Donald Byrd Music

If I am correct, this album was Herbie Hancock's first recording and it's really great. Pepper Adams and Donald Byrd do themselves proud on their performances. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

Variable quality of the recording as its all in mono. The tune Out of this world sounds like they have only
included either left or right channel as the beginning of the tune is a bit off mike when Pepper and Donald plays.
Tune Curro's marred by some bad editing.
This recording is available in a few different releases, however none of them in a stereo version that apparently would
be existing somewhere if its not destroyed or lost.

Recommended to anyone who like Donald, Pepper and Herbie.

This is an astonishing collection of tunes recorded for Warwick Records in 1961 in New York. There's no sign of remastering, but the quality of the original sound is excellent. It's tagged as being by the "Donald Byrd/Pepper Adams quintet", but as much as it's about their peerless playing, it's also about the piano contribution of a very young Herbie Hancock, and the tightness of the the rhythm section of Jimmy Cobb on drums and Laymon Jackson on Bass. The three lengthy tracks are the ones to start with. The playing on "Byrd House" (10.50) sets the standard of what is to come. Obviously it's a Donald Byrd composition, but all three men get to solo peerlessly, and the ensemble playing is absolutely terrific. The initial highlight for me is a version of Byrd's "Curro's" (11.50) which gives everybody a chance to spread out, though Hancock's piano is (sorry, here's that word again!) astounding, and both the other frontline players are spurred on to deliver first-rate solos.The CD ends with a version of Arlen and Mercer's "Out of this World" on which Byrd's playing of the melody before Hancock solos is breathtaking, and when he plays the second chorus it's even better than the first! Track 6 has some muted vibraphone added to the mix from Teddy Charles. This is a "must have" set if you admire the playing of any of the three frontsmen. It's also worth looking out for some of the other sessions that have been re-released by this small Spanish label. Don't hesitate - order it immediately!

If I am correct, this album was Herbie Hancock's first recording and it's really great. Pepper Adams and Donald Byrd do themselves proud on their performances. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

Variable quality of the recording as its all in mono. The tune Out of this world sounds like they have only
included either left or right channel as the beginning of the tune is a bit off mike when Pepper and Donald plays.
Tune Curro's marred by some bad editing.
This recording is available in a few different releases, however none of them in a stereo version that apparently would
be existing somewhere if its not destroyed or lost.

Recommended to anyone who like Donald, Pepper and Herbie.

This is an astonishing collection of tunes recorded for Warwick Records in 1961 in New York. There's no sign of remastering, but the quality of the original sound is excellent. It's tagged as being by the "Donald Byrd/Pepper Adams quintet", but as much as it's about their peerless playing, it's also about the piano contribution of a very young Herbie Hancock, and the tightness of the the rhythm section of Jimmy Cobb on drums and Laymon Jackson on Bass. The three lengthy tracks are the ones to start with. The playing on "Byrd House" (10.50) sets the standard of what is to come. Obviously it's a Donald Byrd composition, but all three men get to solo peerlessly, and the ensemble playing is absolutely terrific. The initial highlight for me is a version of Byrd's "Curro's" (11.50) which gives everybody a chance to spread out, though Hancock's piano is (sorry, here's that word again!) astounding, and both the other frontline players are spurred on to deliver first-rate solos.The CD ends with a version of Arlen and Mercer's "Out of this World" on which Byrd's playing of the melody before Hancock solos is breathtaking, and when he plays the second chorus it's even better than the first! Track 6 has some muted vibraphone added to the mix from Teddy Charles. This is a "must have" set if you admire the playing of any of the three frontsmen. It's also worth looking out for some of the other sessions that have been re-released by this small Spanish label. Don't hesitate - order it immediately!

Of the seven songs on this Blue Note CD reissue, four are more common than the other three because they contain solos by tenor saxophonist John Coltrane and have therefore been reissued more often. Actually there are quite a few solos in the all-star sextet (which includes the bassist-leader, Coltrane, trumpeter Donald Byrd, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Horace Silver and drummer Philly Joe Jones) and all of the players get their chances to shine on this fairly spontaneous hard bop set. Coltrane's two obscure compositions ("Nita" and "Just for the Love") are among the more memorable tunes and are worth reviving. "Tale of the Fingers" features the quintet without Coltrane, the rhythm section stretches out on "Whims of Chambers" and "Tale of the Fingers" is a showcase for Chambers bowed bass. This is a fine effort and would be worth picking up by straightahead jazz fans even if John Coltrane had not participated.

I love the CD..It takes me back. The one I received also plays very well. I'm very pleased.

One of my favorite albums of all. I heard it first in 1980 when I had got back from Korea and was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. I knew a guy there who would sit and listen to jazz all day on Saturday.

He played this and it wasn't long before I bought my own copy. I've never tired of it through all these years. It still blows me away like it did the first time I heard it. Places and Spaces is my favorite cut with Change a real close second. I like the way the string arrangements and Donald's horn compliment each other.

I hope Donald reads these reviews so that he could know how much joy that album gave a lot of people.

