Dig Deep: Billy Harper – In Europe – Soul Note (1979)

Billy Harper – Priestess
Billy Harper – Calvary
Billy Harper – Illumination (excerpt)

A little earlier I reviewed the Spiritual Jazz collection on this blog and this record by saxophonist Billy Harper definitely exemplifies that style of music.  Harper is one of my favorite living saxophone players, with an extremely full and warm tone, in a post-Coltrane style while also marking out his own territory as a soloist for some 40 years now, beginning most prominently with Max Roach. He’s cut a number of records over the years, including a legendary session for Strata East (I might post on that one later), but this record, put out in 1979, was my introduction to him as a leader and remains my favorite.

The key reason, besides that saxophone sound as big as Texas, is the soulfulness and spirit achieved by the total group.  The lead track “Priestess” is definitely my favorite of his career and one of the most glorious late 1970s jazz pieces I’ve ever heard.  It begins so serenly, just a simple solo line on piano from Fred Hersch, just oozing with soul, joined  by a little bass from Mbiki Spears, and then, wholly unexpectedly, Horacee Arnold’s drums come crashing in, with an ever so slightly funky pattern, before Harper and trumpeter Everett Hollins join the fold with the main theme in unison.  From there Harper goes off, just blistering solo work, located in some space between hard-bop and the avant-garde, a rare and truly distinct sound, Hollins solo is also just as fiery, thrilling from start to finish.

“Calvary” is more uptempo but just as thrilling once everyone (the titled “Calvary” I’d assume) joins in after Spears bass intro.  I’ve also included an excerpt of the last song on the album, the 22 minute long “Illumnation,” mostly because I have a rule against posting full albums and because I want there to be a reason for you to seek this record out.  So, it’s just a taste, the close of the track, with some fantastic duo work between Harper on Sax and Arnold on Drums, before Harper & Hollins come back to the basic melody of the song, only to surprisingly strip away notes, bit by bit, until the end.

Billy Harper takes the “spiritual jazz” moniker seriously, as evidenced by this quote from him on the back of this record:

Music, which is to me religion, and life, and love, and truth, is very important and it’s a very serious kind of thing.  It requires a bit of thought and quite a bit of sincerity…Music has to be devoid of values like money, at least as a priority.  I think that the closer a musician gets to the reality of the truth and of spirituality, the more valid his music will be.

I still hope to get a chance to sit down with Harper one day and discuss his music and that quote in particular.  I feel blessed to have seen him in Oakland and New York on multiple occasions.  If this is your introduction to Harper’s music I hope you’ll dig deep in your local record stores or online for more and if the man performs somewhere near you, do everything you can to hear him perform firsthand.

Cheers,

Michael