Billy Hart

by Scott Yanow 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). His own opportunities to lead sessions have been comparatively rare, but Billy Hart has led interesting dates for Horizon, Gramavision, and Arabesque.