Donald Byrd is a
jazz trumpter from
Detroit, Michigan. He was born in
1932, and in the early 1950's hit
the scene as one of
the eras brightest young stars. He graduated from
jazz's finest
finishing school,
Art Blakey's
Jazz Messengers, to co-lead a band with
saxophonist Gigi Gryce which was called the
Jazz Lab quintet. In my opinion, his best recordings
followed, (on the
Blue Note label, of course) in a
partnership with
baritone sax player
Pepper Adams
through the 1960's.
Byrd's solos are characterized by beautiful symmetry
and
lyricism. My favorite album of his is
The Cat Walk,
although any of his
Blue Note albums are excellent.
(Also, check out the live recordings of him with
Art Blakey at the
Half Note Cafe.)
In the mid-1960's Byrd invested his talents teaching
jazz at universities like Rutgers and Howard.
During the 1970's he had some commercial success with
jazz-rock fusion hits, which isn't my bag. Recently
he has returned to his bebop roots recording with
fellow veterans Joe Henderson and Bobby Hutcherson
as well as with some young blood, e.g. Kenny Garrett.