Solo / Strings

Jaki Byard | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 10, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 19, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Prestige
• ASIN: B00004YLK3
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,259 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Spanish Tinge #2

2. Falling Rains of Life

3. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?

4. Music to Watch Girls By

5. Medley: I Know a Place/Let the Good Times Roll

6. New Orleans Strut

7. Ray's Blues

8. Top of the Gate Rag

9. Seasons

10. How High the Moon

11. A Basin Street Ballad

12. The Hollis Stomp

13. Cat's Cradle Conference Rag

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

From the time Jaki Byard started to record, around 1960, he demonstrated the broadest stylistic grasp in jazz piano, reaching way back to explore James P. Johnson compositions and play early stride and barrelhouse, while pressing outward to percussive clusters and free jazz. That kind of breadth would become more common later, but Byard would never be restricted by fashion, constantly practicing different kinds of playful musical counterpoint.

This CD combines two of his Prestige LPs, Solo from 1969 and With Strings! from 1968, intermingling pieces from both. The solo piano tracks touch on Byard's many facets--with a hefty representation of New Orleans and Jelly Roll Morton--often in strange combinations. For example, on "New Orleans Strut," Byard combines his Jelly Roll-like style with modal chorded passages à la McCoy Tyner. The group tracks provide Byard with a "string quartet," but it's hardly orthodox, with Ellington veteran Ray Nance on violin, Ron Carter on cello, George Benson on guitar, and Richard Davis on bass, along with Alan Dawson on drums and vibes. It's an inspired collision of unusual timbres and distinctive personalities--the Byard piano style extended to a band--and it gets remarkable results.

The strings and vibes provide a lush setting for "Falling Rains of Life," a Byard ballad, but conventional usage ends there. The jam on "How High the Moon," over 14 minutes, is a continuous series of surprises, from Nance's unaccompanied theme statement to his closing cadenza. Along the way, there's a conversation between cello and bass, a clean-lined guitar solo, a rousing two-handed piano workout that surmounts the band and includes "Tea for Two," and some manic exchanges in which the entire sextet gets involved. Ray Nance sings on the loose roadhouse jam of "Ray's Blues," and "Cat's Cradle Conference Rag" meshes a variety of tunes on the same chord change. It's playful and chaotic, and it still sounds fresh. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superlative Byard solo and group work, June 19, 2008

By 

Michael Kaplan "Mike Kaplan" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Solo / Strings (Audio CD)

Jaki Byard was an eclectic and exciting pianist who was an orchestra unto himself.

This cd is a compilation of most of two very different but worthy Byard Prestige albums from the late '60s.

His "Solo" album is the real prize here, although "Strings" is an interesting and fine project as well.

Byard's encyclopaedic range of jazz styles from early 20th century ragtime through contemporary music is on display, especially on the "Solo" album. Enjoy his humor, technique and his wild imagination on his originals "Top Of The Gate Rag" and "Hollis Stomp" on "Solo". His romp and history lesson on the blues in "New Orleans Strut" is also a highpoint for me. I was disappointed that his version of "Hello Young Lovers" from the original LP issue was left off this cd, but that is my only issue with this package. "Strings" has an intriguing instrumental line-up of guitar (a young George Benson), cello, violin (a spirited Ray Nance), bass and drums and features some nice arrangements by Byard as well as a long jam tune. Alan Dawson, Richard Davis and Byard made up one of the sixties' greatest (and most underrated) rhythm sections and it's always a pleasure to hear them together, as they are here on the "Strings" session. Byard has a crazy, joyous and particularly memorable ride on his "How High The Moon" solo from this set. Enjoy!