Soulfully I Love You Black Spiritual Of Love - Music
Soulfully I Love You Black Spiritual Of Love by Billy Harper
Billy Harper
Artist Biography For Billy Harper
Billy Harper's Unique Music Creativity Was First Noted In Houston Texas Where At Age 5 He Was Singing At Sacred And Secular Functions And Participating In Choral And Solo Singing Events. By Age 14 He Formed His First Billy Harper Quintet While A Student At Evan E. Worthing High School. Graduating Cum Laude He Went On To Study Saxophone And Music Theory At North Texas State University And Received His Bachelor Of Music Degree. He Continued Graduate Studies At NTSU And Became A Member Of Their "big Band." That Year 1965 The University's Big Band Won First Prize At The Kansas Jazz Festival. Harper Moved To New York In 1966 And Began Attracting Attention From Some Of Jazzdom's Giants - Gil Evans Max Roach Thad Jones Mel Lewis Lee Morgan Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers. He Performed Recorded And Toured Europe Japan Africa And Throughout The United States From 1966 To 1979 With These Groups As Well As His Own Billy Harper Quintet. The Billy Harper Quintet Began Receiving Notoriety Of Its Own. In 1966 Harper And His Ensemble Group Were Highlighted On The NBC-TV Special "The Big Apple." With More Exposure Came Bigger Audiences And Bigger Demands For Appearances. Throughout Harper's Career There Has Been A Pattern Of Spiritual Growth And Innovation. Says Harper "My Feeling Is That Music Should Have A Purpose. In The Past It Always Has Been Used For Healing And Uplifting And Meditation. And That's The Way I See My Music. I've Had People Come Up After A Program To Tell Me That They Felt A Spiritual Healing From The Music. When That Happens Then I Feel We're Fulfilling What We're Supposed To Do. If People Are Entertained That's Ok Too. But I Certainly See A Purpose In My Music Beyond That." As A Teacher And Lecturer Harper Has Taught At Livingston College And Rutgers University. He Has Also Received A Special Grant From The New Jersey State Council For The Arts To Teach Improvisation At 15 High Schools. Awards And Honors Included 3 Music Composition Grants Two From The National Endowment Of The Arts And One From The Creative Arts Program. He Also Received The International Critics Award For Tenor Saxophone For Two Years Consecutively. As A Recording Artist Billy Harper's Album Black Saint Exploded On The International Jazz Scene In 1976. The Reviews All Applauded His Innovations And Prompted The Modern Jazz League Of Tokyo To Name The Album "Jazz Record Of The Year - Voice Grand Prix."
POPULAR
TRACKS
MIXES
ALBUMS
Video 1 : 50
Music Tags for Billy Harper:
Biography - Billy Harper
Billy Harper's Unique Music Creativity Was First Noted In Houston Texas Where At Age 5 He Was Singing At Sacred And Secular Functions And Participating In Choral And Solo Singing Events. By Age 14 He Formed His First Billy Harper Quintet While A Student At Evan E. Worthing High School. Graduating Cum Laude He Went On To Study Saxophone And Music Theory At North Texas State University And Received His Bachelor Of Music Degree. He Continued Graduate Studies At NTSU And Became A Member Of Their "big Band." That Year 1965 The University's Big Band Won First Prize At The Kansas Jazz Festival. Harper Moved To New York In 1966 And Began Attracting Attention From Some Of Jazzdom's Giants - Gil Evans Max Roach Thad Jones Mel Lewis Lee Morgan Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers. He Performed Recorded And Toured Europe Japan Africa And Throughout The United States From 1966 To 1979 With These Groups As Well As His Own Billy Harper Quintet. The Billy Harper Quintet Began Receiving Notoriety Of Its Own. In 1966 Harper And His Ensemble Group Were Highlighted On The NBC-TV Special "The Big Apple." With More Exposure Came Bigger Audiences And Bigger Demands For Appearances. Throughout Harper's Career There Has Been A Pattern Of Spiritual Growth And Innovation. Says Harper "My Feeling Is That Music Should Have A Purpose. In The Past It Always Has Been Used For Healing And Uplifting And Meditation. And That's The Way I See My Music. I've Had People Come Up After A Program To Tell Me That They Felt A Spiritual Healing From The Music. When That Happens Then I Feel We're Fulfilling What We're Supposed To Do. If People Are Entertained That's Ok Too. But I Certainly See A Purpose In My Music Beyond That." As A Teacher And Lecturer Harper Has Taught At Livingston College And Rutgers University. He Has Also Received A Special Grant From The New Jersey State Council For The Arts To Teach Improvisation At 15 High Schools. Awards And Honors Included 3 Music Composition Grants Two From The National Endowment Of The Arts And One From The Creative Arts Program. He Also Received The International Critics Award For Tenor Saxophone For Two Years Consecutively. As A Recording Artist Billy Harper's Album Black Saint Exploded On The International Jazz Scene In 1976. The Reviews All Applauded His Innovations And Prompted The Modern Jazz League Of Tokyo To Name The Album "Jazz Record Of The Year - Voice Grand Prix."
read less
read more
16 Similar Artists To Billy Harper - Frogtoon Music
Charles Tolliver Clifford Jordan Quartet Frank Lowe Sonny Simmons Joseph Jarman David S. Ware Rudolph Johnson Cecil McBee Fred Anderson Noah Howard Frank Wright Prince Lasha Julius Hemphill Arthur Blythe Chico Freeman John Tchicai.