Donald Byrd - Slow Drag (1967) [vinyl24/96]

 

Slow Drag was one of trumpeter Donald Byrd's final hard bop dates. Teamed with altoist Sonny Red, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Walter Booker and drummer Billy Higgins (who takes a surprise vocal on the title cut), this quintet outing features originals by Byrd, Walton and Red along with the standards "Secret Love" and "My Ideal." The music in general finds Byrd looking both backwards toward the blues and forwards toward modal music and hints of the avant-garde. A fine effort. 

01 - Slow Drag

02 - Secret Love

03 - Book's Bossa

04 - Jelly Roll

05 - The Loner

06 - My Ideal

Donald Byrd, trumpet

Sonny Red, alto sax

Cedar Walton, piano

Walter Booker, bass

Billy Higgins , drums, vocal

Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on May 12, 1967

Blue Note BST-84292 [1968]

Horace Silver Quintet - 6 Pieces Of Silver {RVG} (1956,58)

The first classic album by the Horace Silver Quintet, this set is highlighted by "Señor Blues" and "Cool Eyes." The early Silver quintet of 1956 was essentially the Jazz Messengers of the year before, with trumpeter Donald Byrd, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, and bassist Doug Watkins (while drummer Louis Hayes was in Blakey's place), but already the band was starting to develop a sound of its own. "Señor Blues" officially put Horace Silver on the map, and the album is a hard bop and gospel-tinged jazz gem. [Some reissues add bonus tracks, including two additional versions of "Señor Blues," including a later vocal rendition by Bill Henderson.]. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Blue Note Records, 5 25648 2 8, 2000
Recorded 10th November, 1956 (#1-8) & 15th November, 1958 (#9,10)
at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey

Musicians:
Horace Silver - Piano
Donald Byrd - Trumpet (#1,2,4-6,8-10)
Hank Mobley - Tenor Saxophone (#1,2,4-6,8)
Junior Cook - Tenor Saxophone (#9,10)
Doug Watkins - Bass (#1-8)
Gene Taylor - Bass (#9,10)
Louis Hayes - Drums (#1-8)
Roy Haynes - Drums (#9,10)
Bill Henderson - Vocals (#10) 

Tracks:
01. Cool Eyes {Horace Silver} (5:55)
02. Shirl {Horace Silver} (4:16)
03. Camouflage {Horace Silver} (4:25)
04. Enchantment {Horace Silver} (6:22)
05. Señor Blues {Horace Silver} (7:01)
06. Virgo {Horace Silver} (5:48)
07. For Heaven's Sake {Elise Bretton, Donald Meyer, Edwards Sherman} (5:09) 

Bonus Tracks:
08. Señor Blues [Alternate 45 Take] {Horace Silver} (6:38)
09. Tippin' {Horace Silver} (6:12)
10. Señor Blues [Vocal Version] {Horace Silver} (6:14) 

Total Time: 58:05 

Credits:
Producer - Alfred Lion
Reissue Producer - Michael Cuscuna
Recording, Remastering - Rudy van Gelder
Liner Notes - Bob Blumenthal, Leonard Feather
Creative Director - Gordon H. Jee
Cover Design - Reid Miles
Cover & Liner Photos - Francis Wolff 

Señor Blues

Hank Mobley - Far Away Lands (1967)

Of all the Blue Note artists of the 1960s, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley may very well be the most underrated. A consistent player whose style evolved throughout the decade, Mobley wrote a series of inventive and challenging compositions that inspired the all-stars he used on his recordings while remaining in the genre of hard bop. For this lesser-known outing, Mobley teams up with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Billy Higgins for four of his songs (given such colorful titles as "A Dab of This and That," "No Argument," "The Hippity Hop," and "Bossa for Baby"), along with a song apiece from Byrd and Jimmy Heath. An excellent outing, fairly late in the productive career of Hank Mobley. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Blue Note, BST 84425, 1985
Blue Note, CDP 7 84425 2, 1988
Recorded 26th May, 1967 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 

