ah, donald byrd. brilliant man, brilliant musician. massively extensive blue note catalog, covering a wide array of jazz styles.
i got this album a long time ago. i was a hard bop nut and blue note fan, but i wasn't the "completest collector" i am today. i mainly got it 'coz, my man, hank mobley was on it. i wasn't looking forward to "vocals", in my jazz, at that time...
this was a pretty important record, for a few reasons. blue note hadn't released many - if any - albums like this, with the "voices". also, it was the first of its kind for arranger duke pearson. i'm a BIG pearson fan. these types of "arranged large band" sessions became the norm for duke and blue note a coupla few years later.
"a new perspective," was a 7-piece combo + voices, recorded in Nov. 1963. it was very well received by critics and fans alike and exactly 1 year later, byrd was back at it, recorded a similar record, a part II, if you will.
"i'm trying to get home," was also a 7-piece combo, though different players and instrumentation. (herbie hancock on piano, was the only holdover.) instead of "band & voices", this new album was for "brass with voices." 8 voices, once again conducted by Coleridge Perkinson, plus the addition of a dozen brass players (notables include Clark Terry and JJ Johnson). half of the 6 tunes, were penned by Duke Pearson. for my money, "I'm Trying To Get Home" (Brass With Voices), is a *much* better record than the more well-known one represented here. if you dig this, please check out Byrd's next album. it's hard to find, but well worth it.
and good timing on your comment, i actually teach at a music college on wednesday's. that means, i'll miss being able to see the yanks game on espn tonight...
ah, donald byrd. brilliant man, brilliant musician. massively extensive blue note catalog, covering a wide array of jazz styles.
i got this album a long time ago. i was a hard bop nut and blue note fan, but i wasn't the "completest collector" i am today. i mainly got it 'coz, my man, hank mobley was on it. i wasn't looking forward to "vocals", in my jazz, at that time...
this was a pretty important record, for a few reasons. blue note hadn't released many - if any - albums like this, with the "voices". also, it was the first of its kind for arranger duke pearson. i'm a BIG pearson fan. these types of "arranged large band" sessions became the norm for duke and blue note a coupla few years later.
"a new perspective," was a 7-piece combo + voices, recorded in Nov. 1963. it was very well received by critics and fans alike and exactly 1 year later, byrd was back at it, recorded a similar record, a part II, if you will.
"i'm trying to get home," was also a 7-piece combo, though different players and instrumentation. (herbie hancock on piano, was the only holdover.) instead of "band & voices", this new album was for "brass with voices." 8 voices, once again conducted by Coleridge Perkinson, plus the addition of a dozen brass players (notables include Clark Terry and JJ Johnson). half of the 6 tunes, were penned by Duke Pearson. for my money, "I'm Trying To Get Home" (Brass With Voices), is a *much* better record than the more well-known one represented here. if you dig this, please check out Byrd's next album. it's hard to find, but well worth it.
Dude, you are a true music professor. Thank you!
[2] thank YOU - for posting all this great stuff!
and good timing on your comment, i actually teach at a music college on wednesday's. that means, i'll miss being able to see the yanks game on espn tonight...
ol' pal Jon Weisman has a very interesting piece on Torre's LA Story up today
http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/dodger-thoughts/post/_/id/7338/torre
4) Thanks for that. And thanks to the Tigers for finally beating the Rays.
early XK-E, mmm