Donald Byrd

[Peter Friedman]

I have the feeling that Donald Byrd has been under-appreciated. Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Blue Mitchell, Kenny Dorham and a few others were usually referred to in positive ways, but as time went on, Donald (and also Bill Hardman) received less respect.

Personally I generally found the playing of both Byrd and Hardman to be highly enjoyable. That does not include Byrd's later more commercial recordings.

[BFrank]

I was rather late to Byrd appreciation (my first exposure being his pop/Blackbyrds stuff), but eventually became a HUGE fan of his BN stuff, particularly the live Half Note and Mosaic sets.

[B. Goren.]

Sad news.

[sonnymax]

I especially like the quintet dates he co-led with Pepper Adams. Thank you sir, and rest in peace.

[clifford_thornton]

Dang - RIP.

[David Gitin]

I have a memory of walking around the Albright-Knox Art Gallery (Buffalo, New York) with him in early '60s; he was quite alert to 'modern' art.

[Mark Stryker]

Here's our obituary in the Detroit Free Press. A very difficult deadline situation tonight meant a very short window to write, so it's not as expansive as I would have liked, but the basics are here. RIP. http://www.freep.com/article/20130207/NEWS08/130207102/Donald-Byrd-legendary-Detroit-jazz-man-dead-at-80?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[Big Al]

RIP and thanks for all the great music. Literally ALL of it!

[brownie]

So it was true...

How very sad!

[Clunky]

I have always liked his playing. Never as ... technically gifted as say Morgan

I'd have to disagree with you there - specifically in his prime (1950's). Into the 1960s, another story of course.

What meant to say was that he struck me a less "showy" than Lee. I prefer 50s Byrd to Morgan as a consequence

[John L]

RIP. Mr. Byrd left us a lot of fine music.

[JohnS]

Very sad news. His Byrd's Eye View is an all time favourite and very influential in my listening. I'm especially fond of his Savoy recordings too. Thanks for all the music Donald.

[sidewinder]

I'm especially fond of his Savoy recordings too.

That Savoy 1970s reissue 'Long Green' was one of the first sessions I heard from him and it remains a favourite too.

[CJ Shearn]

I always feel like, and it was a staple in my early listening, that "A New Perspective" is kind of a singular achievement. Sure, quite a few of the vocal ensembles are ragged (forgetting that the vocal line ends before Kenny Burrell's solo on "Elijah") and I'm aware Byrd kind of continued with this gospel influenced sound on "I'm Tryin To Get Home", which I've never heard, but nobody took that gospel and jazz fusion thing in any direction like the way Byrd did on that record. As far as I've been aware in my listening). Some of the vocal sections on "Beyond the Wall" by Kenny Garrett remind me of the way Byrd and co. applied it on "A New Perspective". "Christo Redentor" is such a great mood tune.

[Steve Gray]

I don't love Byrd's playing, but I cherish the likes of Byrd's Eye View, At the Half Note Cafe, Royal Flush and his work on Bluesnik, which might be his very best. RIP.

RIP Donald.

Sorry, but it is Freddie Hubbard on Bluesnik

[king ubu]

I'm not Colin obviously, but I assume he meant "New Soil", which is excellent ...

... has Byrd on it!

[Hardbopjazz]

WKCR is doing their customary memorial broadcast.

http://www.wkcr.org

[BillF]

WKCR is doing their customary memorial broadcast.

http://www.wkcr.org

... and they're playing him with the Messengers, which is how I particularly remember him, along with his Jazz Lab work with Gigi Gryce.

[Simon8]

One of my first jazz record was Byrd's "Slow Drag" (with that groovy title tune that has Higgins mumbling delightfully).

Like Clunky said, "he played well, wrote good tunes and produced some damn fine LPs". I'll add that he had a beautiful trumpet tone. Love "Royal Flush" and "Fuego", as well as his parts on a few Red Garland albums with Coltrane ( "Soul Junction", "All Morning Long"), Sonny Clark's "Sonny's Crib", Monk's "Orchestra at Town Hall", Duke Pearson's "Wahoo!"...

[colinmce]

I don't love Byrd's playing, but I cherish the likes of Byrd's Eye View, At the Half Note Cafe, Royal Flush and his work on Bluesnik, which might be his very best. RIP.

RIP Donald.

Sorry, but it is Freddie Hubbard on Bluesnik

Yes, you're right. I was thinking of Lights Out!

...though Ubu is right, Byrd plays splendidly on New Soil too.

[CJ Shearn]

Very fitting they are playing "Free Form", right now. The groove Billy Higgins sets up before the head, I've always thought is a precursor to drum n bass rhythmically.

[Noj]

Donald Byrd was one of the first jazz artists I started collecting as a kid. Electric Byrd was among the first five jazz albums I ever owned. The second Byrd album I bought was Kofi, and it was the beginning of the realization that the giant jazz section at the store was likely full of great music no one I knew could tell me about. I love so much of his music even more so that it played a role in opening my ears to jazz. RIP, and thank you Mr. Byrd.

[Dan Gould]

Sad news. I wished a rumor like this would turn out to be untrue but when David Weiss is reporting it, I was pretty sure his info was right. I did lose interest in Byrd - actually at the point that so captivated Noj - but he recorded so many strong records over so many years before that. RIP.

[kh1958]

_{I enjoy his work immensely through Electric Byrd. Unfortunately, the two times I saw him live (circa middle 1980s and early 1990s), his playing was greatly diminished.}

[Justin V]

When I hear of a musician's passing, sometimes my mind skips straight past shock and sadness and goes straight to denial. This was the case with Donald Byrd. He left behind such a legacy of fine recordings and had such an interesting career. I'm so glad that I picked up his Mosaic set shortly after it went OOP, as every album is well worth hearing. Thank you, Dr. Byrd.

Edited February 9, 2013 by Justin V