Billy Harper Delivers Emotion at Memory Lane

There is something quite special about the music of Billy Harper.

The 45-year-old tenor saxophonist, who made a rare local appearance Thursday at Marla’s Memory Lane, concocts tunes that cover a wealth of moods, going from plaintive gospelish sections to swinging post-bop sensibilities and a freewheeling feeling associated with early ‘60s John Coltrane, often within a single piece.

And though he’s a virtuoso--one can hardly see his hands move on the most quicksilver of passages--Harper’s real strength is his ability to deliver an emotion-filled performance that leaves the listener moved and satisfied.

Working with an empathic team of Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Francesca Tanksley (piano), Newman Taylor Baker (drums) and Clarence Seay (bass), Harper’s four-tune set began powerfully with “Sir Galahad,” a post-bop cooker, and led to the engrossing “Trying to Make Heaven My Home.”

“Heaven” started with a mixture of screaming simultaneous bursts and soft, tender tones from the horns, then found Henderson, mute in, playing over the slow, swaying background, using rat-a-tat repeated notes, spinning circular lines and interesting linear construction to effect.

Harper chose a more explosive approach, pushing the tempo way up as he offered clear, well-spaced notes and roars that could have come from a rogue elephant, ultimately dropping to a dramatic quiet.

From there, Tanksley investigated the inherent funkiness of the tune with hammered chords and intelligent lines. The tune’s pretty written melody, capped by the horns’ evocative tones, closed this wide-ranging opus.

“Destiny Is Yours” and “The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart” had similar formats and were equally impressive. Harper has been away from Los Angeles ears for too long; he and the local listeners he would delight deserve a more lengthy engagement.