DONALD BYRD レコード& CD

Review: Donald Byrd's 1967 Slow Drag album came after the jazz legend had already recorded more than dozen albums for the seminal Blue Note label. He was joined for it by the drumming of Billy Higgins, alto saxophonist Sonny Red, pianist Cedar Walton, and bassist Walter Booker who all bring their own original compositions to the album. It's a pure hard bop session that marked the end of this chapter of Byrd's sound before he moved into fusion territory. Plenty of edgy groove-fess, ad-libbed vocals and boss flavours feature on what is one of many Byrd essentials.

Review: Blue Note are on a reissuing roll, not shying from revisiting the work of their most treasured jazz acts this year. The latest in their Classic Editions comes by way of Donald Byrd, whose timeless 1975 album Places And Spaces documents the trumpeter's fearless jazz-funk fusion era. This being Blue Note, you can expect only the best rendition of this orchestral jazz-funk suite that a vinyl pressing has to offer. This version is an all-analog remaster, by legendary cutting engineer Kevin Gray, from the original tapes. Expect a thorough justice-doing of the hits, 'Dominoes' and 'Wind Parade', which boast production credits from the infamous Larry Mizell.

Review: Donald Byrd was joined by tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, alto sax wizard Jackie McLean, Duke Pearson on piano, bassists Doug Watkins and Reggie Workman and drummer Lex Humphries on this stunning session from 1960. It's a record packed with highlights, not least a powerful ballad on 'Little Girl Blue', or the hard bop swing of 'My Girl Shirl' and 'Lex', the last of those two in particular features a soulful solo from Mobley that really stays with you. This is part fo the Tone Poet series which places particular focusses on exceptional audiophile Blue Note LP reissues presented by Music Matters.