Hal Galper

Born: April 18, 1938

In his fifth decade as a major jazz artist, Hal Galper continues the innovation that has made him one of the most surprising and satisfying pianists alive. Galper is at the forefront of players reaching audiences through the time-tested magic of swing while integrating adventurous rhythmic and harmonic concepts. The exploration of rubato playing in his trio is uncovering possibilities that deepen the jazz experience for musicians and listeners alike. On the All About Jazz website, reviewer Dan McGlenaghan summarized the Galper effect:

“He has also found two like-minded musical brothers in bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop, versatile and sophisticated players who can keep up with his “Rubato” concept, one of playing loose and free with tempo and harmony—even structure—twisting the familiar forms like a rubber band, then pulling them back and letting them fly free.”

Mark Winkler, Lauren Henderson, Ben Clifton & Hal Galper

by Joe Dimino
August 17, 2025

We step into the 919th episode of Neon Jazz with a bittersweet note--bidding farewell to jazz titan Hal Galper, who left us at the age of 87 on July 18, 2025. His impact on the music was profound, but it was his role as an educator that continues to echo through generations of musicians. From that ...

Goin' Home: Nancy King, Hal Galper, Eddie Palmieri, Flaco Jim��nez

by Katchie Cartwright
August 15, 2025

This week on Caminhos do Jazz radio we mark the passing of the great singer Nancy King, and bid farewell to several other towering musicians who have left us: the inimitable pianists Hal Galper and Eddie Palmieri, and San Antonio's own Flaco Jim��nez, the celebrated conjunto accordionist, singer and songwriter. The heart of the program is ...

New Music from the Zhengtao Pan Jazz Orchestra, Remembering Hal Galper, and Darius Jones

by Hobart Taylor
July 30, 2025

Welcome the Zhentao Pan Jazz Orchestra, Plus new music from Lauren Henderson, Joe Farnsworth, Ohad Talmor and Remembering Hal Galper.Playlist Lauren Henderson “Vida" from Sonidos (Brontosaurus) 00:00 Hal Galper Reggie Workman Rashied Ali “ Stella by Starlight" from Art-Work (Origin) 4:19 Host Speaks 13:38 Waitiki 7 “Cave of the Tarpon (live)" from Exotica Reborn: ...

Hal Galper: Adventures In The Zone

by Paul Rauch
July 29, 2025

This article was first published on All About Jazz on October 20, 2020. The career of Hal Galper has earned the pianist acclaim as both a performer and educator. Perhaps most importantly, it has drawn attention to his contributions to the music as a true innovator. While other pianists of his era gained more ...

Xavier Lecouturier: Focus in Constant Motion

by Paul Rauch
October 7, 2024

In many ways, Seattle-based 26 year old drummer and composer Xavier Lecouturier typifies the plight of brilliant young jazz musicians on the horizon in the twenty-first century. While the talent pool in jazz music has never been more prodigious, it faces major challenges in terms of work availability and when it is available, earning a living ...

Jared Hall: Influences

by Paul Rauch
June 15, 2024

Jazz music has proliferated through generations traditionally by means of the oral tradition--meaning that knowledge is passed on by mentors, some by personal connection and others by more casual means. In modern times, this tradition lives alongside the jazz school phenomenon, where classrooms and studios incubate talent, while students inescapably still must pay their dues on ...

Cannonball Adderly: Burnin�� in Bordeaux: Live in France 1969

by Mike Jurkovic
April 20, 2024

Intent on burning down the house, Burnin' in Bordeaux: Live in France 1969 finds Cannonball Adderley gleefully passing out the matches. Captured very, very, very live at the Bordeaux Jazz Festival in March 1969, Adderley and his fired up co-arsonists--pianist Joe Zawinul, cornetist Nat Adderley, Jr.,?bassist?Victor Gaskin, and drummer?Roy McCurdy--go scorched earth from the ...

Record Store Day 2024 Jazz Releases

by Kyle Simpler
April 11, 2024

Every year, Record Store Day (RSD) promises limited edition vinyl releases for all tastes in music. From the latest popular artists to the most obscure archival releases, RSD drops try to cover a lot of musical territory. Practically all genres of music are represented and, of course, jazz is no exception. Fortunately, the April 2024 drop ...

John Bishop / Bram Weijters / Piet Verbist: Antwerp

by Dan McClenaghan
October 25, 2023

Drummer John Bishop, the guy who runs Seattle's Origin Records, does not often put out records under his own name. There was Nothing If Not Something (Origin Records) in 2005, review here, and then nothing until the disc at hand, 2023's Antwerp. Not that Bishop has avoided the recording studio. He is, as a sideman, in ...