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Hal Galper - Children of the Night

Dtrcd-125

Hal Galper - Piano, Michael Brecker - Flute & Tenor Sax, Randy Brecker - Trumpet, Bob Moses - Bass, Wayne Dockery - Drums

Speak With A Single Voice (12:59)
I Can't Get Started (10:18)
Waiting For Chet (13:06)
Blue And Green (3:06)
Now Hear This (9:57)
Children Of The Night (15:52)
Total Time 65:14


Listen to CD Tracks

         When I put together the original notes for the 1979 Century release, Hal described bassist Wayne Dockery as “an unsung hero. I was lucky to find him. He’s a constant source of support and has a super feeling for the pulse.”

    When Billy Hart, the Quintet’s original drummer was unable to tour, Hal tapped Bobby Moses who had powered the groups of Gary Burton, Larry Coryell and Mike Gibbs. “People loved Moses,” Hal recalls. “His playing had a spirit and joy that communicated to everyone.”

    The same can be said for the band. “Speak with a Single Voice,” for example, is a gritty modal foray anchored by Dockery’s pedal. Although there are wide open spaces for the soloists, there is also a palpable sense of structure and discipline.

    Hal’s affection for the great American song tradition is evident in his choice of “I Can’t Get Started.” “It has all the necessary elements for improvisation, a beautiful melody, interesting changes and a flow that works at practically any tempo.”

    Galper describes his “Waiting for Chet” as a compromise between “Speak with a Single Voice” and “I Can’t Get Started.” “Its loose harmonic structure allowed us to float between free form modality and a more disciplined bebop thing.”

    The classic Miles Davis/Bill Evans “Blue and Green” is an exemplary solo outing by Galper. “I like to play in a variety of ways. The solo format enables me to try to integrate these. It also is another way of trying to establish an individual identity.”

    “Now Hear This” is a modal thrust with exuberant sprints by all hands. Its energy and invention, like that of the bonus track “Children of the Night,” are of Olympian stature.

    Today, after a decade of lighting fires for Phil Woods during the 1980’s, the Hal Galper Trio has established itself as one of the 1990’s premier groups. As in 1978, Galper has again connected with an enthusiastic and ever-expanding audience.

    “Playing really doesn’t mean anything unless there are people out there. That’s why I like fairly simple melodies that are singable. You have to think of the psychology of the listener. Its like the tree that falls in the forest. Someone has to be there.”

Thanks to Double Time, we are again in the presence of one of the great bands of the 1970's, The Hal Galper Quintet.

Dr. Chuck Berg, University of Kansas
Jazz Times, Jazz Educators Journal; The Gramophone Jazz; CD Guide