Hal Galper

[Mark Stryker]

On Hal Galper's website I came across a wonderful and long interview with him, apparently from Cadence in 2007. He tells colorful, honest and insightful stories, including some truly priceless stuff about Sam Rivers and his legendary practice books, the Boston scene, the early days of Berklee, jazz education, evolving style and the jazz life broadly defined. There's no direct link, but if you go to http://www.halgalper.com/ and then click on 'interviews," it's the top article. I think Hal's a great player, by the way, cursed with the underrated tag. The '70s modal post-bop records he led, including the two with the Breckers and the quartet date with Terumasa Hino, McBee and Tony Williams are dynamite, and in a quite different vein, his more recent trio records are quietly subversive -- lots of inside wit, Jamal-like orchestration and drama. Plus, the early attempts at playing free on standards with Rivers ("A New Jazz Conception") were prescient, and, in fact, he's returned to that concept more recently, documented on a trio record called "Furious Rubato" (Origin). Looks like an upcoming record, "Art-Work" (Origin) with Reggie Workman and Rashied Ali continues the concept. The group's version of "Autumn Leaves" from the CD can be heard on the Newsletter Spring 09 page.

Addendum: I haven't checked it out yet, but I notice there's also a recent radio interview just below the Cadence piece that includes sound clips of a TV show Hal did with Sam Rivers' quartet in Boston in 1965. Larry Richardson is the bass player, Steve Ellington the drummer. Three tunes: a Galper original "H.I.T" and Sam's "Beatrice" and "Dance of the Tripodols."

Edited January 20, 2009 by Mark Stryker

[EKE BBB]

Direct links:

http://www.halgalper.com/18_interviews/cad...oralhistory.htm

http://www.halgalper.com/18_interviews/riversinterview.htm

[ghost of miles]

Galper's giving a concert here at the IU School of Music Thursday night. We're in the middle of fund-drive, but I'm going to try to attend... hard to pass up that kind of opportunity.

[Free For All]

Galper's giving a concert here at the IU School of Music Thursday night. We're in the middle of fund-drive, but I'm going to try to attend... hard to pass up that kind of opportunity.

Is he bringing his trio or playing w/students?

[AllenLowe]

you sure you don't mean Harold Danko? (just a joke - when Danko was my neighbor in New Haven we met and he said "I'm not Hal Galper" because apparently a lot of people confused the two - and he was right as, prior to that meeting, I wasn't sure which was which) -

[Lazaro Vega]

I remember interviewing Galper twice in the 1980's and maybe early 1990's (on one of those he was out with Steve Ellington) and when the subject of "free jazz" came up, as in the possibility of him playing some, he had a standard quip about bringing along " a broken Chinese cymbal" that he "might" play on.

In both of those instances he played a public concert and a private concert as well. He recently came back through with his trio of guys from Seattle to the private venue and played that "furious rubato" music to his hard-bop fans eternal dismay.

Personally those records newer records don't sit well with me -- they don't convey a sense of orchestration. I mean, even when Roscoe comes out and plays a forte power chord for 40 or 50 minutes, making that kind of statement, his band is operating on all these layers within the maelstrom. Galper doesn't seem to be developing the trio along those lines in his free music, and one thing he was good at before, tension and release, seemed underplayed giving the music an unremitting sameness.

[Lazaro Vega]

[Guest Bill Barton]

I remember interviewing Galper twice in the 1980's and maybe early 1990's (on one of those he was out with Steve Ellington) and when the subject of "free jazz" came up, as in the possibility of him playing some, he had a standard quip about bringing along " a broken Chinese cymbal" that he "might" play on.

In both of those instances he played a public concert and a private concert as well. He recently came back through with his trio of guys from Seattle to the private venue and played that "furious rubato" music to his hard-bop fans eternal dismay.

Personally those records newer records don't sit well with me -- they don't convey a sense of orchestration. I mean, even when Roscoe comes out and plays a forte power chord for 40 or 50 minutes, making that kind of statement, his band is operating on all these layers within the maelstrom. Galper doesn't seem to be developing the trio along those lines in his free music, and one thing he was good at before, tension and release, seemed underplayed giving the music an unremitting sameness.

The two times I heard this group in Seattle my reaction was very different than yours. In fact, "sameness" is probably the last word I'd think of to describe it.

[Lazaro Vega]

I avoided the band live and am basing my reaction from the records.

Having listened to Air Above Mountains before checking into Galper's trio records and was missing that breadth of dynamic range and ebb and flow of tension and release. Hal's music seemed to me to be on a constant boil.

[Chuck Nessa]

Bright guy Galper does not equate to Cecil for that kind of music.

[Spontooneous]

Heard the current trio live a few months back. Was skeptical for the first couple of songs, but then I found myself breathing along with the music and feeling the tension and release. Give it a chance.

The CD with Rashied Ali didn't hold a candle to what I heard live.

[Lazaro Vega]

For what's it's worth, I didn't want to see that trio in a house party with a bunch of people I knew wouldn't like it (and didn't). They would have all been looking at me like it was my fault or something. So, only the records. Would pony up for a concert ticket should the day come.