Musicians:
Hank Mobley - Tenor Saxophone
Donald Byrd - Trumpet
Cedar Walton - Piano
Ron Carter - Bass
Billy Higgins - Drums 

Tracks:
1. A Dab Of This And That {Hank Mobley} (5:11)
2. Far Away Lands {Jimmy Heath} (5:32)
3. No Argument {Hank Mobley} (6:31)
4. The Hippity Hop {Hank Mobley} (5:39)
5. Bossa For Baby {Hank Mobley} (6:06)
6. Soul Time {Donald Byrd} (6:48) 

Total Time: 35:47 

Credits:
Producer - Alfred Lion
Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Reissue Producer, Liner Notes - Michael Cuscuna
Digital Transfer - Ron McMaster
Design - Richard Mantel

Various Artists - Jazz For When You're Alone (1999)

The 32 Jazz label, under the leadership of Joel Dorn, continues to release compilations designed to fit a particular mood or state of being. Thus, there have been albums as Jazz for a Rainy Afternoon, Groove Jammy, and Songs That Made the Phone Light Up. Now we have an album dedicated to being alone, not loneliness as Dorn explains his liner notes. But with this play list, the line between the two gets really blurred. Whatever, this is a comprehensive collection of tracks by the top jazz luminaries for albums they cut for the now defunct Muse label and all of them are outstanding regardless of the mood you're in. The Sonny Stitt performance of "Sweet and Lovely" is one of the album's highlights as his sax works in, out, under, and through the piano of Duke Jordan and Sam Jones' bass. The credits list Stitt playing a soprano, but it's the alto he has in his hands for introspective blowing of this classic standard. Wallace Roney is the ostensible leader on "Lost." But his Miles Davis-like trumpet is subordinated to the classical oriented piano of Jacky Terrasson who penned this song. Donald Byrd, sounding even more like Miles than Roney, is united with Joe Henderson for a ruminative rendering of his "That's all There Is to Love." A memorable track is Houston Person's "Everything Happens to Me." Not only does Person's Ben Webster influenced tenor fit nicely with the tune's theme, but there's major soloing by Cecil Bridgewater's muted trumpet and the under recorded Stan Hope piano. The quintessential "alone" song, Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight," has been assigned to major electric guitar improviser Larry Coryell who gets considerable assistance along the way from Stanley Cowell's piano. Phil Woods creates a vision of a summer ending with "The Summer Knows" as his engages in musical discussion with bass player Richard Davis. Woods, and all the other artists on this album, are in fine fettle resulting in another superior compilation from jazz impresario Dorn's 32Jazz label. 

32 Jazz, 32106, 1999 

Personnel:
See included Tracks [Personnel].txt for further details. 

Tracks:
01. Willis Jackson, Pat Martino - Blue Velvet (7:41)
02. Red Garland - The Second Time Around (3:15)
03. Houston Person - Everything Happens To Me (6:06)
04. Les McCann - Sunny (8:09)
05. Larry Coryell - 'Round Midnight (4:39)
06. Sonny Stitt - Sweet And Lovely (7:09)
07. Wallace Roney - Lost (3:50)
08. Vincent Herring - Stars Fell On Alabama (6:25)
09. Donald Byrd - That's All There Is To Love (5:47)
10. Phil Woods - The Summer Knows (6:25)
11. Pat Martino - You Don't Know What Love Is (4:46)

Total Time: 64:17 

Credits:
Compilation Producer - Adam Dorn
Producer [Series] - Joel Dorn

John Coltrane - Black Pearls (1958)

