In his early recordings and performances with leaders such as Art Blakey, Lee
Morgan, Max Roach, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and Gil Evans, during the 60s and 70s,
Billy Harper already had a massive sound on the tenor saxophone, combining John
Coltrane’s spiraling intensity with a bluesy brawn that pointed back to his Texas
origins.
Harper’s authority has only grown with age: a half-century on, he stands as one of
the most commanding horn men on the planet, a pillar of stirring post-bop jazz
whose robust back catalog seems long overdue for rediscovery.
For half a century he has been performing his original music with the
Billy Harper Quintet all over the globe, and recording over a dozen albums as leader
and composer, many of them considered historic.
After a pandemic induced hiatus, Billy Harper and his Quintet are back in action,
starting 2023 off with a series of #CapraBlackIsBack performances, marking what
will be a year long celebration of Billy Harper's 80th birthday, and the 50th anniversary
of his renowned debut album “Capra Black”.