Jazz Articles about Donald Byrd

Donald Byrd: Live: Cookin' With Blue Note at Montreux

by Stefano Merighi
February 20, 2024

Nelle note di copertina, Don Was, presidente della Blue Note, celebra questa pubblicazione inedita del concerto di Montreux di Donald Byrd del 1973 con toni di grande rispetto ed entusiasmo. E il trombettista (scomparso nel 2013) se lo merita, sia per un certo distacco critico che ne ha sempre contraddistinto l'opera, sia per il ruolo di scouter ed educatore che Byrd ha giocato in quegli anni, quando molti jazzmen hanno preferito trasformare un linguaggio ancora legato ai fasti dell'hard bop ...

Donald Byrd: Black Byrd

by Ian Patterson
March 30, 2023

It's time to celebrate. Nearly fifty years after the event, Donald Byrd's 1973 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival finally sees the light of day. Like many of his contemporaries, Byrd had turned to electric jazz-fusion towards the end of the '60s, and this live set bears all the hallmarks of a hard bopper who had happily assimilated the r&b, soul and funk that was de rigueur at the time. Of the six tracks, only “Black Bird," with its Sun ...

Donald Byrd: The Emperor

by Chris May
March 30, 2023

Donald Byrd: Cookin' With Blue Note At Montreux

by Ian Patterson
March 21, 2023

Almost fifty years after the event, Donald Byrd's 1973 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival finally sees the light of day. Several other artists on Blue Note's roster had performances released--in more timely manner--from the same edition of Claude Nobs festival, including Ronnie Foster, Bobbi Humphrey, Bobby Hutcherson and Marlena Shaw. In no small part, thanks for this posthumous Byrd release is due to the French-born, London-based DJ and label owner Gilles Peterson, who contacted Blue Note regarding the whereabouts ...

Duo Hofmaninger / Schwarz, Charles Stepney, Jeff Parker, Donald Byrd & More New Releases

by Ludovico Granvassu
February 7, 2023

Precious archival recordings featuring unheard music by Charles Stepney, Donald Byrd and Miles Davis open this edition of Mondo Jazz featuring new and upcoming albums. The playlist is completed by the epic live album by Jeff Parker Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy, and the intriguing work of young European players. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Charles Stepney “Look B4u Leap" Step on Step (International ...

Donald Byrd: Donald Byrd Live: Cookin' With Blue Note at Montreux

by Peter Jones
December 30, 2022

What a treat it must have been in 1973 to attend the Montreux Jazz Festival: the featured artists that year included Dexter Gordon, McCoy Tyner, Chico Hamilton, Sam Rivers, Bobbi Humphrey, Dr John, Marlena Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson... and Donald Byrd with his Tentet, whose July 5 performance is captured on this album. It was also the year of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters (Columbia Records) album, not to mention several Blaxploitation movie soundtracks, including J.J. Johnson's for Cleopatra Jones and ...

Donald Byrd: Donald Byrd Live: Cookin' With Blue Note at Montreux

by Mike Jurkovic
December 18, 2022

With the release of his chart-topping, funk-fueled Black Byrd in 1973, Donald Byrd found himself in a volatile place in jazz circles. He was being hailed as having finally stepped out of Miles Davis' considerable shadow, while simultaneously many found the album to be Byrd's selling out his bop legacy for chart success. As most defining artistic moments reveal, a little of both were true. Produced and arranged by the brothers Fonce Mizelland Larry Mizell, Black Byrd incorporated ...