Don Byas

[Caravan]

My Byas disco/sessionography can be viewed and downloaded here:

Don Byas, American recordings, 1938-1946:

http://tinyurl.com/pmcobq

Don Byas, European recordings, 1946-1972:

http://tinyurl.com/qskn6t

Comments, additions and corrections are welcome and will be acknowledged in

future (updated) versions.

[Victor Christensen]

Don Byas, my man, reminds of one unforgetable night in Montmartre here in Copenhagen, Dex had the gig and Byas and Paul Gonsalves sat in, they were battling until 4 in morning, Byas with no shirt on in the end, it was a really cutting contenst, I have never before or later seen anything like that, three topclass tenors trying to cut each other. I have been together with Byas in private, he was small but so strong with a temper and he would always challenge to you to a game of checkers, he was a master of that board game. Oh those longgone days.

Vic

[Chuck Nessa]

Reminds me of Dexter, Jug and Ammons.

[Stereojack]

Reminds me of Dexter, Jug and Ammons.

How's that again?

[Hoppy T. Frog]

Reminds me of Dexter, Jug and Ammons.

How's that again?

or Mother, Juggs, and Speed.

[Hoppy T. Frog]

Also, I don't think anybody said that the documentary was in Dutch. Oddly enough, I thought it was just weirdly-accented English at first, which just solidifies my belief that Dutch is just misspelled English.

Edited February 13, 2010 by Hoppy T. Frog

[Chuck Nessa]

Reminds me of Dexter, Jug and Ammons.

How's that again?

Sorry - Dexter, Jug and Byas. You know the story Jack.

Unfortunately I can't blame the error on Courvoisier, Byas's drink at the time!

Edited February 13, 2010 by Chuck Nessa

[bichos]

here is some fine don byas that i have never seen before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhKF7uxYJo8

according to meeker that must be "jazz sur la cote dázur", a french tv broadcast from 1963 with guy boyer, robert sola, nino ferrari and peter giger. "lover man"+"autumn leaves".

keep boppin´

marcel

[Clunky]

My Byas disco/sessionography can be viewed and downloaded here:

Don Byas, American recordings, 1938-1946:

http://tinyurl.com/pmcobq

Don Byas, European recordings, 1946-1972:

http://tinyurl.com/qskn6t

Comments, additions and corrections are welcome and will be acknowledged in

future (updated) versions.

thanks- looks very interesting , I'll need to dig out my Byas 78s on Super Disc and Jamboree to see where they fall in his discography

[brownie]

here is some fine don byas that i have never seen before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhKF7uxYJo8

according to meeker that must be "jazz sur la cote dázur", a french tv broadcast from 1963 with guy boyer, robert sola, nino ferrari and peter giger. "lover man"+"autumn leaves".

keep boppin´

marcel

Great!

Never saw that one either (with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Jo Jones, etc...) from the same source:

Don Byas Documentary

[bichos]

"tcb" records has released in their "swiss radio days jazz series" now vol. 23: "bill coleman/don byas at théatre bel-air, lausanne february 11, 1949". a new item in the discography of byas. he was together with coleman and michel de villers, geo daly, bernard peiffer, jean bouchety, roger paraboschi and pops whitman on tour in this days. toghether with the concerts at the ina archive and here it´s one concert more from this band on tour.

keep boppin´

marcel

Edited February 19, 2011 by bichos

[Brownian Motion]

"tcb" records has released in their "swiss radio days jazz series" now vol. 23: "bill coleman/don byas at théatre bel-air, lausanne february 11, 1949". a new item in the discography of byas. he was together with coleman and michel de villers, geo daly, bernard peiffer, jean bouchety, roger paraboschi and pops whitman on tour in this days. toghether with the concerts at the ina archive and here it´s one concert more from this band on tour.

keep boppin´

marcel

Byas and Coleman were very complementary late-swing musicians, and both were in prime form in the 1940s. And in fact this lineup, minus the vibes and alto sax, made some enduring studio sides in 1949, including a stellar performance of What Is This Thing Called Love, so I had high hopes for this CD. But for me, it doesn't quite live up to expectations, mainly because the sound engineering doesn't sound professional, and soloists are often off-mike.

Edited February 20, 2011 by Brownian Motion

[Brownian Motion]

"tcb" records has released in their "swiss radio days jazz series" now vol. 23: "bill coleman/don byas at théatre bel-air, lausanne february 11, 1949". a new item in the discography of byas. he was together with coleman and michel de villers, geo daly, bernard peiffer, jean bouchety, roger paraboschi and pops whitman on tour in this days. toghether with the concerts at the ina archive and here it´s one concert more from this band on tour.

keep boppin´

marcel

Byas and Coleman were very complementary late-swing musicians, and both were in prime form in the 1940s. And in fact this lineup, minus the vibes and alto sax, made some enduring studio sides in 1949, including a stellar performance of What Is This Thing Called Love, so I had high hopes for this CD. But for me, it doesn't quite live up to expectations, partly because the sound engineering doesn't sound professional, and soloists are often off-mike.

I just listened to this CD a second time, and while the sound is not as bad as I remembered, the overall performances remain uneven, and Peiffer's piano playing, which is given three solo features, is not very interesting.

[king ubu]

Wot? Peiffer not interesting? I've not heard this new release but Peiffer not interesting, that's about the last thing I'd ever think of!

There's another new one in TCB's Swiss Radio Days series, btw, with Mangelsdorff and François Jeanneau featured - separately - with a Swiss rhythm section... also last year Vol. 21 came out, featuring Tony Scott and Sal Nisctico - still have to get all three, as well as some older ones, too.

[Late]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1LHw551HDA

Nice.

