Billy Hart

Biography

Hart was born in Washington, D.C., where early on in his career he performed with soul artists such as Otis Redding and Sam and Dave, and then later with Buck Hill and Shirley Horn, and was a sideman with the Montgomery Brothers (1961), Jimmy Smith (1964–1966), and Wes Montgomery (1966–68). Following Montgomery’s death in 1968, Hart moved to New York, where he recorded with McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, and Joe Zawinul, and played with Eddie Harris, Pharoah Sanders, and Marian McPartland.

Hart was a member of Herbie Hancock's sextet (1969–73), and played with McCoy Tyner (1973–74), Stan Getz (1974–77), and Quest (1980s), in addition to extensive freelance playing (including recording with Miles Davis on 1972's On the Corner).

At the age of 70, Billy Hart works steadily and teaches widely. Since the early 1990s he spends considerable time at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and is adjunct faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music and Western Michigan University. He also conducts private lessons through the New School and New York University. Hart often contributes to the Stokes Forest Music Camp and the Dworp Summer Jazz Clinic in Belgium.

He leads a group with Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson, and Ben Street. He is also featured in a trio led by pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, another led by guitarist Assaf Kehati, and an all-star band, the Cookers, with Billy Harper, Eddie Henderson, David Weiss, Craig Handy, George Cables and Cecil McBee, who have toured extensively and recorded two CDs.

Hart resides in Montclair, New Jersey.

As leader

Collaborations

With Quest

As sideman

With Pepper Adams

With Kenny Barron

With Walter Bishop Jr.

With Paul Bley

With Hamiet Bluiett

With Joanne Brackeen

With George Cables

With Catalyst

With Stanley Cowell

With Miles Davis

With Richard Davis

With Dave Douglas

With Charles Earland

With Yelena Eckemoff

With Teddy Edwards

With Sonny Fortune

With Chico Freeman

With Hal Galper

With Stan Getz

With Dick Griffin

With Herbie Hancock

With Billy Harper

With Eddie Harris

With Eddie Henderson

With The Jazztet

With Duke Jordan

With Jimmy Knepper

with Harold Land

With Andy LaVerne

With Azar Lawrence

With Charles Lloyd

With Joe Lovano

With Pat Martino

With Bennie Maupin

With Cecil McBee

With Mingus Dynasty

With Wes Montgomery

With James Mtume

With Tisziji Munoz

With James Newton

With Hannibal Marvin Peterson

With Doug Raney

With Pharoah Sanders

With Iñaki Sandoval

With Wayne Shorter

With Jimmy Smith

With Idrees Sulieman

With Charles Sullivan

With Horace Tapscott

With Buddy Terry

With McCoy Tyner

With Tom Varner

With Buster Williams

With others