As is often the case with an artist as prolific as John Coltrane, not every release can be considered as essential. Black Pearls seems a bit ambiguous when placed in a more historical context. It was only three days later that Coltrane participated not as a leader, but rather a member, of the Miles Davis Sextet that recorded "Stella By Starlight" and "On Green Dolphin Street." There is an obvious disparity between these three mostly improvised and lengthy jams and the Davis session. This is in no way to insinuate that Coltrane's performance is anything less than par. Black Pearls indeed captures Coltrane at the height of perfecting the intense volley that would garner the name "sheets of sound." Featuring Donald Byrd (trumpet) and the Red Garland Trio - Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Art Taylor (drums) - this is the same quintet that had mightily contributed to Lush Life and The Believers, as well as The Last Trane. This session would be their last together. The title track is a mid-tempo bop number that quite frankly fails to make a great melodic impact. It's not until Coltrane's indomitable solo that a direction is found and, for a short while, remains focused. Once the reins are passed to Byrd, Garland, Chambers, and to a lesser extent Taylor, the song meanders through some fairly vapid changes. Fortunately, the soloing from Byrd is more direct and is able to build and support Coltrane's equally impressive display. The difference is immeasurable as no holds are barred from Garland or Taylor - who is arguably at his prime. All told, this performance is well worth the price of admission. At 18-plus minutes, "Sweet Sapphire Blues" (penned by Prestige Records owner Robert Weinstock) is the longest track on Black Pearls. It is in essence a 12-bar blues jam. Coltrane's double- and triple-time solo is primal within this setting. The overemphatic backbeat allows for more group interaction, yielding a full and well-rounded union among the musicians that was sadly absent from the opening track. ~ by Lindsay Planer, AMG.

Prestige Records, PR 7316, 1964

JVC Records, JVCXR-0017-2, 1989

Recorded 23^rd May, 1958 in Hackensack, New Jersey

Musicians:

John Coltrane - Tenor Saxophone

Donald Byrd - Trumpet

Red Garland - Piano

Paul Chambers - Bass

Arthur Taylor - Drums

Tracks:

1. Black Pearls {Unknown} (13:14)

2. Lover Come Back To Me {Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II} (7:28)

3. Sweet Sapphire Blues {Robert Weinstock} (18:14)

Total Time: 38:57

Credits:

Supervision - Bob Weinstock

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Remastering - Phil De Lancie, 1989 (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley)

Design - Don Schlitten

Photo - Joe Alper

Dexter Gordon Quintet - Ladybird (1965)

The latest offering from the seemingly bottomless Danmarks Radio Archive, this disc presents another air shot of Gordon’s lengthy mid-1960s Cafe Montmarte stint. Dex’s sizable cachet as an expatriate jazz icon prompted a nightly spooling of the tape machines. The resulting cache, so far doled out one set at a time, documents a particularly fertile time for the saxophonist. Shortly after arriving on European shores he teamed with pianist Kenny Drew and a topflight pair of locals in the persons of Pedersen and Riel, set up shop and enjoyed a more relaxed lifestyle than the scuffling of his earlier Big Apple years. This package is a bit different from the previous ones in that it presents trumpeter Donald Byrd, a fellow NYC emigre, sitting in with the working group.

The top-heavy program revolves around extended readings of two standards: the Tad Dameron-penned title track and a blue-chip modal number from the best-selling jazz album of all-time. After a brief ensemble stroll through theme Gordon essays a hungry, if slightly boilerplate solo that swallows up a healthy string of choruses. Byrd follows, cooler in cast and surfing across Riel’s frothy snare and cymbal-driven fills with a succession of slightly smeared runs. Pithy Drew and Pedersen statements follow. Riel lends steady hi-hat and sharp, textured brushwork to the latter’s deft pizzicato exposition and the two wear their advanced postbop pedigrees proudly. The piece winds up with a short spate of robust exchanges between Riel and the rest. These closing minutes are marred by a recurring and intrusive tape warble that ends up sounding oddly like a third remedial horn.

“So What” receives a comparably elongated reading with Pedersen paying homage to and capaciously expanding on Paul Chambers’ original epochal role. After the familiar bass invocation and riffing theme Gordon breaks away and spools out a sultry solo flanked briefly by just Pedersen and Riel at a brisk, but effervescent tempo. As on the previous cut, Drew delivers deft complementary chords that push the action without prodding it. Byrd’s improvisation unfolds in the leader’s wake, displaying a bit of the gelid clarity that was the composer’s calling card. Pedersen brings up the rear with another compact colloquium on killer contrabass technique. The horns wisely abstain from reentry and let it stand as the denouement.

