Billy Harper
Encyclopedia
Billy Harper is a Jazz
saxophonist, "one of a generation of Coltrane-influenced tenor saxophonists" with a distinctively stern, hard-as-nails sound on his instrument.
.
Harper has played with some of jazz's greatest drummers; he served with Art Blakey
's Messengers for two years (1968–1970); he played very briefly with Elvin Jones
(1970), he played with the Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra in the 1970s, and was a member of Max Roach
's band in the late '70s. He has also been a frequent member of Randy Weston
's ensembles. He performed on Gil Evans
' 1973 album Svengali
, and contributed two of the most-performed tunes in the band's repertoire: "Priestess" and "Thoroughbred".
His 1973 album Capra Black "remains one of the seminal recordings of jazz's black consciousness movement--a profoundly spiritual effort that channels both the intellectual complexity of the avant garde as well as the emotional potency of gospel". The Italian jazz label Black Saint was launched with Harper's 1975 album Black Saint. His later releases have mostly been on SteepleChase and Evidence.
With Bobbi Humphrey
With Lee Morgan
With McCoy Tyner
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
saxophonist, "one of a generation of Coltrane-influenced tenor saxophonists" with a distinctively stern, hard-as-nails sound on his instrument.
Biography
In 1965 Harper earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of North TexasUniversity of North Texas College of Music
The University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school with the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, and the oldest in the world offering a degree in jazz studies...
.
Harper has played with some of jazz's greatest drummers; he served with Art Blakey
Art Blakey
Arthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
's Messengers for two years (1968–1970); he played very briefly with Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
(1970), he played with the Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra in the 1970s, and was a member of Max Roach
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
's band in the late '70s. He has also been a frequent member of Randy Weston
Randy Weston
Randy Weston , is an American jazz pianist and composer, of Jamaican parentage.-Biography:Weston studied classical piano as a child. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he ran a restaurant that was frequented by many of the leading bebop musicians...
's ensembles. He performed on Gil Evans
Gil Evans
Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
' 1973 album Svengali
Svengali
Svengali is a fictional character of George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby. Svengali "would either fawn or bully and could be grossly impertinent. He had a kind of cynical humour that was more offensive than amusing and always laughed at the wrong thing, at the wrong time, in the wrong place...
, and contributed two of the most-performed tunes in the band's repertoire: "Priestess" and "Thoroughbred".
His 1973 album Capra Black "remains one of the seminal recordings of jazz's black consciousness movement--a profoundly spiritual effort that channels both the intellectual complexity of the avant garde as well as the emotional potency of gospel". The Italian jazz label Black Saint was launched with Harper's 1975 album Black Saint. His later releases have mostly been on SteepleChase and Evidence.
As leader
- 1973: Capra Black (Strata East)
- 1975: Black SaintBlack Saint (album)Black Saint is an album by American jazz saxophonist Billy Harper recorded in 1975 for the Italian Black Saint label. The album was the first release for the record label.-Reception:...
(Black Saint) - 1977: Soran-Bushi, B.H. (Denon)
- 1979: Trying to Make Heaven My Home (MPS RecordsMPS RecordsMPS Records was a German jazz record label founded in 1968. MPS stands for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" .-History:...
) - 1979: Billy Harper Quintet in EuropeBilly Harper Quintet in EuropeBilly Harper Quitet in Europe is an album by American jazz saxophonist Billy Harper recorded in 1979 for the Italian Soul Note label. The album was the first release for the record label.-Reception:...
(Soul Note) - 1979: Awakening
- 1989: Destiny Is Yours
- 1993: Somalia
- 1998: If Our Hearts Could Only See (DIW RecordsDIW RecordsDIW Records is a Japanese record label. It is a subsidiary label of Disc Union and specializes in jazz and avant garde music. Kazunori Sugiyama was an executive producer for the label before starting Tzadik Records with John Zorn.-Discography:...
) - 2000: Soul of an Angel
- 2009: Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 2
As sideman
With Gil EvansGil Evans
Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
- Where Flamingos FlyWhere Flamingos FlyWhere Flamingos Fly is an album by jazz composer, arranger, conductor and pianist Gil Evans, recorded in 1971, but not released until 1981, and performed by Evans with a orchestra featuring Billy Harper, Howard Johnson, Johnny Coles, and Don Preston....
(Artists HouseArtists House-Discography:...
, 1971) - SvengaliSvengali (album)Svengali is a live album by jazz composer, arranger, conductor and pianist Gil Evans, recorded in 1973 by Evans with a orchestra featuring Ted Dunbar, Howard Johnson, Herb Bushler, David Sanborn, Billy Harper, Richard Williams, Trevor Koehler, and Hannibal Marvin Peterson...
(Atlantic, 1973)
With Bobbi Humphrey
Bobbi Humphrey
Barbara Ann Humphrey is an American jazz flautist and singer who plays fusion, jazz-funk and soul-jazz styles. Bobbi Humphrey has performed for audiences around the world....
- Flute InFlute InFlute In is the debut album by American jazz flautist Bobbi Humphrey recorded in 1971 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Andrew Hamilton awarded the album 4 stars stating "Bobbi displays dexterity and power throughout her coming out, mainstream LP".-Track...
(Blue Note, 1971)
With Lee Morgan
Lee Morgan
Edward Lee Morgan was an American hard bop trumpeter.-Biography:...
- The Last SessionThe Last Session (album)The Last Session is the final studio album recorded by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan before his death in 1972. It was released on the Blue Note label and features performances by Morgan, Grachan Moncur III, Bobbi Humphrey, Billy Harper, Harold Mabern, Reggie Workman, Jymie Merritt and Freddie...
(Blue Note, 1972)
With McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career.-Early life:...
- JourneyJourney (McCoy Tyner album)Journey is an album by McCoy Tyner's Big Band released on the Birdology label in 1993. It was recorded in May 1993 and features performances by Tyner's Big Band, which included Steve Turre, Joe Ford, Billy Harper, Avery Sharpe and Frank Lacy...
(Birdology, 1993)