BILLY HARPER QUINTET AT THE ELDORADO BALLROOM

Houston's legendary saxophonist Billy Harper, AKA The Texas Tenor, returns to the Historic Eldorado Ballroom, where he grew up, for one last time!

Born in 1943, Billy spent many nights dancing at the Eldorado on the weekends in the 50s as a teenager with his friends from high school and the neighborhood, and at times also performing there. The relevance of this experience in the Third Ward portion of his childhood affected him for life. Take advantage of the opportunity to see him perform back home in Houston at the Historic Eldorado Eldorado Ballroom!

Pre-show: 6pm (for VIP ticket holders ONLY)

Main Show: 8.30pm

TICKETS:

General Tickets: $35

VIP Tickets (dinner and pre-show): $95

GENERAL TICKETS

- main show starting at 8.30pm

- doors open at 8pm

- first come first served seating

VIP TICKETS PERKS

- exclusive access to the pre-show starting at 6pm

- "meet & greet" time for autographs and photos with Billy Harper and his group

- buffet style dinner

- preferred seating for the main 8.30pm show

- main show starting at 8.30pm

ABOUT THE PRE-SHOW:

The pre-show is a special Q&A style discussion with the members of the Billy Harper Quintet. Interactive audience participation is highly welcomed.Imagine if you had a chance to sit down over a casual buffet style dinner with the greatest living Texas tenor Billy Harper inside Houston's gorgeous historic landmark the Eldorado Ballroom where the man himself used to perform in 60+ years ago and ask him anything you ever wanted to know?Like how was it playing with Art Blakey? Or travel the world Max Roach? What was Lee Morgan like off stage? Or ask his drummer Aaron Scott about the 14 years he spent playing with McCoy Tyner? Or ask his trumpeter Freddie Hendrix what it was like to play 105 shows in 30 countries with Alicia Keys? Or ask Dezron Douglas how he ended up being featured in Beyonce's documentary? Or ask Francesca Tanksley about being Billy Harper's only pianist for more than 40 years?

ABOUT THE BILLY HARPER QUINTET

In his early recordings and performances with leaders such as Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, Max Roach, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Randy Weston and Gil Evans, during the 60s and 70s, Billy Harper already had a massive sound on the tenor saxophone, combining John Coltrane’s spiraling intensity with a bluesy brawn that pointed back to his Texas origins.

Harper’s 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.

For half a century he has been performing his original music with the renowned Billy Harper Quintet all over the globe, and recording over a dozen albums as a leader and prolific composer.

After a pandemic induced hiatus, the Quintet sprung back into action, starting 2023 off with a series of #CapraBlackIsBack performances, marking a year long celebration of Billy Harper's 80th birthday, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the group's official inception and their historic debut album Capra Black, the impact of which still lingers among jazz listeners worldwide.

Francesca Tanksley has been the pianist in this group for more than 40 years – a clear attestation of the wide ranging concensus that her extraordinary musicality cannot be matched nor replaced when it comes to Billy Harper’s opus.

Renowned master drummer Aaron Scott, a longtime member of McCoy Tyner’s band, has also been in the group for decades and is a rare find among jazz drummers who can meet and surpass the challenge of doing Harper’s music justice.

Freddie Hendrix, one of the most in-demand jazz trumpeters of today, coveted for his uniquely soulful and exciting improvisations is also a longstanding member.

Finally, a newer but nevertheless perfectly matched addition to the group is the award-winning bassist Dezron Douglas whose artistry on the strings brings Harper’s compositions to a whole new level.