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Billy Harper & Andrés Vial Trio

Legendary tenor saxophonist and composer Billy Harper makes a rare Montreal appearance at Upstairs with the Andrés Vial Trio, featuring pianist and composer Andrés Vial, great bassist Ira Coleman and powerhouse drummer Darrell Green.

Billy Harper’s massive sound on the tenor saxophone combines John Coltrane’s spiraling intensity with a bluesy brawn that points back to his Texas origins. As the greatest living Texas tenor his authority has only grown with age: a half-century on, he stands as one of the most commanding horn men on the planet, a pillar of stirring post-bop jazz whose robust back catalog seems long overdue for rediscovery.

While Billy Harper contributed immensely throughout the years to many legendary jazz lineups (Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Lee Morgan Quintet, Max Roach Quartet, Gil Evans Orchestra, Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra, Randy Weston’s African Rhythms) there is no greater legacy he has bestowed upon the world than the 50+ years of music created for and with the Billy Harper Quintet, a complete and perfect incarnation of his musical and spiritual identity.

Video: “Coltrane Sax Tribute”