Comments on: Random Notes: Mobley, Byrd, Warhol

By: ceedee

ceedee — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 17:08:08 +0000

“Here I Am”-oh,yeah! Beautiful..and how about “Kimyas” from Live At Half Note? That was a major WRVR playlist item,circa ’73 or so(when I first heard it). Not bad for something recorded around 1960.

By: maarten kools

maarten kools — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 21:58:23 +0000

byrd in hand blp4019- here i am… love ithat track, also with a great charlie rouse and i like the Byrd albums where pepper adams plays along

By: Mattyman

Mattyman — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 21:20:34 +0000

I have a weakness for Donald Byrd’s output, I can’t help it. And his seventies material is also on my list of funky favs 😉 And to add my two cents to the Kenny Burrell 1543: if I look closely at the label shot, then to me it definitely looks like a true Lex address label. But Dottore is right about ignorant sellers, ’cause this one describes the address with the house number 161, while we all know it’s 767 😉

By: don-lucky

don-lucky — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:46:44 +0000

…I was always partial to “Byrd in Hand” BLP 4019 myself. It’s a solid early album, and one of the last to be recorded at Rudy’s old Hackensack, NJ “studio”. I always loved the cover of that one as well. As noted in a previous post, the photo was actually taken outside of the current RVG studio in Englewood Cliffs NJ just off the main entrance during the transition period.

By: Katharsis

Katharsis — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:12:02 +0000

Byrd is a nice and consistent trumpeter, but he had the problem to be overshadowed by some more “edgy” trumpeters like Clifford Brown. I really enjoy his pre-Blue Note work, e.g. the Transition LPs where he has been caught in a more rough way. “Byrd Jazz” is a hell of an album. Lateef and Barry Harris support him to their best, but Byrd really blows. From the later years, “Free Form” really shows Byrd going into a direction he otherwise has kind of neglected. A really thrilling and nicely crafted session.
The aforementioned Richard Williams is a some kind of neglected but wonderful trumpeter as well! His work for Gigi Gryce is astonishing and “A new horn in town” is a lovely album, even if it leaves some room for more!

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:05:50 +0000

“A New Perspective” has always been a favorite of mine as well, and I think the voices really worked on that album. “I’m trying to get home” however, to me is unlistenable, and resembles a lot of the stuff that CTI tried to do much later.. way overproduced for my taste.

My favorite Byrd album by far is “Byrd in Flight”.. I think that’s when he really started to forge his own path.

By: Al

Al — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:38:28 +0000

Good point CeeDee. I, for one, am a big fan of A New Perspective, although I recognize the addition of the voices is not for everyone’s taste. I remember listening to this in the house because it was one of my father’s favorites when I was listening to Paul Butterfield and Ten Years After and records of that ilk.

By: dottorjazz

dottorjazz — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:20:10 +0000

as I wrote before,one of the major problems in buying from Ebay is the uncomplete description of details for rare records.
What is instead assumed is the value:see most of buy it now,or most of reserves.
a true original first pressing,well detailed with photos that need not a microscope to be read,always starts at a low price.
and always sells for a high price.
I’m absolutely sure that many sellers do not know what’s in their hands.
unfortunately many buyers don’t know what they’re paying for.
recently I’ve seen a group of BN described as 47 west labels and cover even if the photos were clearly NY,and the cover address according.
I laugh at it:maybe someone will cry,before or after.

By: ceedee

ceedee — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:32:21 +0000

I’ll grant that Donald Byrd-early Byrd,that is-is also a “mixed bag”. He was caught up in the throes of the great Clifford Brown like so many other developing trumpeters of the era(Bill Hardman,Wilbur Harden,Richard Williams come to mind). To my ears,some of his best playing-and wonderful compositions-are on records like OUT OF THIS WORLD, ROYAL FLUSH,FREE FORM,LIVE AT THE HALF-NOTE,and DAY AT THE RACES,among others. His playing as a sideman on 50’s Coltrane LPs was quite good,too-but he really found his groove in the 5tet with Pepper Adams and blossomed into an expressive player with a distinctive,individual sound.
On the other hand,there are listeners who only know his “Rock Creek Park” years…which is their loss. Put on “Nai Nai” from FREE FORM and hear Byrd at his lyrical,swinging best.
Re: Warhol-I wouldn’t spend $500 of YOUR money for that lp! I guess one learns to gouge first in the “abc’s” of record sales. An adequate presentation-with clear,close-up images and an informative description-is not too much to espect,is it?

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:40:25 +0000

Jazz for the carriage trade is a fantastic record indeed. Phil is tremendous as is the tasteful George Wallingington.
The Kenny Burrell on Blue Note is a mixed bag. They just put together some tracks with kenny, but there is no unity in concept.