Charlie Byrd

Avid Jazz presents four classic Charlie Byrd albums including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. “Jazz Recital”; “Blues For Night People”; “Byrd’s Word” and “The Guitar Artistry of Charlie Byrd”.
You might say Charlie Byrd was on a mission on his first album as a solo artist “Jazz Recital”, recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey in February 1957. A passionate believer in the guitar as an affective lead instrument in jazz, five of the ten cuts here are solo guitar pieces. With a background in classical guitar technique and having studied in Italy with the guitar maestro Segovia, Byrd lays out his ambition in the original liner notes “I’d like to see the guitarists of today using more of the vast store of knowledge…

The first of at least four meetings on record between the great Brazilian-styled guitarists Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd, this very logical matchup (in a quartet with bassist Bob Magnusson and percussionist Milt Holland) is quite succesful. The music is tightly arranged with very little improvisation but the beauty of the two guitarist's distinctive tones and the colorful melodies makes this a rewarding set. From "Carioca" and Jobim's "Stone Flower" to several Brazilian classical pieces and even "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," everything works.

The Great Guitars' fifth and final recording with their original three guitarists (Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel) is another excellent effort, although a bit lazier than their previous records. Bassist Joe Byrd and drummer Chuck Redd contribute tasteful support. Other than "Get Happy," most of the selections (which include "Where or When," "Opus One," "Old Folks" and even a soulful "When the Saints Go Marching In") are taken at slow to medium tempos, but the interplay between the guitarists is always impressive and swinging.

The Great Guitars' fifth and final recording with their original three guitarists (Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel) is another excellent effort, although a bit lazier than their previous records. Bassist Joe Byrd and drummer Chuck Redd contribute tasteful support. Other than "Get Happy," most of the selections (which include "Where or When," "Opus One," "Old Folks" and even a soulful "When the Saints Go Marching In") are taken at slow to medium tempos, but the interplay between the guitarists is always impressive and swinging.

The first of at least four meetings on record between the great Brazilian-styled guitarists Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd, this very logical matchup (in a quartet with bassist Bob Magnusson and percussionist Milt Holland) is quite succesful. The music is tightly arranged with very little improvisation but the beauty of the two guitarist's distinctive tones and the colorful melodies makes this a rewarding set. From "Carioca" and Jobim's "Stone Flower" to several Brazilian classical pieces and even "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," everything works.

Charlie Byrd was teamed up with Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis (along with bassist Joe Byrd and drummer John Rae) for this rather exciting concert. While Ellis and Kessel have three unaccompanied duets, the inclusion of Byrd (thought of as a Brazilian specialist rather than a bopper) is the wild card that makes this set a major success. While Byrd is excellent on his features "Charlie's Blues" and "O Barquinho," it is the three stomps featuring all the guitarists ("Undecided," "Topsy" and "Benny's Bugle") that are most memorable.

This exciting live session is pretty definitive of the Great Guitars. With fine support offered by bassist Joe Byrd and drummer Jimmie Smith, guitarists Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis romp on such swinging numbers as "Broadway," "Air Mail Special" and "Straighten Up and Fly Right." As usual, Byrd, with his grounding in classical guitar, is the most distinctive, while Kessel and Ellis constantly pay tribute to Charlie Christian. This combination worked quite well, and each of the Great Guitars' five recordings are easily recommended to fans of bop guitar.

This is a listening pleasure to the first degree. Unlike any other, Charlie Byrd sincerely knows how to make his instrument speak, sending graceful chords and melodies to this attentive audience. Staged at the Village Gate in New York City, Byrd pulls out a lengthy set of material from his soul, encountering everything from swing jazz to bebop (with the help of two special guests) to Latin America's candid art form. Yes, the trio plays bossa nova with grace and finesse, enlightening the crowd at this "miniature music festival," notes reviewer Joe Goldberg. Byrd prances along with his trio mates, Keter Betts on bass and Bill Reichenbach on the skins. Positively speaking, the majority of the material has a vibrant flair, with some attuned to a candid, easy listening aura, while other tunes heighten the energy with dramatic percussion and more elaborate sonic territory…

This is a listening pleasure to the first degree. Unlike any other, Charlie Byrd sincerely knows how to make his instrument speak, sending graceful chords and melodies to this attentive audience. Staged at the Village Gate in New York City, Byrd pulls out a lengthy set of material from his soul, encountering everything from swing jazz to bebop (with the help of two special guests) to Latin America's candid art form. Yes, the trio plays bossa nova with grace and finesse, enlightening the crowd at this "miniature music festival," notes reviewer Joe Goldberg. Byrd prances along with his trio mates, Keter Betts on bass and Bill Reichenbach on the skins. Positively speaking, the majority of the material has a vibrant flair, with some attuned to a candid, easy listening aura, while other tunes heighten the energy with dramatic percussion and more elaborate sonic territory…

Some of acoustic guitarist Charlie Byrd's albums can get a bit sleepy while tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton has recorded so much throughout his career that there is always a danger of a certain sameness pervading. Hamilton sits in with Byrd's trio (which also includes bassist John Goldsby and drummer Chuck Redd) on this CD and the combination is somewhat magical. The bossa-nova rhythms give Hamilton a new setting while Byrd is clearly inspired by the tenor's presence. They perform 11 mostly well-known standards, coming up with fresh ideas on such songs as "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," "My Shining Hour," "Street of Dreams" and "Let's Fall in Love." Easily recommended to fans of both Charlie Byrd and Scott Hamilton.