Hal Galper obit

Hal Galper Has Died

 

He was not on the list.

Harold Galper (April 18, 1938 – July 18, 2025) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator, and writer.

He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, United States. Galper studied classical piano as a boy, but switched to jazz which he studied at the Berklee College of Music from 1955 to 1958. He hung out at Herb Pomeroy’s club, the Stable, hearing local Boston musicians such as Jaki Byard, Alan Dawson and Sam Rivers. Galper started sitting in and became the house pianist at the Stable and later on, at Connelly’s and Lenny’s on the Turnpike. He went on to work in Pomeroy’s band.

Later on he worked with Chet Baker and Stan Getz and accompanied vocalists Joe Williams, Anita O’Day, and Chris Connor.

In 1969, Galper recorded with Randy Brecker and Michael Brecker on Randy’s Score album. Randy and Michael Brecker subsequently played with Galper’s quintet in the early 1970s, and appeared on Galper’s 1971 album The Guerilla Band and his 1972 album Wild Bird. In 1973, Galper joined the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, replacing George Duke, and played with Adderley until 1975. Galper continued to work with Randy and Michael Brecker in the late 1970s, and the brothers appeared on Galper’s 1977 album Reach Out!, though by this point the Breckers were also leading their successful fusion band The Brecker Brothers. Galper performed in New York and Chicago jazz clubs in the late 1970s, and recorded two albums with John Scofield for the Enja label in 1978-79, the first led by Scofield, and the second led by himself. From 1980 until 1990, he was a member of Phil Woods‘s quintet.

Galper left the Woods group in August 1990 to start touring and recording with his new trio with Steve Ellington on drums and Jeff Johnson on bass. From 1990 to 1999, his group was on the road six months a year.

Galper is internationally known as an educator. His theoretical and practical articles have appeared in six of Down Beat editions. His scholarly article on the psychology of stage fright, originally published in the Jazz Educators Journal, has subsequently been reprinted in four other publications.

He was on the faculty of Purchase College and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

Hal Galper died on July 18, 2025, in Cochecton, New York, at the age of 87.