CHARLIE BYRD – Four Classic Albums (2 CDs) AVID

AVID Jazz presents four classic Charlie Byrd albums including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD.
“Jazz Recital”; “Blues For Night People”; “Byrd’s Word” and “The Guitar Artistry of Charlie Byrd”.
You might say Charlie Byrd was on a mission on his first album as a solo artist “Jazz Recital”, recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey in February 1957. A passionate believer in the guitar as an affective lead instrument in jazz, five of the ten cuts here are solo guitar pieces. With a background in classical guitar technique and having studied in Italy with the guitar maestro Segovia, Byrd lays out his ambition in the original liner notes “I’d like to see the guitarists of today using more of the vast store of knowledge….piled up by great lute players and guitarists of the last 400 years..….why must the guitar be confined to single line playing and rhythm accompaniment…..if the guitar is going to take an important place as a solo instrument it must be broadened…its capabilities were proved centuries ago”. Featured alongside Byrd on Spanish guitar are Tom Newsom on flute and tenor sax, Al Lucas on bass and Bobby Donaldson on drums. Byrd is also featured on electric guitar on the last two tracks. Back by popular demand after his first solo album we have “Blues for Night People” the second album from Charlie Byrd. Here again utilising his Spanish guitar Byrd is joined by Keeter Betts on bass and ex Basie sideman Gus Johnson on drums. The album is divided into two distinct sides, with Side A “a mood series of impressions in a minor blues mode while Side B’s four tracks “illustrate a balance of semi Spanish a tempo rambling, Django Reinhardt – like single line work, “down” block chording and pyrimidical solo sequence building to a logical and restrainedly exciting climax!” (Pseuds Corner here we come! Sorry Ed.) Recorded at the YWCA, Washington in 1958 where the acoustics were said to be “excellent for small groups” take a listen to “Byrd’s Word”. Mixing it up between electric and acoustic guitar, Byrd in his own words states, “ I like to leave a lot of room for improvisation……that’s one of the most interesting things about jazz”. Joining Byrd are Bobby Felder on valve trombone, Buck Hill on tenor sax, T Carson or Charlie Schneer on piano, Keeter Betts on bass and cello, Bertell Knox or Eddie Phyfe on drums, Kenneth Pasmanick on bassoon with Byrd’s wife Ginny taking vocal duties on two tracks. “The Guitar Artistry of Charlie Byrd” recorded in Washington in 1960 is an album of two sides! Side One “ is all shorties” while Side Two is a selection giving the musicians more room to improvise and solo. Joining Byrd here for this set are Buddy Deppenschmidt on drums and Keeter Betts on bass.
All four albums plus have been digitally re-mastered.

CD1
1-10: ‘Jazz Recital’
1. Prelude
2. My Funny Valentine
3. Little Girl Blue
4. My Heart Stood Still
5. Interlude
6. Spring Is Here
7. A Foggy Day
8. Spanish Guitar Blues
9. Chuck-A-Tuck
10. Homage To Charlie Christian
11-17: ‘Blues For Night People’
11. First Show
12. 2.00 am
13. Four O’clock Funk
14. Blues My Naughtie Sweetie Gives To Me
15. Blue Prelude
16. This Can’t Be Love
17. Jive At Five
18-19: ‘Byrd’s Word’
18. Byrd’s Word
19. Blue Turning Grey Over You

CD2
1-8: ‘Byrd’s Word’
1. Bobby In Bassoonville
2. Satin Doll
3. Tri-X
4. Conversation Piece
5. What’s New
6. Stompin’ At The Savoy
7. Don’t Explain
8. Buck’s Hill
9-20: ‘The Guitar Artistry Of Charlie Byrd’
9. Taking A Chance On Love
10. Moonlight In Vermont
11. Speak Low
12. Nuages
13. Everything I’ve Got Belongs To You
14. Makin’ Whoopee
15. Django
16. Nice Work If You Can Get It
17. The House Of The Rising Sun
18. Ring Them Harmonics
19. Taboo
20. To Ginny