With over 90 recordings to his credit, 30 as a leader in his own right, pianist,
composer, publisher, educator, author and touring artist, Hal Galper is best
known for his work with Chet Baker, Connonball Adderley, John Scofield and
the Phil Woods Quintet. His recordings as a leader with Mike and Randy
Brecker are considered among the best.
Graduating from the Berklee College of Music at the height of the be-bop era,
his reputation grew steadily in the changing environment of jazz. He
anchored such bands as The Slide Hampton Quartet, The Lee Konitz Duo, The
Stan Getz Quartet and many others. His biography is listed in the National
Encyclopedia of Jazz and he has 100 original compositions recorded and
published.
Galper is internationally known as an educator. His theoretical and practical
articles have appeared in six of Down Beat Magazines editions and his
scholarly article on the Psychology of Stage fright, originally published in the
Jazz Educators Journal, has subsequently been reprinted in four other
publications. The last word on the subject, his book “The Touring Musician, A
Small Business Approach to Booking Your Band on the Road (Billboard Books)
is now into it's second printing. His newest book, available in both print and
his innovative interactive ebook “Forward Motion, From Bach to Bebop
(www.forwardmotionpdf.com)” is become accepted in educational curriculums
world-wide. Hal is on the faculty of Purchase Conservatory and the New
School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. He extensively travels the College
lecture-workshop circuit.
He has won a Grammy nomination and a Grammy for his recordings with the
award-winning Phil Woods Quartet and Quintet, was awarded a
Distinguished Alumni Award from the Berklee College of Music, musltiple
awards For outstanding Service to Jazz Education from the IAJE and has been
a recipient of grants from the National Endowment of the Arts, The Lila
Wallace-Readers Digest Foundation and the New School of New York.
After a seven year hiatus from performing and touring Hal Galper reemerges with his new
CD “Agents Of Change.” With bassist Tony Marino and drummer Billy Mintz he has created
a radical departure from his previous recordings.
Playing in what is called the “Rubato“ style, they have fashioned an unique approach to
interpreting an eclectic mix that includes three Galper originals “Waiting For Chet,”
“Sonar,” and “Liquid Audio,” as well as unexpected versions of the Tin Pan Alley evergreens
“How Deep Is The Ocean, and “On Green Dolphin Street. A super-melodic version of Wayne
Shorter’s “E.S.P.” opens the album and tucked away in the middle of it all is their rendering
of the old Swedish folk tune “Dear Old Stockholm.”
“Agents Of Change” is Hal’s first hard copy release on his own “Fabola Records” label,
available on CDbaby.com, amazon.com, by special order from Tower Records, Barnes &
Noble, Borders, other major retail outlets and through his website at halgalper.com.
Coming Soon on Origin Records, recorded in Seattle, another trio album with Hal’s old trio
cohort Jeff Johnson on bass and John Bishop on drums.
