Billy Harper began his recording career with a bang. When the muscular-toned tenor saxophonist released his first album, Capra Black (Strata-East), in 1974, the LP was hailed as a dynamic and formidable entry in the spiritual black-consciousness movement. It left both a strong avant-garde footprint, and its stormy soulful intensity was likened to gospel. Throughout his career, Harper held fast to this approach and intellectual articulation, both as a composer and a player.
Now, arranger Mark Masters has released Dance, Eternal Spirits, Dance! (Capri), on which he arranges eight of Harper's compositions for his big band, featuring Harper as guest soloist. Mark's charts and the band's execution are searing and exciting. With Harper added, the album becomes an extraordinary showcase of Harper's gifts. [Photo above of Billy Harper]
Mark shines a long-overdue light on Harper's songwriting. For decades, Harper has toiled stoically. Fans of the avant-garde know Harper, but he came up just as jazz embraced rock and electric instruments in the mid-1970s. Acoustic avant-garde jazz during the decade was tremendously exciting but received little attention from radio, younger listeners and music media. [Photo above of Mark Masters by Shawna Sarnowski]
As young jazz fans gravitated to jazz-rock and fusion, most major record labels abandoned acoustic jazz. The small independent labels that recorded the avant-garde jazz didn't have the distribution muscle or marketing dollars to gain visibility. The consumer market for the genre was too small.
So hats off to Mark for featuring Harper on his many albums and for highlighting his vast contribution to jazz. Now, listening back, most jazz-rock sounds labored and dull, and psychedelic jazz fusion seems dated. By contrast, Harper's music still sounds fresh and brash. Art has a funny way of lasting forever. Mark and Harper's album should be nominated for a Grammy.
The tracks:
- Was It Here... Is It There
- The One Who Makes the Raid Stop
- Croquet Ballet
- If One Could Only See
- Dance, Eternal Spirits, Dance!
- The Seventh Day
- Insight
- Credence
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Mark Masters's Dance, Eternal Spirits, Dance! (Capri) on most major streaming platforms and here.
JazzWax clips: Here's the full album (just let it play)...
Bonus: Here's the title track from Billy Harper's Capra Black (1974)...
And here's Croquet Ballet from Harper's Black Saint (1975)...
