Billy Harper Quintet Billy Harper/CA,USA 1981

Billy Harper, a tenor player who emerged in the jazz world after Coltrane’s death and was one of the leading figures of the 1970s, appeared at the famous San Francisco club, Keystone Corner, after the release of his album, “The Believer.” This live performance, a must-listen for fans, has been released with the finest sound quality, recorded for the first time from an unearthed broadcast recording. On the album, the band performed with a one-horn quartet, but in this live performance, Chris Albert on trumpet was added to form a quintet, adding depth to the sound. The performance is more powerful than “A Billy Harper Quintet,” which is said to be the rarest of Harper’s albums and recorded at the 1980 Jazz Jamboree. The tenor, which follows Coltrane’s style and drives hard with a dark black spirituality, is truly impressive. At the end, Harper himself comments, “Please listen to the traditional Japanese folk song, Soran Bushi. Soran Bushi, by B.H.” and begins “Soran Bushi.” Moreover, the middle part of the song develops in a breathtaking way, and the live version is far superior to the studio recordings. The Harper Quintet blows three long songs with all their heart and soul, and it is a masterpiece. Live at Keystone Corner, San Francisco 02/06/1981 1.Croquet Ballet(17:03) 2.Is It Not True, Simply Because You Cannot Believe It(17:00) 3.Soran Bushi, B.H.(19:19) Billy Harper(ts) Chris Albert(tpt) Armen Donelian(p) Louis Spears(b) Malcolm Pinson(dr)