Hal Galper at the Cafe des Copains 
(solo)Philology W35.2
Date: December 6, 1994
1. Whisper Not2. Willow Weep For Me
3. My Man's Gone Now
4. Last Night When We Were Young
5. All God's Children Got Rhythm
6. The Touch Of Your Lips
7. Polkadots and Moonbeams
8. Teach Me Tonight
9. Golden Earings
10. It Never Was You
11. Cottontail
Recorded in 1990, this is Galper's first solo date after leaving the Phil Woods Quartet."Whisper Not" opens the set at the Toronto night club, which had a chatty crowd that night,but Galper's command of the keyboard was evident from the first note. He was bluesy and aggressive at the start, and never, never boring throughout. As a soloist, he demonstrated a constant flow of ideas that were imaginative, spirited and always interesting.
His program consisted mostly of standards, which he totaly respected and still made his own. "It Never Was You" was an evocative reading, rich in melody and played in a way that'll soften the hardest heart. "Teach Me Tonight" was tailor-made for Galper, who wrung out the emotion while preserving the inherent swing of the melody, and the upbeat version of "Willow Weep For Me" is a delight.
A solo piano recording that can capture the listener from start to finish is never easy, but Galper's date here in Canada did just that with a program of great tunes and interpretations that, not for a second, ever became stale.
David Zych -Jazz Times Magazine
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