Cubist

HAL GALPER quartet: CUBIST [Origin 82751] is a wonderful record. Made all the more wonderful by Jerry Bergonzi [ts], Jeff Johnson [b] and John Bishop [drm] on this recording of 10/14/16. The program consists of 8 tracks [69:09], a mix of Galper and Johnson originals plus a couple of standards. That these are actual tunes really is secondary to the recording because as soon as the head is dispensed with, the improvising takes over and one would get lost if trying to hold the players to any constraints as each member of the quartet places their own designs on the music. In fact on "In A Sentimental Mood" a member of the small audience was so taken in by the music that he or she started to clap after a short Bergonzi feature only to be squelched by the drummer as the band continued playing. I'm assuming eventually that that fan realized that no one else was clapping but the point being the performance is engaging and easy to get "caught" up in. Bravo.