[Kelly Bucheger]

Don's glorious solo from the live "Americans In Europe" recording: transcription, analysis, and a clip!

Here's what Sonny Stitt said about him:

"Years ago the game was vicious, cutthroat. Can you imagine Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Chu Berry, Don Byas, and Ben Webster on the same little jam session? And guess who won the fight? That's what it was -- a saxophone duel. Don Byas walked off with everything."​

If you don't know his playing, check out the clip on my blog -- that ought to get your attention!

It's here: Harder Bop.

 

[jlima]

Kelly, thanks for another VERY valuable contribution to the saxophone community!!

 

[Kelly Bucheger]

Thanks, jlima!

For folks who don't know Don Byas, check out what Sonny Rollins says about him in the latest JazzTimes, in a blindfold test:

"That's my idol Don Byas ... by the way, when I got that record "Ko Ko" by Charlie Parker, I got that record for Don Byas on the other side. ... Don Byas had the technical proficiency: He was a bebopper who had roots in the earlier school. You could hear from the way he was moving around that he was into the new way of playing, both rhythmically and harmonically. ... He was my hero."​

 

[scooby]

Very nice!

 

[Kelly Bucheger]

The PDF and audio links to this and the Michael Brecker transcription on my blog have been broken for the last week or two, 'cuz I'm a bonehead, and I didn't spot it till this morning. They're ... BACK!