RIP.  Seeing him live was a great double pleasure: great music, great stories.  

Continuing on in the “Enjoying the Ride” 60th Anniversary box set. Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY (2/20/71)   250×158 13.9 KB

I was surprised he was 87 as well. I saw Galper a few times over the years but it's been a long time since I last saw him perform. I really enjoyed his playing with Phil Woods.

He had been living in upper state New York around Callicoon, right on the Pennsylvania border.  I saw on FB that he then had a afternoon gig at Rafter's Tavern, a local spot.  caught him once there with Billy Mintz on drums.  Can't remember who was on bass. Fun hour. 

I was personally a little surprised that he was 87 years old. I had the impression that he was mainly active in the 1970s, so I had assumed he was born in the late 1940s or early 1950s (for example, his one-time bandmate Michael Brecker was born in 1949), but he was actually a generation older than them. It makes sense, considering he was active in Chet Baker's band in the 1960s.   Personally, I think Now Hear This, featuring the powerful lineup of Japanese-born Terumasa Hino, Cecil McBee, and Tony Williams, is his masterpiece. Galper, despite being the leader, doesn't stand out much in a way, which might be disappointing for him, but it's wonderful jazz.  RIP.