Don Byas
One of the greatest of all tenor players, Don Byas' decision to move permanently to Europe in 1946 resulted in him being vastly underrated in jazz history books. His knowledge of chords rivalled Coleman Hawkins, and, due to their similarity in tones, Byas can be considered an extension of the elder tenor. He played with many top swing bands, including those of Lionel Hampton (1935), Buck Clayton (1936), Don Redman, Lucky Millinder, Andy Kirk (1939-1940), and most importantly Count Basie (1941-1943). An advanced swing stylist, Byas' playing looked toward bop. He jammed at Minton's Playhouse in the early '40s, appeared on 52nd Street with Dizzy Gillespie, and performed a pair of stunning duets with bassist Slam Stewart at a 1944 Town Hall concert. After recording extensively during 1945-1946 (often as a leader), Byas went to Europe with Don Redman's band, and (with the exception of a 1970 appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival) never came back to the U.S. He lived in France, the Netherlands, and Denmark; often appeared at festivals; and worked steadily. Whenever American players were touring, they would ask for Byas, who had opportunities to perform with Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Dizzy Gillespie, Jazz at the Philharmonic (including a recorded tenor battle with Hawkins and Stan Getz), Art Blakey, and (on a 1968 recording) Ben Webster. Byas also recorded often in the 1950s, but was largely forgotten in the U.S. by the time of his death.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Ben Webster Meets Don Byas
Jazz - Released by MPS on Oct 1, 1996
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Midnight at Minton's (Original 1941 Recordings)
Bebop - Released by HighNote Records on Mar 19, 1999
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A Tribute To Cannonball
Jazz - Released by Columbia - Legacy on Mar 2, 1961
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Savoy Jam Party: The Savoy Sessions
Jazz - Released by Savoy on Aug 22, 1995
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Vintage Jazz No. 164 - EP: Blues And Sentimental Sax
Jazz - Released by Vintage Music on Aug 3, 1954
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Laura
Jazz - Released by Universal Music Division Decca Records France on Jan 1, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Walkin' (Don Byas)
Jazz - Released by 1201 MUSIC on Jul 31, 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bebop
James Moody, Don Byas, Howard McGhee
Jazz - Released by Universal Music Division Decca Records France on Jan 1, 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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A Night In Tunisia (Don Byas)
Jazz - Released by 1201 MUSIC on Jan 1, 1963
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A Night In Tunisia (Don Byas)
Jazz - Released by 1201 MUSIC on Jan 1, 1963
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Don Byas at Nalen - Live in the Swedish Harlem (feat. Jan Johansson)
Jazz - Released by Riverside Records on Oct 22, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Amoureusement Vôtre
Jazz - Released by Universal Music Division Decca Records France on Jan 1, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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American Swinging In Paris
Jazz - Released by Parlophone (France) on Jan 1, 2002
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All the things you are, Don Byas
Jazz - Released by Digimusic on Oct 12, 1992
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Those Barcelona Days
Jazz - Released by Fresh Sound Records on Dec 16, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live At Ronnie Scott's: The Best of the 60's Vol. 2
Don Byas, Roland Kirk, Stan Tracey
Jazz - Released by Carter Lane - OMiP on Dec 9, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo