Billy Harper Quintet / video, Merve Göttl.

Format:

Video

Contributor:

Göttl, Merve, film director.

Billy Harper Quintet, instrumentalist.

Qwest TV, publisher.

Language:

No linguistic content

Subjects (All):

Jazz.

Genre:

Concert films.

Jazz.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (96 minutes)

Other Title:

Billy Harper Quintet : live at Unterfahrt Jazz Club, Munich

Place of Publication:

Paris, France : Qwest TV, 2025.

System Details:

video file

Summary:

Tough Texan tenor saxophonist Billy Harper is now one of the old guard of powerful soloists, although he has arguably not attained the high international profile that he deserves. He's well-known to both American and European audiences as a key member of The Cookers, a brilliant New York jazz supergroup, playing in the brashly groovin' style, vibrating with classic post-1960s themes. Harper also released LPs on the lately-revivified Strata-East label, and worked with drummers Art Blakey and Max Roach, as well as the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Here, at one of Germany's key jazz clubs, the tenorman sets Munich afire with his regular quintet line-up. Harper first formed a quintet way back in 1979. This Unterfahrt performance isn't loaded with dramatic moves or kinetic stage movement, but Harper leads a foray into a strongly confident force of expressive playing, full of solos from the band, fronted by his beaming confidence as a soloist. This aura and passion runs throughout an extensive 90 minute-plus set, with no lessening of empowered heat. Harper even conducts a question-and-answer session with the audience, supplying some added nuggets of information about the jazzing life. As a kid, he asked Santa Claus for a pony and a saxophone, but only had one of those desires fulfilled. Popping fizz-climber trumpeter Freddie Hendrix also dazzles with his raw virtuosity, as a soloing foil, clearly moved by the music even when he's not playing, as he dances or gestures to the rest of the band. Drummer Aaron Scott is constantly in motion, tumbling around the skins, or splashing the cymbals. The tunes are mostly long, climbing up to 18 minutes. Harper drapes himself in a weighty-looking leather apron, futuristic enough for David Lynch's Dune movie, or for placement in a Moebius or Bilal comic book extravaganza. Martin Longley.

Participant:

Billy Harper Quintet (Billy Harper, tenor saxophone ; Freddie Hendrix, trumpet ; Francesca Tanksley, piano ; Dezron Douglas, double bass ; Aaron Scott, drums).

Notes:

Title from title screen (viewed July 03, 2025).

Recorded live Unterfahrt Jazzclub.

OCLC:

1535936794