Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Hal Galper Quintet: Live At The Berlin Philharmonic 1977

Hal Galper Quintet: Live At The Berlin Philharmonic 1977

By Dan McClenaghan
January 20, 2021
View read count

Hal Galper Quintet: Live At The Berlin Philharmonic 1977

It must be gratifying to accomplish everything you set out to do. Pianist

Hal Galper

piano
1938 - 2025

" data-original-title="" title="">Hal Galper says he has done just that. And, after a career that included work with trumpeter

Chet Baker

trumpet and vocals
1929 - 1988

" data-original-title="" title="">Chet Baker and saxophonists

Cannonball Adderley

saxophone
1928 - 1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Cannonball Adderley and

Stan Getz

saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Stan Getz, along with a ten year stint in saxophonist

" data-original-title="" title="">Phil Woods' band (1980-1990), followed by ten years of touring and recording with his own trio, that claim would have been a valid one then, before the dawn of the new millennium. But Origin Records came into the picture in 2007, serving the pianist as a vehicle for the recorded presentation of his deep journey into the rubato style, beginning with Furious Rubatto (2007). Six more Origin Records trio discs followed, ending with The Zone (2019), with a quartet set slipped into the mix—Cubist (2018), with saxophonist

Jerry Bergonzi

saxophone, tenor
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Jerry Bergonzi sitting in with Galper and what had become his regular trio with bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer

John Bishop

drums
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">John Bishop.

And that is how to accomplish everything you want to, charge through a satisfying, rock solid career and top it off by spending over a decade putting out your best and most innovative art.

But let us look back, to 1977, at Galper's teaming with the Brecker Brothers, trumpeter Randy and saxophonist Michael, as they were rising to the top as

Brecker Brothers

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Brecker Brothers, one of the then most exciting new ensembles in jazz. Galper made two early '70s albums with the Breckers, so Live At the Berlin Philharmonic 1977 represents something of a reunion. The two CD set—featuring Galper and the Brecker Brothers, with

Wayne Dockery

bass
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Wayne Dockery on bass and

Bob Moses

drums
b.1948

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Moses on drums—charges full bore into a raw, freewheeling straight-ahead jazz-with-an-attitude assault, adrenaline and testosterone bubbling over the top.

The band takes a lot of chances. They roll in that mode, opening with Galper's "Now Hear This." a rip roaring fourteen minutes of envelope-pushing hand-to-hand combat. Randy and Michael are on fire, blistering the air in unison and in their solo spots. Galper pounds the piano keys like a blacksmith hammering a piece of hot metal, making a "Battle of the Pianos" with

McCoy Tyner

piano
1938 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">McCoy Tyner sound like a fine idea.

Two discs, six tunes—all of them extended workouts, including the explosive twenty-five minute runaway train "Speak With A Single Voice." The atmosphere doesn't change; the attitude doesn't waver. These guys came to play some no-holds-barred jazz, with a powerhouse trendsetter in the leader seat..

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Now Hear This; Speak with a Single Voice; I��ll Never Stop Loving You; Triple Play; This Is the Thing; Hey Fool.

Personnel

Hal Galper

piano

Michael Brecker

saxophone, tenor

Randy Brecker

trumpet

Wayne Dockery

bass

Bob Moses

drums

Album information

Title: Live at the Berlin Philharmonic, 1977 | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Origin Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Pallet On Your Floor
< Previous

Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger, Sa...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.