Introduction
Elijah "Buddy" Harper (died 2005) was an American jazz guitarist, arranger and music producer. He is the uncle of child singer Toni Harper (1937—2023).
Life and work
In the mid-1940s, Buddy Harper worked with Gerald Wilson's band. In 1945, he played guitar on Wilson's recording of "Crusin' with Cab" (Black & White Records) with Maurice Simon (baritone saxophone), Robert Rudd (double bass), Henry Tucker Green (drums), Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor saxophone), Ralph Bledsoe (trombone), Robert Huerta (trombone), Melba Liston (trombone), Hobart Dotson(trumpet), Eugene "Snooky" Young (trumpet), and Joe "Red" Kelly (trumpet).
In 1947, he played on Sylvester Scott And His Orchestra's tracks "I'm Gonna Take The 'U' Car" and "It's The Truth From My Heart" with Oscar Bradley (drums), Martin Gower (saxophone)
William Woodman (tenor saxophone), and Red Mack (trumpet).
Harper was active in the Los Angeles jazz scene and played with Big Jay McNeely, Lester Young, and Don Byas, Jack McVea.
In 1945, he was part of Wilbert Baranco And His Trio with Charles Mingus and recorded "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin'" (written by Joe Greene) and "You go to my head" (composed by John Frederick Coots, lyrics By Haven Gillespie).
The following year, he formed Buddy Harper And His All-Stars and recorded "Nothin' You Can Do" with singer Effie Smith, accompanied by Jackie Kelso (alto saxophone), Red Callender (bass), Oscar Lee Bradley (drums), Maxwell Davis (tenor saxophone), and Karl George (trumpet).
In 1948, Harper's orchestra was the backing band for Dan Grissom's "Like a Ship at Sea" (Jewel Records) with Earl Hyde (drums), Willard McDaniel (piano), and Bumps Myers (tenor saxophone).
For trombonist Lyle Griffins' label Atomic, Harper was a session musician for singer Betty Hall Jones recordings. In 1963, he produced a funk/soul album Be My Girl for Freddie Romain of the doo-wop group The Native Boys (on Spindle top records).
Harper was also a mentor to jazz pianist Horace Tapscott and in 1983, he accompanied Tapscott at the Watts Towers Festival in Los Angeles, California.
A collection of Harper's jazz arrangements is archived in the Music Library of the University of California, Los Angeles (Schoenberg Music Building, Coll. no. 258-M).
Death
Harper died in the mid-2000s (exact date not known)
Discography selected
- Charles Mingus West Coast 1945-49 (Uptown Records)
- Gerald Wilson The Classics Chronological Series 1945 – 1946 (Classics)