Donald Byrd Live at Montreux review

[CJ Shearn]

https://bit.ly/3WTMyyL

[Dan Gould]

Why is "Black Excellence" capitalized? 

No offense but you should consider another pass wearing your editor cap.

Since I won't be purchasing, that's my 2c.

[Rooster_Ties]

I’m not CJ, and I don’t know what’s ‘right’ — but right or wrong, I have a tendency to capitalize the ‘B’ in ‘Black’ in most cases when using it as shorthand for African American (just a habit I’ve had for 20-30 years) — and I’d do the same with Black British (a term I have less need to use).

That said, if I’m already capitalizing ‘Black’, I think(?) I would naturally be tempted to capitalize the ‘E’ in ‘Excellence’ too — because “Black Excellence” looks better to me than “Black excellence”.

Also, as it’s used here, doesn’t “Black Excellence” sort of feel like a collective noun almost?  Not technically probably right, but that feels right to me.

Anyway, I probably would have capitalized the whole term too — even if that’s not what style guides say to do (fwiw).

THAT SAID, there are a few other proofreading things I noticed too (though god knows I don’t proofread my own stuff enough most of the time).

[CJ Shearn]

Just now, Rooster_Ties said:

I’m not CJ, and I don’t know what’s ‘right’ — but right or wrong, I have a tendency to capitalize the ‘B’ in ‘Black’ in most cases when using it as shorthand for African American (just a habit I’ve had for 20-30 years) — and I’d do the same with Black British (a term I have less need to use).

That said, if I’m already capitalizing ‘Black’, I think(?) I would naturally be tempted to capitalize the ‘E’ in ‘Excellence’ too — because “Black Excellence” looks better to me than “Black excellence”.

Also, as it’s used here, doesn’t “Black Excellence” sort of feel like a collective noun almost?  Not technically probably right, but that feels right to me.

Anyway, I probably would have capitalized the whole term too — even if that’s not what style guides say to do (fwiw).

THAT SAID, there are a few other proofreading things I noticed too (though god knows I don’t proofread my own stuff enough most of the time).

I'll check out the other errors you may have mentioned

[JSngry]

Black is the color of my true love's caps.

[CJ Shearn]

5 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Why is "Black Excellence" capitalized? 

No offense but you should consider another pass wearing your editor cap.

Since I won't be purchasing, that's my 2c.

I sent you a PM.  

[Dan Gould]

CJ has explained to me about Black excellence. Whether it is normally capitalized is another question, judging from Google.

[CJ Shearn]

4 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I’m not CJ, and I don’t know what’s ‘right’ — but right or wrong, I have a tendency to capitalize the ‘B’ in ‘Black’ in most cases when using it as shorthand for African American (just a habit I’ve had for 20-30 years) — and I’d do the same with Black British (a term I have less need to use).

That said, if I’m already capitalizing ‘Black’, I think(?) I would naturally be tempted to capitalize the ‘E’ in ‘Excellence’ too — because “Black Excellence” looks better to me than “Black excellence”.

Also, as it’s used here, doesn’t “Black Excellence” sort of feel like a collective noun almost?  Not technically probably right, but that feels right to me.

Anyway, I probably would have capitalized the whole term too — even if that’s not what style guides say to do (fwiw).

THAT SAID, there are a few other proofreading things I noticed too (though god knows I don’t proofread my own stuff enough most of the time).

Not only that but Donald Byrd represented something that a lot of other jazz musicians didn't necessarily, he was more than a musician, a renaissance man who took the opportunities to expand himself using what was available to him. Cornel West, Dr. Claud Anderson and countless others I probably am not aware of are examples of this. And given that I am half Black myself it's only appropriate to capitalize. Maybe i hung around the Lenny White orbit a bit too long (I no longer do- still love the guy's music) but there was  a definite pro Black bias, in his Zoom group... there are experiences he's had as  a player and as a person I can't imagine 

[danasgoodstuff]

Nice work, as always, your passion comes thru loud and clear.  Still not my cuppa, but more palatable to me than DB's studio work with the Mizell Bros.  I probably shouldn't, but I have to say that DB's attempts here and elsewhere to be something more than a very good post-bop trumpet player mostly make him something less.  Not unlike Artie Shaw thinking he had something better to do than playing clarinet and bandleading, he didn't.  That said, I love Byrd's two excursions into choral music - New Perspective and Trying to Get Home.  Wonderfully quirky and totally his in a way the work with the Mizell Brothers just isn't for me, YMMV of course.

[clifford_thornton]

More curious about this record than I was. It's usually a treat to hear Byrd and Davis together -- they became quite close in Paris nearly a decade prior to Montreux. Keith Killgo is an excellent drummer -- recall him from Andrew White records, passed over various Mizell sessions he's on but I guess he was a regular in that context too.

Capitalize the B for sure. Editors be damned.

[CJ Shearn]

3 hours ago, danasgoodstuff said:

Nice work, as always, your passion comes thru loud and clear.  Still not my cuppa, but more palatable to me than DB's studio work with the Mizell Bros.  I probably shouldn't, but I have to say that DB's attempts here and elsewhere to be something more than a very good post-bop trumpet player mostly make him something less.  Not unlike Artie Shaw thinking he had something better to do than playing clarinet and bandleading, he didn't.  That said, I love Byrd's two excursions into choral music - New Perspective and Trying to Get Home.  Wonderfully quirky and totally his in a way the work with the Mizell Brothers just isn't for me, YMMV of course.

I think the Mizell Brothers work is what it is... this album is just a refreshing change of pace. I can't see myself getting too many of their sessions either but I sort of try to listen for what they are. This album is a fun listen. 

[felser]

5 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

 Keith Killgo is an excellent drummer -- recall him from Andrew White records, passed over various Mizell sessions he's on but I guess he was a regular in that context too.

Kevin Toney, the excellent pianist who plays on this also played with White (and both were in The Blackbyrds).

[clifford_thornton]

Ah, yes he did indeed!