Donald Byrd

AVID Jazz presents the latest release in our Four Classic Album series with a second re-mastered 2CD release from Donald Byrd, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details.

Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture "Donald" Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was best known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while simultaneously remaining a jazz artist.

Given the long period of time that Donald Byrd recorded for Blue Note (from the 1950s through the mid-'70s), it seems more than a little disingenuous to refer to the relatively brief period he spent with the Mizell Brothers as his producers, arrangers, and composers in the '70s as his best work. It is true that it was his most commercially viable period, and that many of the cuts he recorded with them ~ AllMusic

Donald Byrd - Byrd In Flight (1960) {Blue Note Japan TOCJ-4048 rel 1993}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 267 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 96 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 43 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1960, 1993 Blue Note / Toshiba EMI Japan | TOCJ-4048
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

By the time of this fourth Blue Note album by trumpeter Donald Byrd, it became clear that his playing was becoming stronger with the passing of time. Byrd in Flight features separate studio sessions from January and July of 1960 with constants Duke Pearson on piano and drummer Lex Humphries. Bassists Doug Watkins and Reggie Workman split duties six tracks to three, as do tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley and alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, making for some interesting sonic combinations, although Byrd is the dominant voice.

This Landmark release was trumpeter Donald Byrd's first jazz album in over 15 years after a long (and commercially if not artistically successful) detour into poppish R&B/funk. In the 1980s Byrd had neglected his trumpet playing in order to direct the Blackbyrds and teach. The period away from his instrument shows in spots on this well-intentioned set. Byrd gathered together four excellent players (altoist Kenny Garrett, pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith) to play four group originals, W.C. Handy's "Harlem Blues" and "Blue Monk." Ironically Byrd's own playing was not at this point up to the level of his sidemen although his chops would improve during the next couple of years.

Donald Byrd & Gigi Gryce - Complete Jazz Lab Studio Sessions. Vol. 1 (1957) {2006 Lone Hill Jazz Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 332 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 165 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 44 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957, 2006 Lone Hill Jazz | LHJ10253
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet / Saxophone

Believe it or not, the 2006 three-volume Lone Hill Jazz reissue of the complete Donald Byrd/Gigi Gryce Jazz Lab studio recordings marks the first comprehensive appearance of this body of work on CD. Considering how many reissues, re-reissues and re-re-reissues some material has undergone, the fact that it took so long for this magnificent music to be made available to the public in its entirety is somewhat grueling. These recordings were made during the spring and early autumn of 1957.