Harold Walden Gaylor, born 9 July 1929 in Montréal, Canada, was a Canadian jazz musician and composer. After clarinet studies and service with the Royal Canadian Navy Band, he studied at McGill Conservatory and joined Charlie Parker’s 1953 Montréal session. He moved to New York in 1955, playing with Paul Bley, Lennie McBrowne, and Walter Norris, and toured with a trio that included Billy Higgins, Ornette Coleman, and Don Cherry. Gaylor gained prominence with Chico Hamilton’s group, performing at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, and recorded The Trio for Riverside Records in 1961. He also backed Lena Horne and Mel Tormé, and worked with Stan Getz, Bill Evans, and Tony Bennett. He appeared with Benny Goodman’s All‑Star Sextet in 1972 before a hearing loss ended his career. He died 25 June 2015.
