Tag Archives: Jaki Byard

Listening Room – “The Jaki Byard Experience”

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Jaki Byard – “Parisian Thoroughfare”

Jaki Byard – “Shine On Me”

Jaki Byard – “Memories Of You”

From “The Jaki Byard Experience” : 1968 : Prestige PR 7615

It is easy to see why Jaki Byard’s collaboration with Roland Kirk (in his pre-Rahsaan days) resulted in one of his finest albums.  Besides being one of the great unsung pianists in jazz history, Byard’s solo output is often overlooked in comparison with his contemporaries.  The album opener, the Bud Powell classic Parisian Thoroughfare, starts off like a fist fight between the band, but then evolves into a beautiful and emotional rendition of the oft-covered tune.  Shine on Me is a traditional early jazz tune given a nice modern twist, while the real gem of the album might be the duet between Byard and Kirk on the standard Memories of You (check out Kirk’s tone on the saxophone!).  It is obvious that these two ultra-talented guys enjoyed and respected each other’s company in the studio and it really comes through both on the duet and the album as a whole.

Players:
Jaki Byard – Piano
Roland Kirk – Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Manzello, Whistle, Kirkbam
Richard Davis – Bass
Alan Dawson – Drums

Listening Room – Rip, Rig and Panic

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Rip, Rig and Panic

Rahsaan Roland Kirk – “From Bechet, Byas and Fats”

Rahsaan Roland Kirk – “Rip, Rig and Panic”

From “Rip, Rig and Panic” : 1965 :  Limelight Records LM 82207

This 1965 avant-garde classic by Rahsaan Roland Kirk (when he was still just Roland Kirk) finds him backed by the ultra-talented combo of Jaki Byard, Richard Davis and Elvin Jones.  All of Kirk’s recordings should be of interest to those that like their jazz outside of the box, but “Rip, Rig and Panic” is a great introduction to the unique talents of one of jazz’s true exploring spirits.

Players:
Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Tenor Sax, Flute, Oboe, Stritch, Manzello, Siren, Castanets
Jaki Byard – Piano
Richard Davis – Bass
Elvin Jones – Drums

Listening Room – “Jaki Byard Quartet Live!”

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The Jaki Byard Quartet Live!

Jaki Byard – “Alan’s Got Rhythm”

Jaki Byard – “Twelve”

From “Jaki Byard Quartet Live!” : 1994 : Prestige 24121

For some ridiculous reason this CD compilation of two live recordings (“Live! At Lennie’s, Vol. 1″ and “Live! At Lennie’s Vol. 2″) by the Jaki Byard Quartet is currently out of print.   The shows were recorded in 1965 at Lennie’s-on-the-Turnpike in Massachussets and all the players – especially Joe Farrell on tenor sax, soprano sax and flute – are in top form.  Jaki Byard (who had recently ended a very fruitful stint playing with Charles Mingus) shows off all of his many skills on the piano and keeps the audience and the players on their toes.  Track this recording down if you can.

Players:
Joe Farrell – Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute
Jakie Byard – Piano
George Tucker – Bass
Alan Dawson – Drums

Listening Room – “Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus”

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Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus

Charles Mingus – “IX Love”

Charles Mingus – “Celia”

From “Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus” : 1963 : Impulse Records

This is one of three albums that Charles Mingus released on Impulse Records in the early 60′s. For this 1963 record, Mingus looked back and revisited some of his better known compositions. What made this session more than just the re-imagining of past tunes was the stellar band Mingus assembled, one of his best, that included Eric Dolphy, Jaki Byard and Dannie Richmond.

Players:
Charles Mingus – Bass & Piano
Rolf Ericson, Richard Williams – Trumpet
Quentin Jackson – Trombone
Don Butterfield – Tuba
Jerome Richardson – Baritone Sax
Dick Hafner – Tenor Sax, Flute
Eric Dolphy – Alto Sax, Flute
Booker Ervin – Tenor Sax
Charles Mariano – Alto Sax
Jaki Byard – Piano
Jay Berliner – Guitar
Dannie Richmond – Drums