This is the bomb!!!! jazz/funk that still stands the test of time,every track of this stellar recording, reminds of when i was a young man,sitting on the stoop listening to this and many other great artist of this era,a must for any who can appreciate early jazz/funk/fusion.

What amazes me about music as I research and study it as I do, is the fact that I can still be surprised and how fluid an album can be 20 plus years after it's inital release. Being of the hip-hop/turntablism era, with all the sampling we do, all that I can say is that this album is responsible for a lot of what we know today. From Black Moon/Smif-N-Wessun, to Pete Rock, to Tupac, this album has been generously sampled (like a LOT of the Blue Note catalog) for good reason. Driving bass accompanying lush grooves make this a great listen and a must have for any music lover. True instrumentalism is of the order here. Flutes, violins, and rolling keybords abound and for 1976 this was a forward thinking album. It's a shame that the stubborn dinosaurs that traditional jazz fans can be turned their nose up at and turned their backs on Donald Byrd, accusing him of 'selling out', yet this is no different from what Miles Davis was trying to do with his fusion; and what Herbie Hancock and Ramsey Lewis have done throughout most of their careers. What a tragedy for this is some of the best jazz fusion to be had from anyone, anywhere.

Donald Byrd is a classic artist. This album has some mellow music that relaxes the sole. I have it on vinyl, and have been searching for it on cd. So glad to have found it!

I love the CD..It takes me back. The one I received also plays very well. I'm very pleased.

One of my favorite albums of all. I heard it first in 1980 when I had got back from Korea and was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. I knew a guy there who would sit and listen to jazz all day on Saturday.

He played this and it wasn't long before I bought my own copy. I've never tired of it through all these years. It still blows me away like it did the first time I heard it. Places and Spaces is my favorite cut with Change a real close second. I like the way the string arrangements and Donald's horn compliment each other.

I hope Donald reads these reviews so that he could know how much joy that album gave a lot of people.

This is the bomb!!!! jazz/funk that still stands the test of time,every track of this stellar recording, reminds of when i was a young man,sitting on the stoop listening to this and many other great artist of this era,a must for any who can appreciate early jazz/funk/fusion.

What amazes me about music as I research and study it as I do, is the fact that I can still be surprised and how fluid an album can be 20 plus years after it's inital release. Being of the hip-hop/turntablism era, with all the sampling we do, all that I can say is that this album is responsible for a lot of what we know today. From Black Moon/Smif-N-Wessun, to Pete Rock, to Tupac, this album has been generously sampled (like a LOT of the Blue Note catalog) for good reason. Driving bass accompanying lush grooves make this a great listen and a must have for any music lover. True instrumentalism is of the order here. Flutes, violins, and rolling keybords abound and for 1976 this was a forward thinking album. It's a shame that the stubborn dinosaurs that traditional jazz fans can be turned their nose up at and turned their backs on Donald Byrd, accusing him of 'selling out', yet this is no different from what Miles Davis was trying to do with his fusion; and what Herbie Hancock and Ramsey Lewis have done throughout most of their careers. What a tragedy for this is some of the best jazz fusion to be had from anyone, anywhere.

Donald Byrd is a classic artist. This album has some mellow music that relaxes the sole. I have it on vinyl, and have been searching for it on cd. So glad to have found it!

I love the CD..It takes me back. The one I received also plays very well. I'm very pleased.

One of my favorite albums of all. I heard it first in 1980 when I had got back from Korea and was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. I knew a guy there who would sit and listen to jazz all day on Saturday.

He played this and it wasn't long before I bought my own copy. I've never tired of it through all these years. It still blows me away like it did the first time I heard it. Places and Spaces is my favorite cut with Change a real close second. I like the way the string arrangements and Donald's horn compliment each other.

I hope Donald reads these reviews so that he could know how much joy that album gave a lot of people.

This is the bomb!!!! jazz/funk that still stands the test of time,every track of this stellar recording, reminds of when i was a young man,sitting on the stoop listening to this and many other great artist of this era,a must for any who can appreciate early jazz/funk/fusion.

What amazes me about music as I research and study it as I do, is the fact that I can still be surprised and how fluid an album can be 20 plus years after it's inital release. Being of the hip-hop/turntablism era, with all the sampling we do, all that I can say is that this album is responsible for a lot of what we know today. From Black Moon/Smif-N-Wessun, to Pete Rock, to Tupac, this album has been generously sampled (like a LOT of the Blue Note catalog) for good reason. Driving bass accompanying lush grooves make this a great listen and a must have for any music lover. True instrumentalism is of the order here. Flutes, violins, and rolling keybords abound and for 1976 this was a forward thinking album. It's a shame that the stubborn dinosaurs that traditional jazz fans can be turned their nose up at and turned their backs on Donald Byrd, accusing him of 'selling out', yet this is no different from what Miles Davis was trying to do with his fusion; and what Herbie Hancock and Ramsey Lewis have done throughout most of their careers. What a tragedy for this is some of the best jazz fusion to be had from anyone, anywhere.

Donald Byrd is a classic artist. This album has some mellow music that relaxes the sole. I have it on vinyl, and have been searching for it on cd. So glad to have found it!