Donald Rebertson

Trumpeter Donald Byrd and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams worked together on several recordings between 1958 and 1961, and The Cat Walk (released on LP in 1962) is among the best. A quintet setting, with pianist Duke Pearson (another longtime Byrd collaborator), bassist Laymon Jackson, and a lively Philly Joe Jones on drums joining the front line of Byrd and Adams, the sessions for The Cat Walk benefited from the writing and arrangement skills of Pearson, who contributes three compositions here, the impressive opener "Say You're Mine," "Duke's Mixture," and "Hello Bright Sunflower," which borrows its melodic structure from the opening bars of "Lullaby of Broadway" and features Byrd using a muted trumpet…

The band Steely Dan - in essence the musicianship and songwriting team of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen - has long divided the critics : some have marvelled at a highly imaginative blend of intelligent, "literary" lyrics and a carefully crafted influence of jazz and Latin rhythms within the rock template, whilst others have detected a certain coldness in the work, due perhaps to over-elaboration and perfectionism. Of course, deciding to name your b.nd after a dildo in William Burroughs's cult novel Th Naked Lunch will invite criticism , but none of those who questioned Steely Dan's Status at the top of the tree of 70s rock could ever seriously dispute the immaculate execution of their vision.

Contemporary music needn’t sacrifice order and aesthetic appeal, even when it deals with complex issues. A glowing example of this is BORN: THE MUSIC OF EDIE HILL AND MICHAEL GILBERTSON, with conductor Donald Nally leading GRAMMY-winning professional chamber choir The Crossing on a breathtakingly beautiful expedition into themes of extinctions, relationships and their complexities, loss, and love.

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.

"All is Merry and Bright" is a vibrant collection of holiday classics and cherished tunes, thoughtfully arranged to encapsulate the warmth and joy of the season. Vega’s expert touch and melodic arrangements aim to resonate with listeners, creating a soundtrack that will become a staple of their holiday traditions. Joining Vega on the album are longtime friends and fellow Juilliard alumni Pete Van Nostrand on drums and Clovis Nicolas on bass, both highly sought-after collaborators and award-winning musicians. “This album is all about creating a fun, festive vibe,” says Vega, “and what better way to do that than to create music with friends you’ve known for nearly twenty years.” Join Donald Vega this holiday season and let "All is Merry and Bright" be the musical backdrop to your festive celebrations.

Donald Fagen‘s classic 1982 album The Nightfly is being released as a live album in September. Produced by Gary Katz (who worked on all of the original era Steely Dan records), The Nightfly was a critical and commercial success with popular singles like ‘New Frontier’ and ‘I.G.Y.’ This new live release sees the whole of The Nightfly performed in its entirety, in order, by Steely Dan, or ‘The Steely Dan Band’ as they tend to be referred post Walter Becker’s 2017 death. Donald Fagen remains part of this band, in case that wasn’t clear! This is a performance from 2019.

This release presents the complete October 22, 1958 concert by the Donald Byrd Quintet with Bobby Jaspar, performed at the famous Olympia Theatre. It contains both volumes of Byrd in Paris in their entirety, plus a rare version of “More of the Same” that is from the same performance but was only previously available on a long out of print compilation. Further tunes by the same group recorded at a Paris club a few days later (including three versions of songs that were also performed at the Olympia) have been added as a bonus.