Don Byas: Moon Nocturne—Quadromania Jazz Edition

Read About This Recording

Don Byas was one of the great tenor-saxophonists of the 1940s and '50s, nearly on the same level as Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young and Ben Webster. But the reason that he is not all that well known today is that Byas permanently left the United States in 1946 to move to Europe. Although he continued playing great overseas, he was largely forgotten in the U.S.

Byas began his career working with many different swing bands including those of Don Redman, Lucky Millinder, Andy Kirk and Count Basie. His tone was similar to Hawkins' while his choice of notes was a bit more modern, falling between swing and bop. He played regularly on 52nd Street during 1943-46, often leading his own combos. After moving to Europe, Byas lived in France, the Netherlands and Denmark, sometimes meeting up with traveling American greats while also heading a group comprised of talented Europeans.

The imported Quadromania four-CD set features Byas during 1945-46 and 1949-52, both in the U.S. and in Europe. Among the other musicians featured are trumpeters Buck Clayton and Peanuts Holland, trombonist Tyree Glenn, clarinetist Hubert Rostaing, pianists Johnny Guarnieri, Erroll Garner and Billy Taylor, bassists Slam Stewart and Pierre Michelot, drummers Sid Catlett and Max Roach and eight selections with Dizzy Gillespie. Throughout, Don Byas is the main star, displaying a large and warm tone along with strikingly original ideas. Highly recommended.

—Scott Yanow

Contents

Imported from Europe!

Remastered!

CD 1 (TT: 57:31): Deep Purple; Them There Eyes; Out of Nowhere; Three O'clock in the Morning; One' O'clock Jump; Harvard Blues; Slam-in' Around; Laura; Stardust; Slam, Don't Shake Like That; Dark Eyes; Embraceable You; The Sheik of Araby; Super Session; Melody in Swing; I Don't Know Why; London Donnie (Danny Boy); Old Folks; Cherokee.

CD 2 (TT: 55:22): September in the Rain; Living My Life; To Each His Own; They Say It's Wonderful; Cynthia's in Love; September Song; St. Louis Blues; I've Found a New Baby; Marie; Working Eyes; Gloria; The Mohawk Special; Yesterdays; Summertime; Talk of the Town; Stardust; A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody; Old Man River; Flamingo.

CD 3 (TT: 57:25): Just One of Those Things; Mean to Me; Live and Love Tonight; I Know That You Know; Blue Lou; You're Lucky to Me; Night and Day; The Man I Love; Georgia on My Mind; Easy to Love; Over the Rainbow; Where or When; Tenderly; C'est Vous Chérie; Trop Jeune (Too Young); Vanity; Because of You; Chloe; And So to Sleep Again.

CD 4 (TT: 52:02): Infidèle (Cry); Slow Coach; Un Amour Pleurait (Little White Cloud That Cried); This is Always; This is for Sale; En Ce Temps-Là; Là Bas; Cognac Blues; Cocktails for Two; Moon Nocturne; Sabla y Blu; Blue and Sentimental; Just One More Chance; Just Blues (One More Blues); Ain't Misbehavin'; You Can Depend on Me; That Old Feeling; Don't Blame Me.

Don Byas, Tenor Sax/Alto Sax; Dizzy Gillespie, Trumpet/Vocals; Buck Clayton, Peanuts Holland, Guy Longnon, Trumpets; Tyree Glenn, Trombone; Hubert Rostaing, Clarinet; Erroll Garner, Johnny Guarnieri, Teddy Brannon, Sanford Gold, Billy Taylor, Bernard Pfeiffer, Art Simmons, Christian Azzi, Maurice Vander, Pianos; Jean-Jacques Tilché, Jean-Pierre Sasson, Guitars; Eddie Safranski, Slam Stewart, Al Hall, Frank Skeete, Leonard Gaskin, Ted Sturgis, Jean Bouchety, Roger Grasset, Roland Bianchini, Popof Medvedko, Pierre Michelot, Joe Benjamin, Basses; Denzil Best, Doc West, J.C. Heard, Sid Catlett, Fred Radcliffe, Max Roach, Buford Oliver, Roger Paraboschi, Claude Marty, Moustache Galepides, Benny Bennett, Pierre Lemarchand, Bill Clark, Drums; Humberto Canto Morales, Conga; Don Byas' All-Star Quintet; Don Byas Quartet; Don Byas Orchestra; Saratoga Jazz Hounds; Don Byas & His Rhythm.