Byas,Don Don Byas Collection 1939-61 CD

Don Byas was one of the most highly-regarded tenor sax players of his generation - he had a distinctive sound and a technique that enabled him to swing with effortless smoothness, yet with the dexterity and dynamics that enabled him to bridge the musical divide between swing and bebop. Hailed as one of the most exciting and brilliant new tenor stars during the early '40s' he became ubiquitous in New York studios on sessions alongside the luminaries of the era, before visiting Europe with Don Redman and deciding to stay there. He became hugely popular with the large audience of jazz enthusiasts in France, where he performed and recorded for 15 years or more - his absence from the USA explains the lower profile his reputation enjoys alongside some of his exalted contemporaries. However, he was one of the great jazz stylists of the era, and this collection brings together examples of his work both with his own small groups and with other leaders' ensembles over more than two decades, and featuring performances by some of the big names of jazz with whom he played

1. Wee Bit of Swing 2. Wham Re Bop Boom Bam 3. Practice Makes Perfect 4. Something New 5. Sugar Blues 6. Breaks 7. On the Sunny Side of the Street 8. Dance of the Tambourine 9. Riffin' and Jivin' 10. 1944 Stomp 11. Swing Street 12. These Foolish Things 13. Memories of You 14. That's the Blues 15. Salt Peanuts 16. Be-Bop 17. You Call It Madness 18. S.K. Blues, Pt. 2 19. Now's the Time 20. I Got Rhythm 21. Out of Nowhere 22. Harvard Blues 23. Slam-In Around 24. Laura 25. Melody in Swing 26. My Melancholy Baby 27. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams 28. Candy 29. Sophisticated Lady 30. Gone with the Wind 31. Ol Man Rebop 32. Cherokee 33. September in the Rain 34. September Song 35. Gloria 36. Body and Soul 37. I Surrender, Dear 38. Walking Around 39. Stormy Weather 40. Yesterdays 41. Lover Man 42. Where or When 43. I Can't Give You Anything But Love 44. Them There Eyes 45. Lullaby of the Leaves 46. Indiana [Jazz Festival Du Cannes "Tenor Conclave"] 47. Jackie My Little Cat