Charlie Byrd - Byrd & Brazil

[GA Russell]

As I've discussed elsewhere, I particularly enjoy bossa nova during the warm weather of summertime. I know that some of you prefer imported CDs of Brazilian bossa nova, but I prefer American bossa nova. So I want to give you a heads up regarding a 2 CD set Concord issued last year.

It's called Byrd & Brazil, and it is made up of two albums, Sugarloaf Suite Suite and Brazilville.

Sugarloaf Suite was recorded in August of '79 at the Concord Jazz Festival, and features the Charlie Byrd Trio, with Joe Byrd on bass and Wayne Phillips on drums.

No surprises in the music. It's what you would expect from Charlie Byrd. It's well done and very relaxing. Songs include Triste, Favela, Saudade de Bahia and Gentle Rain.

Brazilville was recorded in May of '81 at Byrd's club Charlie's Georgetown in DC. It features the trio with Joe Byrd again on bass and Charles Redd on drums, augmented by Bud Shank on alto.

This is a terrific album. I saw someone list it as his favorite Bud Shank album on the One Artist - One Album thread. Everyone is in fine form. Songs include What Are You Doing For the Rest of Your Life, Zingaro, Speak Low, How Insensitive, Yesterdays, and something by Oscar Castro Neves I was not familiar with called Saquarema.

I can recommend this to anyone who, like me, likes American bossa nova, but maybe is getting a little tired of the forty year old Verves we've had for so long.

Edited July 6, 2005 by GA Russell

[RonF]

One more good one from Charlie Byrd in the same vein, My Inspiration, Music of Brazil with Romero Lubambo and Scott Hamilton - Concord '99.

[GA Russell]

Ron, I have a lot of fondness for Charlie Byrd. I saw him in Pittsburgh the fall of '76, and it was a lot of fun to see such a great talent make it look easy.

I'm not aware of the album you mention. In fact, all of his Concord albums flew below my radar when they came out. I vaguely remember his making some albums with two other guitarists, I think Herb Ellis was one.

He made plenty of mainstream albums, but my favorites are his bossa nova ones. About 1970 I picked up a compilation called Guitar Artistry which was an ABC reissue of mainstream Riverside material. I also bought not too long after that a Milestone (Riverside) twofer of bossa nova albums, one album of which was reissued as an OJC. That was good, but he was playing with a string orchestra, which is not my ideal. I heard a similar album with strings on Columbia around 1968 which was OK but didn't excite me.

I can highly recommend an album he did on Fantasy about 1974 with Cal Tjader called Tambu. That was reissued as an OJC, and I should have mentioned it on Chuck's OJC thread. Great music!

EDIT to give props to Jazz Samba with Stan Getz! But everybody already knows about that one.

Edited July 7, 2005 by GA Russell

[RonF]

Ron, I have a lot of fondness for Charlie Byrd.  I saw him in Pittsburgh the fall of '76, and it was a lot of fun to see such a great talent make it look easy.

I'm not aware of the album you mention.  In fact, all of his Concord albums flew below my radar when they came out.  I vaguely remember his making some albums with two other guitarists, I think Herb Ellis was one.

He made plenty of mainstream albums, but my favorites are his bossa nova ones.  About 1970 I picked up a compilation called Guitar Artistry which was an ABC reissue of mainstream Riverside material.  I also bought not too long after that a Milestone (Riverside) twofer of bossa nova albums, one album of which was reissued as an OJC.  That was good, but he was playing with a string orchestra, which is not my ideal.  I heard a similar album with strings on Columbia around 1968 which was OK but didn't excite me.

I can highly recommend an album he did on Fantasy about 1974 with Cal Tjader called Tambu.  That was reissued as an OJC, and I should have mentioned it on Chuck's OJC thread.  Great music!

EDIT to give props to Jazz Samba with Stan Getz!  But everybody already knows about that one.

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I will have to find the '74 Tambu with Tjader on OJC. Sounds terrific. I was fortunate enough to see Charlie at Concerts By The Sea in Redondo Beach right around the same time - '75 or '76. A unforgettable, special evening. Thanks for the info!

[Ron S]

I vaguely remember his making some albums with two other guitarists, I think Herb Ellis was one.

This is the first--and most famous--of those albums (that's Joe Byrd on electric bass):

It and the subsequent ones are still available on CD.

Edited July 8, 2005 by Ron S

[GA Russell]

Thanks, RonS! Do you recommend it?

[Ron S]

Thanks, RonS!  Do you recommend it?

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I do, for someone who's into jazz guitar. I've had it for a few months, and have only listened to it once or twice. Charlie's not on all the tracks and, as I recall, the tracks I liked the best were not necessarily the ones he was on (e.g., the boogie woogie piece played by Kessel and Ellis). You can read the AMG review and listen to track samples here.