Don Byas: Complete 1946 - 1954 Paris Recordings

[mjzee]

Any thoughts on this box? I don't have much Byas.

[J.A.W.]

Released by Solid Jazz Records, another one of those European public-domain labels.

[JSngry]

No knowledge about that source, but the music is incredible, at least as much of it as I've heard.

Material no doubt taken from these sources, among others:

http://www.amazon.com/Bebop-Jazz-Paris-Byas/dp/B00005CF66/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_2

http://www.amazon.com/On-Blue-Star-Don-Byas/dp/B000008AI1/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_4

http://www.amazon.com/Don-Byas/dp/B00294J4DE/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_8

http://www.amazon.com/En-Ce-Temps-La-Jazz-Paris/dp/B00005UCKY/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_1

http://www.amazon.com/Laura-Don-Byas/dp/B0000507VA/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_2

.

[brownie]

Excellent set with a lot of great music!

Highly recommended!

[Big Beat Steve]

No doubt the music is fine (particularly for ballad fans) but upon a first cross-check with the Byas vinyl I have from that period and with other listings (such as the "Bebop (Jazz in Paris) CD linked above) I feel this is an odd compliation. Is it really complete?

Where are the "Mohawk Special" and "Peanut Butter Blues" tracks from the Oct. 16, 1946 session, for example?

Where is the Jan, 13,. 1947 session?

Due to the piecemeal reissue policy of the vinyl era I only have part of his Paris recordings and would have welcomed the opportunity of rounding up everything in one go but am a bit puzzled about this one. Not one to complain, given the price of this box set, but is it complete or isn't it?

[brownie]

BBS, the sides you list are not included in the set which has the Don Byas Quartet recordings only.

Exceptions are quintet sessions (June 12, 1947 - July 4, 1950 - April 19, 1951) when a guitarist (Jean-Jacques Tilché, Jean-Pierre Sasson) was added. These quintet sides are included in disc 3 of the set.

[king ubu]

Ah, interesting, I had similar questions as BBS - but I'll not get this one since I've got all three JiP as well as the Vogue discs and I think that's about as much as I really need from Byas' European recordings of that vintage.

I'd be all for a complete official set though, but I guess Mosaic would have long done it if they had ever planned to do it at all ... and if they had, no doubt the - long OOP - Definitive sets would have put their plans to full stop. Too bad, really!

[Big Beat Steve]

BBS, the sides you list are not included in the set which has the Don Byas Quartet recordings only.

Exceptions are quintet sessions (June 12, 1947 - July 4, 1950 - April 19, 1951) when a guitarist (Jean-Jacques Tilché, Jean-Pierre Sasson) was added. These quintet sides are included in disc 3 of the set.

Thanks, Brownie, I knew there was a criterion by which they'd be able to justify their selections, but I admit I had not thought of this (particularly since this means that sessions are ripped apart just because a horn sits out on this or that track). Even without looking closer at the individual track titles, it seems like this "quartet" policy (i.e Don Byas + rhythm) would lean heavily towards his balladeering. I'd agree with King Ubu - I have a fair share of this kind of his Blue Star and Vogue recordings on vinyl reissues and this will do for me for now.