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Hal Galper

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Hal Galper
Background information
Born(1938-04-18)April 18, 1938
Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJuly 18, 2025(2025-07-18) (aged 87)
Cochecton, New York, U.S.
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentPiano
Websitewww.halgalper.com

Harold Galper (April 18, 1938 – July 18, 2025) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator, and writer.

Life and career

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Galper was born in Salem, Massachusetts, United States on April 18, 1938.[1][2] Galper studied classical piano as a boy, but switched to jazz which he studied at the Berklee College of Music from 1955 to 1958.[1] He hung out at Herb Pomeroy's club, the Stable, hearing local Boston musicians such as Jaki Byard, Alan Dawson and Sam Rivers. Galper started sitting in and became the house pianist at the Stable and later on, at Connelly's and Lenny's on the Turnpike.[2] He went on to work in Pomeroy's band.

Later on he worked with Chet Baker and Stan Getz and accompanied vocalists Joe Williams, Anita O'Day, and Chris Connor.[2]

In 1969, Galper recorded with Randy Brecker and Michael Brecker on Randy's Score album. Randy and Michael Brecker subsequently appeared on Galper's 1971 album The Guerilla Band and his 1972 album Wild Bird. Though he began recording albums under his own name in the 1970s, Galper continued to work for other bandleaders throughout the 1970s and 1980s, either as a full time band member, or on a freelance basis. He played with Stan Getz for a year starting in 1972, and in 1973, he joined the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, replacing George Duke and staying until 1975.[2] Galper continued to work with Randy and Michael Brecker in the late 1970s, and the brothers appeared on Galper's 1977 album Reach Out! and the 1979 Speak With A Single Voice (reissued as Children of the Night), though by this point the Breckers were leading their fusion band The Brecker Brothers and did not work with Galper full time. Galper performed in New York and Chicago jazz clubs in the late 1970s, and recorded two albums with John Scofield for the Enja label in 1978-79, the first led by Scofield, and the second led by himself.[2] From 1980 until 1990, he was a member of Phil Woods's quintet.[1]

Galper left the Woods group in August 1990 to tour and record with a trio with Steve Ellington on drums. Initially, Todd Coolman was the trio's bass player. After Coolman left the trio, his permanent replacement was Jeff Johnson, though other bassists worked with Galper and Ellington for short periods until they joined with Johnson. From 1990 to 1999, his group was on the road six months a year.

He was internationally known as an educator. Galper was on the faculty of Purchase College and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.[2] His theoretical and practical articles appeared in six of Down Beat editions. His scholarly article on the psychology of stage fright, originally published in the Jazz Educators Journal, has subsequently been reprinted in four other publications.

Galper died in Cochecton, New York, on July 18, 2025, at the age of 87.[3]

Discography

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As leader

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Recorded Released Title Label Personnel
1971 1971 The Guerilla Band Mainstream Randy Brecker (trumpet, electric trumpet, flugelhorn), Michael Brecker (tenor sax, soprano sax), Bob Mann (electric guitar), Victor Gaskin (bass guitar), Charles Alias and Steve Haas (drums)
1971? 1972 Wild Bird Mainstream Randy Brecker (trumpet, electric trumpet), Michael Brecker (tenor sax, soprano sax), Jonathan Graham (electric guitar), Bob Mann (electric guitar), Victor Gaskin and Charles LaChappelle (double bass, bass guitar), Bill Goodwin (drums), Billy Hart (drums)
1972? 1973 Inner Journey Mainstream Dave Holland (double bass), Bill Goodwin (drums)
1975 1976 Windows SteepleChase Lee Konitz (alto sax)
1977? 1977 Now Hear This Enja Terumasa Hino (trumpet), Cecil McBee (bass), Tony Williams (drums)
1976 1977 Reach Out! SteepleChase Randy Brecker (trumpet), Michael Brecker (tenor sax, flute), Wayne Dockery (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1978? 1979 Speak with a Single Voice Century Randy Brecker (trumpet), Michael Brecker (tenor sax, flute), Wayne Dockery (bass), Bob Moses (drums)
1980 Ivory Forest Enja
1987 Dreamsville Enja
1987 Naturally Blackhawk
1989 Portrait Concord Jazz
1991 Invitation to a Concert Concord
1978? 1991 Redux '78 Concord Jazz
1993 Tippin' Concord Jazz
1994 Live at Vartan Jazz Vartan Jazz
1994 Just Us Enja Jerry Bergonzi
1995 Rebob Enja Jerry Bergonzi
1991 1991 Live at Port Townsend '91 Double-Time Todd Coolman (bass), Steve Ellington (drums)
1999 1999 Let's Call This That Double-Time Tim Hagans (trumpet), Jerry Bergonzi (tenor sax), Jeff Johnson (bass), Steve Ellington (drums)
2006 2006 Agents of Change Fabola Tony Marino (bass), Billy Mintz (drums)
2006 2007 Furious Rubato Origin Jeff Johnson (bass), John Bishop (drums)
2008 2009 Art-Work Origin Reggie Workman (bass), Rashied Ali (drums)
2009 2010 E Pluribus Unum Origin Jeff Johnson (bass), John Bishop (drums)
2011 2011 Trip the Light Fantastic Origin Jeff Johnson (bass), John Bishop (drums)
2012 2012 Airegin Revisited Origin Jeff Johnson (bass), John Bishop (drums)
2016 2018 Cubist Origin Jerry Bergonzi (tenor sax), Jeff Johnson (bass), John Bishop (drums)
1990 – Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Volume Six Concord

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As sideman

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With Cannonball Adderley

With Nat Adderley

With Franco Ambrosetti

With Chet Baker

With Randy Brecker

  • Score (Solid State, 1969)

With Tom Harrell

With Sam Rivers

With John Scofield

With Phil Woods

See also

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Bibliography

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  • Forward Motion: From Bach To Bebop. A Corrective Approach to Jazz Phrasing, AuthorHouse, July 17, 2003, ISBN 978-1410712141
  • The Touring Musician: A Small Business Approach to Booking Your Band on the Road, Alfred Publishing, January 10, 2007, ISBN 978-0739046890

References

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  1. ^ a b c Rinzler, Paul; Kernfeld, Barry (2002). "Galper, Hal". In Barry Kernfeld (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 8. ISBN 1561592846.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Hal Galper Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  3. ^ "Hal Galper R.I.P." Salt-peanuts.eu. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  4. ^ "Hal Galper Albums and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
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