Sold Date: July 7, 2020
Start Date: June 30, 2020
Final Price: $19.50 (USD)
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1970's Dark Blue Label Stereo Reissue of Classic 1963 Blue Note Release of bandleader/Composer Trumpeter Donald Byrd Entitled a New Perspective, Produced by Alfred Lion, Recording by Rudy Van Gelder, Liner Notes by Nat Hentoff - "Donald Byrd was considered one of the finest hard bop trumpeters of the post- era. He recorded prolifically as both a leader and sideman from the mid-'50s into the mid-'60s, most often for Blue Note, where he established a reputation as a solid stylist with a clean tone, clear articulation, and a knack for melodicism. Toward the end of the '60s,  became fascinated with ' move into fusion, and started recording his own forays into the field. In the early '70s, with the help of brothers  and ,  perfected a bright, breezy, commercially potent take on fusion that was distinct from , incorporating tighter arrangements and more of a smooth soul influence. Opinions on this phase of 's career diverge wildly -- jazz purists utterly despised it, branding  a sellout and the records a betrayal of talent, but enraptured jazz-funk fans regard it as some of the most innovative, enduring work of its kind. In fact, proportionately speaking,  was held in even higher esteem by that audience than by straight-ahead jazz fans who enjoyed his hard bop output.  was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December 9, 1932. His father, a Methodist minister, was an amateur musician, and  was already an accomplished trumpeter by the time he finished high school, having performed with .  served a stint in the Air Force, during which time he played in a military band, and subsequently completed his bachelor's degree in music at Wayne State University in 1954. He moved to New York in 1955 to get his master's at the Manhattan School of Music, and soon began performing with pianist 's group. In December of that year, he was invited to join 's Jazz Messengers, filling a chair once held by his idol, , and .  also began his recording career during this period, leading several sessions (mostly for Savoy) and working often as a sideman, particularly at the Prestige label. He left the Jazz Messengers in 1956 and joined up with ; he went on to play with the likes of , , and , and also co-founded  with altoist  in 1957. In 1958,  signed an exclusive recording contract with Blue Note, and also formed a band with baritonist , who would remain 's regular partner until 1961. 's Blue Note debut was 1958's , and he and  collaborated on a series of excellent hard bop dates over the next three years, including  (1959),  (1960),  (1961), and  (also 1961), among others. Another 1961 recording, , found  giving a young  some of his earliest exposure. Following this burst of activity,  took a sabbatical to continue his studies in Europe, where he spent some time under the tutelage of the legendary French music educator . He returned to the U.S. in 1963 and recorded , a now-classic set that broke new ground by incorporating gospel choirs into its arrangements; its signature piece, "Cristo Redentor," became quite popular. In the mid-'60s,  focused more of his energies on teaching, and worked diligently to make jazz and its history a legitimate part of the college curriculum. He taught at Rutgers, Hampton, New York University, and Howard in the late '60s, and the last one remained a steady association for much of the '70s. In the meantime,  continued to record occasionally, cutting a final spate of hard bop albums over 1966-1967 that included  and .  also began to study African music, inspired partly by the emerging black-consciousness movement, and became interested in ' efforts to woo a younger audience (including 's own students) by experimenting with electronics and funk rhythms. Released in 1969,  found  using electric piano for the first time, with a spacy sound that recalled ' . Issued in 1970,  had more of a  flavor, and the jams on 1971's  were longer, funkier, and more aggressive. Byrd truly came into his own as a fusion artist when he hooked up with brothers  and , who began to handle production, writing, and some musical support duties. Their first collaboration was 1972's , an upbeat, funky blend of jazz and R&B. Jazz critics detested the album and called  all sorts of names, but the record was a smash hit; it became the biggest seller in Blue Note history, and just missed hitting number one on the R&B albums chart. In the wake of its success,  formed a supporting group, , who were culled from the cream of his music students at Howard University and recorded through the rest of the '70s.  went on to release a string of successful LPs in partnership with , including the imaginary blaxploitation soundtrack  (1974),  (1975), the much-lauded  (1976), and  (1977). All made the Top Ten on the R&B album charts, and the  single "Change (Makes You Wanna Hustle)" even got substantial play in discotheques. Jazz-funk fans revere this period in general, but usually reserve their highest praise for  and, especially, . As a side note to his musical career,  finished law school in 1976, and went on to teach at North Carolina Central University. Following ,  parted ways with Blue Note and  and moved to Elektra. He recorded several albums over 1978-1983, but even the most commercially successful, 1978's , didn't match the infectiousness of his Blue Note jazz-funk outings. In 1982,  received his Ph.D. from Columbia Teachers College. He spent a few years in the mid-'80s away from recording, due in part to ill health, but continued to teach, moving on to North Texas State and Delaware State. In the late '80s and early '90s,  returned to the hard bop of his early days on several sessions for the Landmark label. He participated in rapper 's  project in 1993, and with the advent of the jazz-rap movement and England's acid jazz revival, his '70s albums became hugely popular sources for samples. In the meantime,  continued his activities as a jazz educator. He died in February 2013 at the age of 80." - "This unusual set was one of the most successful uses of a gospel choir in a jazz context. Trumpeter  and a septet that includes tenor saxophonist , guitarist , and pianist  are joined by an eight-voice choir directed by Coleridge Perkinson. The arrangements by  are masterful and one song, "Cristo Redentor," became a bit of a hit. This is a memorable effort that is innovative in its own way, a milestone in 's career." - Sensational Personnel for the Septet Features Legendary Composer Donald Byrd on Trumpet, the Great Hank Mobley on Tenor Saxophone, Kenny Burrell on Guitar, Donald Best on Vibraphones, the Brilliant Herbie Hancock on Piano, Butch Warren on Bass and Lex Humphries on Drums! - Selections on Side One Are Original Donald Byrd Compositions Elijah & Beast of Burden at 10 Minutes 5 Seconds - Tracks for Side Two Consist of the Duke Pearson Classic Cristo Redentor, the Donald Byrd Penned the Black Disciple at 8 Minutes 10 Seconds and the Duke Pearson Song Chant - Used Copy, Cover Is Slightly Faded with a Light Surface Ring, Record Very Good++ - Stereo Recording, Product Code BST 84124 - California Residents Add 9.75% Sales Tax - International S & H Extra -