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Donald Byrd


I recall reading a thread written by a young man who came into possession of a large collection of Donald Byrd records under very sad circumstances, his father had passed.

Although he was sad, he shared with us how incredible this new music was that he had inherited. He renewed my enthusiasm for Donald Byrd. Me and Donald go back a long way, all the way back to my beginning as a jazz fan. I consider him one of the "giants of jazz", and I bet even the Rok will agree on that.

True jazz giants continually evolve, and Donald's evolution is well established in my collection. He began with "hard bop", and next was "A New Perspective/ Donald Byrd band and voices", this was a big hit at that time. Although I liked every cut on that LP, "Christo Redentor" was my favorite.

Donald Byrd & the Blackbirds was his next stage of evolution. This time he featured a vocal group called "The Blackbirds" with his band. At this stage of his evolution, many of his long time fans revolted, "How dare he ruin pure jazz with a vocal group". I was one of them. After I expressed my indignation by selling the LP I had just purchased, I came around to liking it and couldn't find a new copy, but I'm human and that's the way it goes.

This is my list of samplers for Byrd's various stages of evolution that can be found on "youtube". "Fuego" is not only my example of Donald Byrd's "hard bop", it is the personification of "hard bop". "Byrd In Hand" featuring Pepper Adams on baritone sax is another favorite of mine. I especially like the cut "Here Am I", Pepper Adams really cooks on that baritone. While Gerry Mulligan is very well known, and considered by many to be the best jazz baritone, Pepper Adams also ranks very high in my book. "Street Lady" by Byrd was an album I wore out. "Donald Byrd & the Blackbirds" was the LP I didn't like initially, sold it, and then couldn't find a new copy when I decided it belonged in my collection.

Just as a food critic must sample many dishes to determine which one's he thinks are best, an audiophile has to sample many records and CD's to determine which one's belong in his collection. Maybe after sampling, you will determine some of this music belongs in your collection.

Enjoy the music.
orpheus10
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Rok2id, I'm glad you brought in the girl singers, this conversation would be incomplete without them. But you left one out that deserves to be ranked alongside the one's you mentioned, and to be placed in the company of those ladies is the highest of honors for a girl jazz singer.

Anita O'Day is one of the "jazziest" girl singers. Check her out on youtube at the Newport Jazz Festival singing "sweet Georgia Brown". I've never liked that song, but when Anita sung it at Newport, it was too hip for words, even the way she moved was jazzy.

A girl singer is known by the company she keeps. Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Coleman Hawkins, and Stan Kenton was some of the company Anita kept.

I like your list, and as I read it, I pictured that particular girl singing one of the tunes she was most famous for.

Conversations like this about the music I love, really makes my day, and I hope it makes yours to.
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
Orpheus10:
I watched the youtube clip on O'Day. She is very good, and after a little research I discovered she had a very good career. She even recorded with The Three Sounds / Gene Harris, and Oscar Peterson. She is absolutely one of the great Jazz divas. But ALL experts seem to agree that the top three, Holiday, Fitzgerald and Vaughan are in a class by themselves. And there are a LOT of great singers outside the top three. So that's no slight against her. To paraphrase somneone, Place and Time of Birth is Destiny. Had she been born as the career's of the top three were coming to an end, she may have been a super star. As it happened, they were in their prime at the same time she was. She also had a heroin problem, as did many others.

But I thank you for bringing her to my attention. I have checked out her stuff on Amazon and will add her to my collection. One other thing:
How can Anyone Not like Sweet Georgia Brown!!!! It is a staple of the Jazz world. That's heresy!!

The other night i was browsing youtube and came across SUN RA. I watched just out of boredom expecting a bunch of noise, but I was really surprised. They played Jelly Roll's King Porter's Stomp!! It was very good. Sun RA is a guy you have to see to get the full impact. Great in person, not so great on CD. You learn something everyday.
Thanks for your post.
Cheers
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Well, the top 3 female singer list is hard to argue with,but....CarmenMcRae is my girl! She and Sarah when at their best just do it for me.In terms of recognition and fame Ella is clearly ahead of carmen( and ahead of sarah to for that matter). I have many ella recordings which I really enjoy. Carmen just connects with me on a deeper emotional level. Her best recordings IMO were the 1960s-late 1970s when she stuck with small combos and trios and had control in selecting her material and style(as opposed to her arranged big band and strings stuff from the 1950s).

" Bittersweet" from 1964 and the live early 1970s "The Great American Songbook" which includes Joe Pass in the quartet are two prime examples.

An excellent Sarah Vaughn is the 1963"After Hours" done with a guitar led trio(guitarist Mundell Lowe), it`s really special. A must have sarah is her with the great Clifford Brown, this is just plain wonderful.
Regards
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
I have Vaughan and Clifford Brown. Brown is another great player that left us too soon.
I also have a great Sarah Vaughan CD entitled -- Sassy Swings Again -- A lot of great players in the band. Including Jay Jay Johnson and Clark Terry. I will recommend it with a 'WARNING LABEL', because the first track is Sweet Georgia Brown! :)
Cheers
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
I have five CDs by McRae. Two singing Billie Holiday and one singing Sarah and one with duets with Betty Carter. I also have her singing Monk. I don't think that worked very well. It could just be that Monk does not translate to vocals very well, at least not the way Horace Silver did on the Dee Dee Bridgewater CD. That is one great CD.

All this talk about divas, and no one has mentioned Nancy Wilson. Serious oversight. I have her with Cannonball Adderley. Great CD. Must have.
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