Review
by Dave Nathan
Don Byas, believing he was never going to get the recognition he deserved in the United States because of racial bias, left the U.S. for Europe and never looked back. Virtually all of his good work was done on the Continent. Usually cited as one of the first tenor sax players to take up the "new music" that had exploded on the scene through Charlie Parker's alto, Byas never let go of his romantic and swinging roots. This reissue of a freewheeling live performance reveals the success that the Oklahoma native enjoyed in merging these influences into his recognizable sax sound. Tracks such as "Gone With the Wind" and "Darn That Dream" recall Byas' classic 1953 outing with Mary Lou Williams, in which he brought the ballad sax to a new level. At the same time, "Autumn Leaves" brings to the fore the tenor man's bop proclivities, which he so eloquently waxed on his mid-'40s Savoy sides. On a lengthy -- more than seven-minute -- "Tenderly," he engages in noteworthy improvisation. "But Not for Me" swings mightily, recalling Byas' days with the Count Basie Orchestra when he had taken over Lester Young's chair. Byas is joined on this set by another émigré, pianist Sir Charles Thompson. These two played together on New York's 52nd Street during the early days of bop, before departing for more appreciative shores. Thompson took a relatively simplistic, uncluttered approach to the piano, leaving lots of space between the chords. This creates a favorable contrast with the sometimes busy sax of Byas. The result is more than an hour of solid quartet playing from two of jazz history's more neglected figures. Don Byas seems destined to forever be known as an artist who deserved greater recognition. This reissue by Denmark's Storyville label should help move the tenor sax player away from that unflattering categorization. The only complaint with this CD is that sometimes Thompson sounds as if he's playing the piano in the next room. Despite that flaw, this album is recommended.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/don-byas-quartet-featuring-sir-charles-thompson-mw0000116083
Don Byas, believing he was never going to get the recognition he deserved in the United States because of racial bias, left the U.S. for Europe and never looked back. Virtually all of his good work was done on the Continent. Usually cited as one of the first tenor sax players to take up the "new music" that had exploded on the scene through Charlie Parker's alto, Byas never let go of his romantic and swinging roots. This reissue of a freewheeling live performance reveals the success that the Oklahoma native enjoyed in merging these influences into his recognizable sax sound. Tracks such as "Gone With the Wind" and "Darn That Dream" recall Byas' classic 1953 outing with Mary Lou Williams, in which he brought the ballad sax to a new level. At the same time, "Autumn Leaves" brings to the fore the tenor man's bop proclivities, which he so eloquently waxed on his mid-'40s Savoy sides. On a lengthy -- more than seven-minute -- "Tenderly," he engages in noteworthy improvisation. "But Not for Me" swings mightily, recalling Byas' days with the Count Basie Orchestra when he had taken over Lester Young's chair. Byas is joined on this set by another émigré, pianist Sir Charles Thompson. These two played together on New York's 52nd Street during the early days of bop, before departing for more appreciative shores. Thompson took a relatively simplistic, uncluttered approach to the piano, leaving lots of space between the chords. This creates a favorable contrast with the sometimes busy sax of Byas. The result is more than an hour of solid quartet playing from two of jazz history's more neglected figures. Don Byas seems destined to forever be known as an artist who deserved greater recognition. This reissue by Denmark's Storyville label should help move the tenor sax player away from that unflattering categorization. The only complaint with this CD is that sometimes Thompson sounds as if he's playing the piano in the next room. Despite that flaw, this album is recommended.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/don-byas-quartet-featuring-sir-charles-thompson-mw0000116083
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Revisar
por David Nathan
Don Byas, creyendo que nunca obtendría el reconocimiento que merecía en los Estados Unidos debido a prejuicios raciales, abandonó los Estados Unidos. por Europa y nunca miró hacia atrás. Prácticamente todo su buen trabajo lo hizo en el continente. Generalmente citado como uno de los primeros saxofonistas tenores en retomar la "música nueva" que había estallado en la escena a través del contralto de Charlie Parker, Byas nunca abandonó sus raíces románticas y oscilantes. Esta reedición de una actuación en vivo despreocupada revela el éxito que disfrutó el nativo de Oklahoma al fusionar estas influencias en su reconocible sonido de saxofón. Temas como "Gone With the Wind" y "Darn That Dream" recuerdan la salida clásica de Byas en 1953 con Mary Lou Williams, en la que llevó la balada del saxofón a un nuevo nivel. Al mismo tiempo, "Autumn Leaves" pone de relieve las inclinaciones bop del hombre tenor, que con tanta elocuencia pulió en sus costados de Savoy de mediados de los años 40. En un largo, más de siete minutos, "Tenderly", se involucra en una notable improvisación. "But Not for Me" se balancea poderosamente, recordando los días de Byas con la Count Basie Orchestra cuando se hizo cargo de la silla de Lester Young. Byas se une en este set a otro emigrado, el pianista Sir Charles Thompson. Estos dos tocaron juntos en la calle 52 de Nueva York durante los primeros días del bop, antes de partir hacia costas más apreciativas. Thompson adoptó un enfoque relativamente simplista y despejado del piano, dejando mucho espacio entre los acordes. Esto crea un contraste favorable con el saxo a veces ocupado de Byas. El resultado es más de una hora de sólido cuarteto interpretado por dos de las figuras más olvidadas de la historia del jazz. Don Byas parece destinado a ser conocido para siempre como un artista que merecía mayor reconocimiento. Esta reedición del sello danés Storyville debería ayudar a alejar al saxofonista tenor de esa categorización poco halagadora. La única queja con este CD es que a veces Thompson suena como si estuviera tocando el piano en la habitación de al lado. A pesar de ese defecto, este álbum es recomendable.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/don-byas-quartet-featuring-sir-charles-thompson-mw0000116083
Tracks:
1 - Autumn Leaves
Written-By – Jacques Prévert, Johnny Mercer, Joseph Kosma
2 - Darn That Dream
Written-By – Eddie De Lange*, Jimmy Van Heusen
3 - Bag's Groove
Written-By – Milt Jackson
4 - Tenderly
Written-By – Jack Lawrence (2), Walter Gross
5 - But Not For Me
Written-By – George & Ira Gershwin
6 - Gone With The Wind
Written-By – Alex Wrubel*, Herbert Magidson
7 - The Girl From Ipanema
Written-By – Antonio Carlos Jobim, Norman Gimbel, Vinicius De Marares*
8 - Loverman
Written-By – Jimmy Davis, Jimmy Sherman, Roger Ram Ramirez*
9 - Stella By Starlight
Written-By – Ned Washington, Victor Young
10 - Jumpin' At Basie's
Written-By – Don Byas
2:03
Credits:
Bass – Isla Eckinger
Drums – Peter Schmidlin
Layout – Chrisna Morten
Liner Notes – Mark Gardner (2)
Photography By – Redfern*
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
Producer [For CD] – Anders Stefansen
Recording Supervisor – Arild Wiederø*
Tenor Saxophone – Don Byas
Recorded live in Baden, April 29, 1967 (Jazz in der Aula), Switzerland.
Label: Storyville – STCD 8308
Country: Denmark
Released: 2000
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bop
https://www.discogs.com/release/8409368-Don-Byas-Quartet-Feat-Sir-Charles-Thompson-Feat-Sir-Charles-Thompson
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