[jeffcrom]

And I had never noticed until looking at the back photo of the Savoy Jam Party two-fer LP this morning that Don Byas had the coolest octave key ever - a custom-made snake. (I found one mention of it from back in 2004, in another thread.) Check out the back of the album or see the picture below.

[JSngry]

[Cyril]

Here's more about  Don Byas

[Cyril]

Don Byas died in Amsterdam in 1972 from lung cancer, aged 59.
Byas’ Dolnet tenor saxophone (purchased from his widow, Jopie Byas-Eksteen ) is on display at Rutgers University’s Institute of Jazz Studies.

[Teasing the Korean]

I don't have the source(s) handy, but I have read that had he been able to record during the 1942-44 recording ban, Byas would have received much wider recognition as a bebop pioneer.  I'm no expert on this, so I would be interested to hear some responses to this. 

[Cyril]

It's possible, Teasing. Even Bird called him a source of inspiration. But  Byas left America at the top of his fame.

[Hardbopjazz]

Does anyone know if this is a recording of Don Byas that has been released? The details are in French.  

 

•  Titre : L'Edouard's Jazz BAND , Don BYAS et le Quartet de Jack DIEVAL 
•  Titre de l'émission : Jazz parade 
•  Date d'enregistrement : mercredi 29/12/1948 
•  Lieu d'enregistrement : Paris, théâtre Edouard VII 
•  Durée : 00:48:20 
•  Résumé : - A 0' : générique début émission - 0'11 : Georges BEAUME présente "Jazz parade": retransmission différée du concert dominical donné au théâtre Edouard VII sous le patronnage du Hot Club de Paris - 0'24 : émission donnée avec le concours de l'Edouard's Jazz BAND et de Don BYAS (saxophone ténor) accompagné par le quartet de Jack DIEVAL (piano) avec Hubert FOL (saxophone alto) - 0'57 : "Flying home" par l'Edouard Jazz BAND avec Bernard PFEIFFER (piano), Michel de VILLERS (saxophone alto), Géo DALY (vibraphone), Roger PARABOSCHI (batterie), Jean BOUCHETY (contrebasse) / présentation des musiciens sur le début du morceau + applaudissements - 6'27 : "The chase" + applaudissements - 11'41 : l'Edouard's Jazz BAND sans Géo DALY et Michel de VILLERS, interprète "Just quiz me" (morceau coupé) - 15'49 : autre morceau par la formation au complet (à 16'34, huées du public et intervention de Georges BAUME à cause du photographe) ; applaudissements - 20'44 : l'Edouard's Jazz BAND, rappelé par le public, interprète un dernier morceau (coupé sur la voix de Bernard PFEIFFER au chant) - 24'32 : interview du trompettiste Rex STEWART (en anglais, traduit par Charles DELAUNAY dont on entend très mal La voix), il donne son avis sur la qualité du jazz joué en France, cite ses musiciens français préférés. Le trompettiste évoque également son admiration pour le saxophoniste ténor Don BYAS - 27'39 : interprétation avec Don BYAS et du Quartet de Jack DIEVAL avec Hubert FOL au saxophone alto "Embraceable you" (?) + applaudissements - A 31'09 : autres morceaux (coupés) + applaudissements - A 44'21 : "How high the moon" - 47'36 : désannonce et générique fin
 

[Dan Gould]

 

Summary: - A 0 ': opening credits - 0'11: Georges BEAUME presents "Jazz parade": delayed retransmission of the Sunday concert at the Edouard VII theater under the patronage of the Hot Club de Paris - 0'24: program given with the Edouard's Jazz BAND contest and Don BYAS (tenor saxophone) accompanied by the quartet of Jack DIEVAL (piano) with Hubert FOL (alto saxophone) - 0'57: "Flying home" by Edouard Jazz BAND with Bernard PFEIFFER (piano), Michel de VILLERS (alto saxophone), Géo DALY (vibraphone), Roger PARABOSCHI (drums), Jean BOUCHETY (double bass) / presentation of the musicians on the beginning of the piece + applause - 6'27: "The chase" + applause - 11'41: Edouard's Jazz BAND without Geo DALY and Michel de VILLERS, performer "Just quiz me" (cut song) - 15'49: another piece by the complete training (at 16'34, public boos) and intervention of Georges BAUME because of the photographer); applause - 20'44: Edouard's Jazz BAND, recalled by the audience, performs a final piece (cut on the voice of Bernard PFEIFFER on vocals) - 24'32: interview with trumpet player Rex STEWART (translated by Charles DELAUNAY which one hears very badly The voice), it gives its opinion on the quality of the jazz played in France, quotes its French favorite musicians. The trumpet player also evokes his admiration for the tenor saxophonist Don BYAS - 27'39: interpretation with Don BYAS and the Quartet of Jack DIEVAL with Hubert FOL on the alto saxophone "Embraceable you" (?) + Applause - A 31'09: more tracks (cut) + applause - A 44'21: "How high the moon" - 47'36: disallow and generic end

[Hardbopjazz]

I couldn't this on an issue recording. Thanks for posting the translation Dan.

[EKE BBB]

On 22/5/2018 at 3:39 PM, Hardbopjazz said:

Does anyone know if this is a recording of Don Byas that has been released? The details are in French.  

 

•  Titre : L'Edouard's Jazz BAND , Don BYAS et le Quartet de Jack DIEVAL 
•  Titre de l'émission : Jazz parade 
•  Date d'enregistrement : mercredi 29/12/1948 
•  Lieu d'enregistrement : Paris, théâtre Edouard VII 
•  Durée : 00:48:20 
•  Résumé (...)
 

It hasn't, according to Kees Hazevoet's Don Byas discography ("Part 2: European recordings - 1946-1972")