exceptional cast of musicians, including bassist Richard Davis, drummer Grady Tate and percussionist Willie Bobo, while a trombone section featuring Jimmy Cleveland, Quentin Jackson, Sonny Russo and Tony Studd adds rich orchestral colour to selected tracks. Together they frame Ashby’s blend of originals, standards and contemporary material, including memorable interpretations of “Feeling Good,” “Invitation” and “House of the Rising Sun.”

Remastered and cut directly from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray, this deluxe edition is pressed at Pallas on 180g vinyl and presented in a textured sleeve, with new reflections on Ashby’s enduring influence from harpists Brandee Younger and Celine Dessberg. More than sixty years on, these recordings remain among the clearest expressions of Ashby’s groundbreaking vision for jazz harp.

Tracklist