Don Byas - The Best Of Byas 1938-1949 2CD

Tuotetiedot

• Kunto Uusi
• Tyyppi CD
• Julkaisija Acrobat Music
• SKU 824046302825
• Artisti Don Byas
• Lyhyt kuvaus Don Byas was one of the most highly-regarded tenor sax players of the 1940s. He had a highly distinctive technique that enabled him to swing with effortless smoothness, yet with the dynamics to express tender romanticism and strident extroversion with equal ease. His roots were in the traditions of the 30s and the lush full-bodied tenor approach epitomized by Coleman Hawkins, but although he never acquired the staccato phrasing characterized by the post-war bebop fraternity, he played with them regularly and as Charlie Parker observed, Byas “played everything there was to play”. During the 30s, he established his reputation playing with Buck Clayton, Lucky Millinder, Lionel Hampton, Andy Kirk and others, and by the end of the decade was becoming a prolific and much-in-demand recording artist. By the second half of the 40s he was hailed as a hugely original and influential musician. He decamped to Europe with the Don Redman Band, and in company with other US jazzmen of the period, stayed in France, performing and recording for the increasingly appreciative Jazz-starved European audiences, and also becoming something of a bon vivant both on Paris’ Rive Gauche and the Riviera resorts. As a result, he lost some of his profile in the USA, which explains why these days he is not recognised by American commentators alongside more exalted contemporaries. However, there is no doubting the quality and accessibility of his style of Jazz. He died in 1972, aged 59. This 39-track 2-CD set is a chronological presentation of some of his most highly-rated recordings between 1938 and 1949, dipping into a considerable number of the many musical relationships he formed over the years. The various group formats and stylistic approaches provide an admirable showcase for his talents, demonstrating his versatility but also underlining the consistency and distinctiveness of his technique and the smoothness of his improvisations. The booklet gives full disco graphical details of the recordings, highlighting the huge number of celebrated musicians he worked with over the years – a factor which makes this set of special interest to Jazz collectors, offering the opportunity to hear a range of noted performers. He was especially adept at assembling the top names into his own small groups, including names like Errol Garner, Teddy Wilson, Slam Stewart, Max Roach, Cozy Cole and others. As can be seen from the tracklisting, the ensembles involved include the likes of Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie, and the recordings include those from both his US and European recording eras. For aficionados of Jazz tenor sax who are maybe less familiar with Don Byas, this is an ideal overview of an illustrious career, which has undoubtedly not had the recognition it deserves. 2CD = 39 tracks
• Julkaisuvuosi 2 008