Biography
A flexible drummer who has been a sideman in many different settings, Billy Hart is a creative player most at home playing advanced jazz. He worked early on in Washington, D.C. with Buck Hill and Shirley Horn, and was with the Montgomery Brothers (1961), Jimmy Smith (1964-1966), and Wes Montgomery (1966-1968). Hart was a member of Herbie Hancock’s challenging sextet (1969-1973), and played regularly with McCoy Tyner (1973-1974) and Stan Getz (1974-1977), in addition to extensive freelancing (including recording with Miles Davis on 1972’s On the Corner). On his own, Hart has led interesting dates including such albums as 1977’s Enchance, 1987’s Rah, 1993’s Amethyst, and 2006’s Quartet, and 2011’s La Place Demon and Sixty-Eight. In 2012, Hart delivered his ECM debut with All Our Reasons featuring pianist Ethan Iverson, saxophonist Mark Turner, and bassist Ben Street.~ Scott Yanow