Byrd sits out on a luxurious “Who Can I Turn To?”, but the band returns to full-size for the closer, another Miles Davis’ tune, “Blues By Five.” The trumpeter’s presence and the high degree of rapport shared by the rhythm section make this date one of note. Coupled with a tune choice that strays dexterously in more challenging directions than the band’s usual diet of bop standards it’s a welcome program that finds Gordon in a limber and exploratory mode. Foibles in fidelity aside, Dex aficionados will be sold on the disc’s face value. But casual listeners will probably also be pleasingly surprised by the caliber of this classic conclave. ~ Bagatellen.com

SteepleChase Records, SCCD 36035, 2005

Recorded 19th August, 1965 Live at "Jazzhus Montmartre", Copenhagen, Denmark

Personnel:

Dexter Gordon - Tenor Saxophone

Donald Byrd - Trumpet (#1,2,4)

Kenny Drew - Piano

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen- Bass

Alex Riel - Drums

Track Listing:

1. Ladybird {Tadd Dameron} (19:59)

2. So What? {Miles Davis} (18:00)

3. Who Can I Turn To [When Nobody Needs Me] {Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley} (5:25)

4. Blues By Five [Inc.] {Miles Davis} (4:12)

Credits:

Producer, Restoration - Nils Winther

Photography - Kirsten Malone

Donald Byrd (with Joe Henderson) ~ Getting Down To Business (1999) [vinyl>flac]

Review by Scott Yanow

Trumpeter Donald Byrd's second jazz album during his comeback after years of playing R&B/funk and then totally neglecting his horn finds him starting to regain his former form. The strong supporting cast (altoist Kenny Garrett, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Donald Brown, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Al Foster) sometimes overshadows the leader on this CD but the music overall (modern hard bop) is rewarding. The sextet performs originals by Byrd, Henderson, Donald Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, James Williams and Duke Ellington ("I Got It Bad").

1. Theme for Malcolm
2. That's All There Is to Love
3. Pomponio
4. Certain Attitude
5. Onliest
6. Around the Corner
7. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)

Donald Byrd (t, flh) Kenny Garrett (as) Joe Henderson (ts) Donald Brown (p) Peter Washington (b) Al Foster (d)
Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, October 10 & 12, 1989

Donald Byrd [w Joe Henderson] - A City Called Heaven (1991)

This, the third of Byrd's Landmark recordings, was to be his final studio release. As far as I know he only made one other recording before his death in 2013, one track on a 1995 Ahmad Jamal album.

Review by Derek Ansell, Jazz Journal, July 1992:
This is a fairly straight ahead jazz album by Dr Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II who, understandably, prefers to be called Donald Byrd. King Arthur, Complete with back beat and Blues March type theme, is dedicated to Art Blakey and although no doubt sincerely meant, does not quite work. Only Art himself, behind the drums, could work magic with this type of thing. A City Called Heaven is a bit ponderous and both vocalist and musicians sound rather strained and self-conscious at times.
The rest is magic. I’ll Always Remember is a plaintive ballad with Byrd's muted trumpet warm and winsome and Hutcherson and Henderson in fine form. Byrd's bright, billowing tone and inventive lines are heard to good effect on Lu Easy Anna and Byrd Song, the latter much more effectively in a Jazz Messengers vein.
Remember Me is adapted from Dido & Aeneas—not jazz, but if you love Purcell's music as much as I do you won't complain. Lorice Stevens' vibrant voice carries the melody aided by Hutcherson and the continue part is shared by Brown and Reid with the bass sounding like a baroque cello. Half way through there is a jazz flavour as Byrd and Hendsrson contribute bluesy horn lines. Surprisingly, it works.
Not Necessarily The Blues is the blues, in free time; an experiment with symmetry and geometric shapes according to the leader in his liner notes.
This is an engaging, varied and highly original programme, and apart from the reservations expressed above it offers a rich musical experience.

