1. Billy Hart is known internationally for his work with Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" band in the early 1970s, as well as with Shirley Horn, Stan Getz, and Quest, among many others.
12 Facts About Billy Hart
1. 2.
Billy Hart's paternal grandmother was a pianist who accompanied Marian Anderson.
3.
Billy Hart grew up in close proximity of the Spotlite Club, where he first heard the music of Lee Morgan, Ahmad Jamal, and Miles Davis, among others.
4.
Billy Hart was a sideman with the Montgomery Brothers, Jimmy Smith, and Wes Montgomery.
5.
Billy Hart subsequently went on to perform with Tyner, Stan Getz, and Quest, in addition to extensive freelance playing.
6.
Billy Hart recorded his debut album Enchance in 1977, supported by musicians such as Don Pullen, Dave Holland, and Dewey Redman.
7.
Since the early 1990s, Billy Hart has been associated with Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
8.
Billy Hart teaches at the New England Conservatory of Music, as well as holding an adjunct faculty position at Western Michigan University.
9.
Billy Hart conducts private lessons through the New School and New York University.
10.
Billy Hart first formed his current Quartet in 2003; they have gone on to record three albums as a group, most recently for ECM Records.
11.
Billy Hart performs with guitarist Assaf Kehati, and is a member of the band known as the Cookers, typically consisting of Eddie Henderson, David Weiss, Craig Handy, George Cables, and Cecil McBee.
12.
In 2021, Billy Hart was announced as a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, along Stanley Clarke, Cassandra Wilson, and Donald Harrison, Jr.