DON BYAS – 1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 910 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bookended by several pleasant yet minor blues and pop vocals by Albina Jones and Ruble Blakey, this Classics Don Byas disc finds the unsung tenor great on the eve of his indefinite stay in Europe. Having cut his teeth in the bands of Lionel Hampton, Andy Kirk, and Count Basie, among others, Byas marked the end of the war with several fine combo recordings spotlighting his boppish swing blowing style. Here is a generous chunk from 1945, featuring a few different lineups and the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Buck Clayton, Errol Garner, Slam Stewart, and Sid Catlett. Byas is in top form throughout, plying his smoky and slightly tart tone on ballads like "Laura," while showing off a lithe brand of swing on an up-tempo "The Sheik of Araby." Not as solid as Classics' 1944-1945 volume, but still a fine selection for Byas completists. Stephen Cook
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DON BYAS – 1945, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 959 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas openly claimed to represent a third stream of tenor sax, somewhere between Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. In truth, he sounded most like the mature Hawkins, also sharing stylistic traits with Pres, Budd Johnson, Lucky Thompson and Ben Webster. Most importantly, he sounded like himself. Four sides recorded for the "Jamboree" label in October 1945 feature the extraordinary piano of Johnny Guarnieri. "Once in a While" comes across like a lullaby compared to the rip-snorting "Avalon," notable for J.C. Heard's fiery drumming. "Blue and Sentimental," forever associated with Count Basie's star tenor saxophonist Herschel Evans, is soulfully rendered here. "Melancholy Baby" sounds a lot like the kind of records Hawkins was making for the Keynote label in 1945 -- this recording, in fact, could effectively be used to stump jazz experts during blindfold tests. In a remarkable follow-up, the next session turns Erroll Garner loose in the company of Slam Stewart and Harold "Doc" West. The Savoy session (after Byas stretches out with "Candy" all to himself) features trumpeter Benny Harris. "How High the Moon" bristles with be bop changes, and "Donby" is recognizable as Byas' extension of Juan Tizol's "Perdido." "Byas a Drink" is a sort of be bop rhumba. In a strange chronology defying maneuver -- and without altering the title of the CD -- Classics has tacked on two sessions from 1944. Throughout his career, trumpeter Emmett Berry was almost never designated as a leader. On August 31 1944, the quintet bearing his name was graced with a rhythm section consisting of Dave Rivera, Milt Hinton and J.C. Heard. The music speaks of new ideas in the making, even if Berry swings rather than bops. Recorded on 12 " 78 rpm records allowing for nearly four minutes per side, the Cyril Haynes Sextet, starring Byas and the nearly forgotten trumpeter Dick Vance, featured electrified guitar solos by Al Casey with strong rhythmic support from -- once again -- Harold "Doc" West. Here, then, is a fat parcel of solid sessions from the life of Don Byas, well-worth hearing again and again. arwulf arwulf  
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SLAM STEWART – 1945-1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 939 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For all the appearances Slam Stewart made on other people's records, there weren't a whole lot of recordings issued under his name. What you get in this package are five different bands, each operating with one foot in the swing tradition and the other firmly planted on the new ground that critics and journalists called "be-bop." The Savoy session of January 30, 1945, is precious for the presence of Erroll Garner. "Play Fiddle Play" closely resembles "Bassology," recorded a few years earlier with Slim Gaillard. The resemblance comes during the last minute or so, as Stewart gradually works his way into the highest notes obtainable on the instrument until he has it sounding like a viola. "Laff Slam Slam" grows out of a simple set of variations on "Volga Boat Men." A quintet recording for the Continental label in May and July of 1945 featured Johnny Guarnieri and Red Norvo. The pianist sings "Honeysuckle Rose" in close imitation of Fats Waller, saying "Yaz!" so much that it almost becomes irritating. This mimetic act was probably entertaining at cocktail parties, but like most Waller impersonations, it probably won't feel right to anyone who really knows and loves Fats Waller. Still and all, Guarnieri was one hell of a piano player. Leonard Feather composed quite a number of the tunes heard here. His "Mood to Be Stewed" is a wistful walk, while "The Voice of the Turtle" moves boldly over modern bop terrain, something with which Norvo was quite comfortable at the time. "On the Upside Looking Down" is remarkably cool and magnetically charged. "A Bell for Norvo" is quite an excursion -- they really cook! "Haw Haw" sounds like it was based on "Paper Moon," "Dozin'" is an ethereal reverie, and "The One That Got Away" is fast and frisky, with Guarnieri demonstrating his ability to produce first-rate stride piano. Garner returned for a trio session with Harold "Doc" West in September of 1945, creating four sides that fit in nicely with everything else being recorded for the tiny Manor record label (see Dizzy Gillespie 1945, Classics 888). "Blue, Brown and Beige" feels a little bit like "Satin Doll" and the eccentric "Three Blind Micesky" is pure delight. The last four tracks on this wonderful collection were recorded in April of 1946 for the Musicraft label, with young Billy Taylor at the piano. The bop element is stronger than ever. "Doctor Foo" seems only circumstantially related to Coleman Hawkins' "Meet Doctor Foo," although a closer comparison of the two compositions is probably in order. "Coppin' Out" shares many modern characteristics with Dizzy Gillespie's "Be Bop" and with certain ideas then being developed by Bud Powell. "Oh Me, Oh My, Oh Gosh," with a vocal by Stewart and the band, is a rare example of Stewart taking a vocal without simultaneously bowing the bass. It comes as a pleasant surprise and a tasteful conclusion to this most enjoyable portrait of Leroy Elliott "Slam" Stewart. arwulf arwulf
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