Born in Baltimore in 1962, Winard Harper had a natural affinity for drumming. He was encouraged to play the drums by his father, who noticed him beating on cans when he was a toddler. At the age of five, Winard was developing his skills and making guest appearances with his older brother Danny. When Winard heard a recording of Clifford Brown and Max Roach, he was irreversibly inspired to play jazz. Constantly in reverence of his predecessors while remaining innovative in his own right, Harper has become one of the most celebrated drummers in jazz. He is a virtuoso on the drum set as well as the balafon, the West African equivalent of the marimba. Harper's first major gig was with Dexter Gordon in 1982, and he went on to work with Johnny Griffin before capturing the attention of Betty Carter, with whom he spent four years. In addition, he and his brother Philip formed The Harper Brothers and blazed a brilliant trail both on the charts and on the international touring circuit. A Piadrum recording artist, Winard leads his own hard-swinging sextet, while continuing as an in-demand sideman. When not touring with his band, Harper continues to work and record with Joe Lovano, Avery Sharpe, Steve Turre, Wycliffe Gordon, Frank Wess, Ray Bryant and Jimmy Heath, among others.