Customer Reviews

Byrd in Hand

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Byrd's third session with Pepper Adams, their second on Blue Note, was a Down Beat 5 star album when it was released, and I think it's worn well. As much as anything this might be accounted for by the fact that all members of the quintet were used to playing together.It shows. Rouse, Jones and Taylor had been with Thelonious Monk, and Adams and Byrd had already done the album "Off to the races" for Blue Note.Apart from "Witchcraft" all the tunes are by Byrd (tracks 2,3&6) or Davis (4&6), and have diverse styles and rhythms.Outstanding for me are "Here I am", a plaintiff piece with some excellent blowing from Byrd, and "Bronze Dance" which has changes of moods and meters, as well as a mistake from Rouse, seamlessly made good by Davis. The playing throughout the album is gutsy, with some wonderfully inventive solo's and an intimate understanding of what everybody in the ensemble was doing.The remastering on this session is good ( perhaps a pity there weren't any out-takes to include). An excellent and interesting re-release, that will hopefully presage the release of more material from Byrd from this period.As usual the advice is buy it now before Blue Note delete it!

Donald Byrd's "Byrd In Hand" is another one of those Blue Note discs deleted in the early 90s now making a comeback in the RVG Series. Unfortunately this one isn't as essential as some of the others that are resurfacing. Byrd is joined on this May 1959 session by Pepper Adams on baritone sax (someone with whom he had a lasting partnership in the late 50s and early 60s on Blue Note), Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, Walter Davis Jr. on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums. The lineup is impressive but I've always found this date to basically be an average jam session. Though Byrd's piercing trumpet and Pepper's rich baritone blend wonderfully on tracks like "Devil Whip" and "Bronze Dance." If you are truly interested in this title, I would suggest you look into the limited edition box set "The Complete Donald Byrd/Pepper Adams Blue Note Sessions" on Mosaic instead. "Byrd In Hand" is probably the weakest album of the six on that set which includes the long out of print classics "Royal Flush," "The Cat Walk" and Herbie Hancock's debut recording "Chant." Don't get me wrong, it's nice to see any Blue Note title back in print, but there are better ways to currently get this "Byrd in Hand."

This is everything I look for in a jazz recording; serious, intelligent music played well. The sound quality is amazing considering it's a 1959 recording. Only the piano sounds a bit muddy (which seems a trademark for older jazz recordings), while the brass sounds clear and sharp as can be. This deserves to be in anyone's top-ten list of jazz recordings.

I recently picked up this cd from amazon, and it was an excellent choice. I heard one track on satellite radio and I had to have it. I have been a fan of Donald Byrd's since I was a teen, so to get this classic bluenote recording is a true highlight in my jazz collection. I love the second tune "Here I am" Donald brings fire and intelligence in his solo, and Charlie Rouse is on top of his game too. Finally, what can you say about Pepper Adams, his bari just cut to the chase, and takes no prisoners. I really suggest that you add this one to your collection. This is a true classic.

If your ear has a preference for the thoughtful, lyrical, fluent playing of early Byrd, consider "Byrd in Hand" an essential pick-up. I've heard only two other Byrd-led dates to match it: "Royal Flush" (featuring Herbie Hancock's first appearance on record and a balanced program performed to near perfection) and "The Transition Sessions" (a blowing session that gives Byrd and Mobley maximum room in which to create their special brand of melodic magic). "Byrd in Hand" fits somewhere in between: less carefully conceived, programmed and executed but more varied and fiery than the former session; less open and free-flowing but more receptive to innovative, original compositions than the latter.

On "Royal Flush" Byrd reveals a Sinatra-indebtedness with his poignant reading of "I'm a Fool to Want You"; on "Byrd in Hand" it's the swingin' side of Old Blue that comes out on the opening standard, "Witchcraft." Byrd's solo is alternately lyrical and, with a brief double-time melodic excursion, complex and anticipatory of the horn pyrotechnics to follow. Pepper Adams' baritone picks up on the intricacy of Byrd's double-time chorus and sets the stage for an underrated, virtuosic master of the tenor saxophone, Charlie Rouse. From then on, the session gets off its heels and stays there.

Rouse had recently joined Monk's Quartet, with whom he would remain throughout most of the 1960's. His soloing is so confident, brilliant yet controlled (he executes whirlwind passages with unfailing melodic logic and rhythmic drive, clean articulations and definitive wholeness) that both Byrd and Adams are pushed to play their best. Unlike "Royal Flush," an infectious but "relaxed" session that takes on some anticlimax during the last couple of tunes, "Byrd in Hand" picks up steam, ending on a high note, a moment that's still dramatic and building.

Finally, credit pianist Walter Davis, Jr., for knowing when to play and when to stay out of the way. His two compositions contributed for this occasion, unlike the comparatively ordinary original tunes comprising his own Blue Note date, "Davis Cup," anticipate the adventurous, challenging and exciting music that would come from his pen in the '70's, when he was by far the most important contributor to the book of Blakey's Jazz Messengers.

I have always like Donald Byrd's sampled tunes. I hear the second track on this cd as an introduction to an NPR show and was blown away. It is one of the more sophisticated albums I have listened to. Smooth, melodic, playfull, and mature at the same time. A great addition to any collection.

Donald Byrd's "Byrd In Hand" is another one of those Blue Note discs deleted in the early 90s that is now only available as a pricey import. Unfortunately this one isn't as essential as some of the others that are out of print domestically. Byrd is joined on this May 1959 session by Pepper Adams on baritone sax (someone with whom he had a lasting partnership in the late 50s and early 60s on Blue Note), Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, Walter Davis Jr. on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums. The lineup is impressive but I've always found this date to basically be an average jam session. Though Byrd's piercing trumpet and Pepper's rich baritone blend wonderfully on tracks like "Devil Whip" and "Bronze Dance." If you are truly interested in this title, I would suggest you look into the limited edition box set "The Complete Donald Byrd/Pepper Adams Blue Note Sessions" on Mosaic instead. For the price of two Japanese imports, you can get this Mosaic set that collects six Blue Note albums, most of which have never been made available on CD until now.

I enjoy the Tone&Colors on this Set&the Musicianship is Nice but compared to later Donald Byrd Albums I wasn't really that knocked out by it.I think the Playing is tight but the Songs are missing something for me overall.still it's a Pretty good Set.