Litchfield Jazz Festival

Photo: Antonio Monteiro

Winard Harper

Drums

Winard Harper has been the leader for a vibrant sextet for almost a decade. The group now appears regularly all over the United States from the Kennedy Center to Yoshi's, legendary West Coast jazz club. Harper's first major gig was with Dexter Gordon when he was just 20. This led to a four-year stint with Betty Carter's band. During the 1980's he laid down the foundation for what would eventually become The Harper Brothers band. It was so popular, that it once held the #1 spot on the Billboard chart for two solid months. Winard continues to be one of the most sought after drummers in jazz today, leading his hard-swinging sextet and working with Dr. Billy Taylor, Ray Bryant, Wycliffe Gordon, Frank Wess and Jimmy Heath. His newest CD, Come Into The Light, has received rave reviews from critics and fans alike. Winard has been a resident artist at the Litchfield Jazz Camp since 2003.