Artist

Donald Byrd

71

Releases

About

American jazz trumpeter, composer, bandleader and educator.

Born: 9 December 1932 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Died: 4 February 2013 in Dover, Delaware, USA (aged 80).

Byrd attended Cass Tech, where he studied classical music and was mentored by the band director [a=Dr. Harry Begian], a disciplinarian. He played trumpet in military bands during a stint in the Air Force from 1951–1953, before graduating from Wayne State University in 1954 with a music degree. Like other young Detroit jazz musicians, he also studied with bebop pianist Barry Harris.

Byrd's warmly burnished sound, fluent technique and aggressive-yet-graceful swing was rooted in the style of Clifford Brown, but his gangly, rhythmically loose phrasing was a unique calling card right from the get-go. As Byrd matured in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he tempered his hummingbird flourishes with a cooler sensibility and phrasing.

Byrd recorded prolifically both as a sideman and a leader, appearing on scores of recordings on the Savoy Records, Savoy Records, Savoy Records and Savoy Records labels. He led a feisty quintet with his old pal from Detroit, baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, from 1958–1961. Byrd also gave a young pianist from Chicago named Herbie Hancock his first major exposure by hiring him in 1961.

As a composer, Byrd was proficient in church-inspired shouts, funky and sophisticated blues forms and structurally interesting originals. He had a wider field of vision than many of his peers, exemplified by his influential 1963 LP, “A New Perspective” (Blue Note), which married his small group with a gospel choir.

Byrd never stopped going to school. He earned a master's degree in music education from the Manhattan School of Music in the late 1950s, studied composition with the famous classical pedagogue Nadia Boulanger in France in the early 1960s, earned a law degree from Howard University in 1976 and a doctorate from Columbia Teachers College in New York in the early 1980s.

Beginning in the 1960s, Byrd taught at many universities, most notably Rutgers, Howard and North Carolina Central.

By the early 1970s, Byrd had begun exploring a danceable fusion of jazz, R&B and soul. In 1973, he teamed with current and former students at Howard, where he was chairman of the black music department, to make the best-selling LP “Black Byrd”. Produced by brothers Larry Mizell & Fonce Mizell, the record and its sequels elevated Byrd into a crossover star.

Data provided by Discogs

Top Tracks

Most popular songs on Last.fm

1

Think Twice

Donald Byrd

2

Wind Parade

Donald Byrd

3

Places and Spaces

Donald Byrd

4

Where Are We Going?

Donald Byrd

5

Black Byrd

Donald Byrd

6

Dominoes

Donald Byrd

7

I'm A Fool To Want You - 2006 Digital Remaster

Donald Byrd

8

Cristo Redentor - Remastered

Donald Byrd

9

Love Has Come Around

Donald Byrd

10

Cristo Redentor

Donald Byrd

Setlists

Recent live performances · data from Setlist.fm

Setlist data provided by Setlist.fm

September 2, 2006

Washington Park

Chicago, Illinois, United States

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September 30, 1995

House of Blues

West Hollywood, California, United States

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April 26, 1995

S.O.B.s

New York, New York, United States

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August 11, 1993

Hollywood Bowl

Los Angeles, California, United States

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July 1, 1993

Escape

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

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Donald Byrd has released 71+ albums. Some of their notable releases include Flight Time To Landing - The 73 Boston Broadcast, Cookin' With Blue Note At Montreux, Eight Classic Albums. Explore their complete discography on this page.

Some of Donald Byrd's most popular tracks include Think Twice, Wind Parade, Places and Spaces, Where Are We Going?, Black Byrd. Listen to these songs and discover more from their extensive catalog.

American jazz trumpeter, composer, bandleader and educator.Born: 9 December 1932 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.Died: 4 February 2013 in Dover, Delaware, USA (aged 80).Byrd attended Cass Tech, where he stu... Read the full biography on this page.

You can find Donald Byrd vinyl records and merchandise on eBay. We feature a curated selection of vinyl releases and collectibles available for purchase.

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