1. King Arthur
2. I'll Always Remember
3. A City Called Heaven
4. Back Down In Lu Easy Anna
5. Byrd Song
6. Del Valle
7. Remember Me
8. Not Necessarily The Blues

Donald Byrd (t, flh) Joe Henderson (ts) Bobby Hutcherson (vb) Donald Brown (p) Rufus Reid (b)
Carl Allen (d) Lorice Stevens (voc -3,7)
Berkeley, CA, January 17-19, 1991

Donald Byrd ~ Harlem Blues (1987)

R.I.P. Dr Donald Byrd.

Although it is probable that many of the obituaries will focus on Byrd's academic achievements and his commercial success with such as the Blackbyrds, personally I was delighted when he left the desert wastelands of fusion and returned to his roots. "Harlem Blues" was the album that heralded that return and was his first recording after a five year absence from the studios. Currently out of catalogue this is ripped from my original vinyl. If you're lucky enough to get hold of the CD it has an extra track.

Review by Scott Yanow

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.

1. Harlem Blues
2. Fly Little Byrd, Fly
3. Voyage a Deux
4. Blue Monk
5. Alter Ego
6. Sir Master Kool Guy

Donald Byrd (t, flh) Kenny Garrett (as) Mulgrew Miller (p) Mike Daugherty (syn) Rufus Reid (b) Marvin "Smitty" Smith (d)
Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, September 22 & 24, 1987

Al Grey - Basic Grey

Mwha...MMMwhaaaaaaaa.

That one of a kind, distinct sound was Al Grey's calling card. Infact, he literally wrote the book on it. Grey's career is the stuff of jazz legend, setting the bar for all who follow. He did it all...composer, arranger, player, performer, recording artist, author, educator and all around purveyor of all things jazz.

Al Grey played for years with Count Basie, but luckily for us, set out to lay down his own path. For the most part, he brought his Basie bandmates along forming firstly the Al Grey/Billy Mitchell sextet, and The Basie Wing. During the 60's he recorded several wonderful sides for Argo/Cadet, the jazz arm of Chess Records.


Basic Grey is a collection from his Argo sessions. More specifically, it's actually 3 full length sides released on two LPs. This album was released on the Chess Jazz Masters Series, which took a close look at their jazz catalogue, re-issuing some greats. Unlike many of the two-fers that Prestige or Riverside released, Chess decided to give the listeners the full experience of each album, even keeping the track listings as they originally appeared. We are treated to Snap Your Fingers, The Al Grey/Billy Mitchell Sextet and The Last Of The Big Plungers. "Sextet" is actually a live album, recorded in NYC.

I will keep this review limited to generalizations. Clearly from the list of sidemen, this collection is a monster. Grey favours larger groups as far as the "small" group goes, usually between 6 - 9 players. The front line is generally weighed down with brass and as a result is real, real heavy. Dynamically the impact is just like a big band...fantastic.


All manner of tunes are called upon, but the consistent theme with Al Grey is the blues. It's best fit to his style, and he is relentless during a full on blues jam.


This double set is in NM condition. The fidelity of these recordings is outstanding making these transfers a real joy. Of course, they were ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC. The tracks from the live set are best enjoyed with no dead space or cross fade between. I have included all images from the original gatefold, and the notes will help to guide anyone wishing to re-tag these into single sides. And here we go again...Crypt style!! Enjoy!!

Snap Your Fingers:
Al Grey (tb); Billy Mitchell (ts); Dave Burns (tp); Bobby Hutcherson (vibes); Floyd Morris (p); Herman Wright (b); Ed Williams (d) also Al Grey (tb); Billy Mitchell (ts); Donald Byrd (tp); Herbie Hancock (p); Bobby Hutcherson(vibes); Herman Wright (b); Ed Williams (d)

The Last Of The Big Plungers: Al Grey (tb); Bennie Powell (tb); Joe Newman (tp); Billy Mitchell (ts); Charlie Fowlkes (bs); Floyd Morris (p); Ed Jones (b); Sonny Payne (d)

The Al Grey/Billy Micthell Sextet: Al Grey (tb); Billy Mitchell (ts); Henry Boozier (tp); Gene Kee (p); Art Davis (b); Jule Curtis (d); Ray Barretto (c)