An Underappreciated Master
While Don Byas is lauded for his breathtaking solos – sumptuous and creamy on ballads, thoughtful and potent on uptempo numbers – his absence from the scene in the U.S. and a lack of recorded evidence might be reasons he is unfairly overlooked.
Starting today, Mosaic Records presents that evidence.
Don Byas — who claimed to be inspired by Art Tatum more than any horn player — always considered himself more of a swing musician than a bebopper, but that might be because harmonic and rhythmic innovation were such important components of his personal style that he may not even have realized what an innovator and inspiration he was.
Tenor saxophonists who followed him couldn’t help but take note of his highly inventive phrasing, with melodies that disregarded bar lines when he was still working on a thought; notes that squeezed in hurriedly to ornament the end of a line; and seductive shifts in register that were always unexpected surprises. If your ears and experience prepared you for something more typical, Byas gave you that and more.
Byas could also employ every tool available to a wind musician to bring expression and originality to a solo. On ballads, his attack, his breath control, and his scoops and bends could nearly disguise the change from one note to another, leaving the listener in a dreamy trance. In full bebop mode, his crisp articulation and exceptional mastery of chromatics resulted in endless cascades and awe-inspiring leaps.
Byas’ versions of well-known songs were a special pleasure to hear because he always brought something new to his renditions. He played a counter melody to trumpeter Joe Thomas’ version of “Pennies From Heaven” that is neither showy nor invisible, a sparkling example of his taste and sensitivity.
You’d be hard pressed to find a lovelier extended solo that Byas’ take on “Old Folks,” or a more dizzying torrent than his rendition of “Cherokee.” Hearing him play “I Got Rhythm” with only Slam Stewart to accompany him in Timme Rosenkrantz’s apartment, will reveal to you why the song is called that to begin with.
This limited edition set documents a recording legacy in a way never-before possible, with sessions from both Savoy and National, and many from obscure labels where ownership has faded into oblivion.
An incredible revelation is the massive trove of “lost” home recordings from the collection of Timme Rosenkrantz, the Danish jazz aficionado. The sessions from Timme Rosenkrantz’s apartment are nothing short of remarkable. Freed from the spotlight and demands of a paying audience, musicians could stretch out, explore, and invent. Only a few have ever made their way to LPs or CDs. Thanks to a special arrangement with the Byas estate for this very limited release, we’ve gained access to this historical legacy.
In fact, throughout this collection you’ll hear musicians at the peak of their talents, contributing to the evolution in jazz in ways that were often unknown contemporaneously.
The “Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944-1946” features Byas in duet, quartet, quintette, and big band settings led by Byas and others including Emmett Berry, Hot Lips Page, Earl Bostic, Cozy Cole, Oscar Pettiford, Benny Carter, and more.
Sidemen are far too many to list here but include such important players as:
