Donald Byrd – Off to the Races (1959)

Blue Note – BLP 4007Rec. Date : December 21, 1958 Trumpet : Donald ByrdAlto Sax : Jackie McLeanBaritone Sax : Pepper AdamsBass : Sam JonesDrums : Art TaylorPiano : Wynton Kelly Strictlyheadies : July 08, 2019Stream this Album Billboard : 03/30/1959Three Stars This is Donald Byrd’s first waxing as a leader and his first for the label since his trip to Europe last

Dizzy Reece – Blues in Trinity (1959)

Blue Note – BLP 4006Rec. Date : August 24, 1958 Trumpet : Dizzy Reece, Donald ByrdBass : Lloyd ThompsonDrums : Art TaylorPiano : Terry ShannonTenor Sax : Tubby Hayes Strictlyheadies : July 06, 2019Stream this Album AudioCharles A. Robertson : August, 1959 Dizzy Reece, on arriving in 1948 from Kingston, Jamaica, started from scratch and now enjoys considerable respect among the home

Art Blakey – Holiday for Skins, Volume 2 (1959)

Blue Note – BLP 4005Rec. Date : 11/09/1958 Drums : Art Blakey, Art Taylor, Philly Joe JonesBass : Wendell MarshallBongos/Congas : Sabú Martinez, Ray Barretto, Conguito Vincente, Victor Gonzales, Julio MartinezMaracas : Andy DelannoyPiano : Ray BryantTimbales : Fred PaganiTrumpet : Donald Byrd Strictlyheadies : July 5, 2019Stream this Album Down Beat : 08/20/1959John A. Tynan : 2.5 stars Well now… For the benefit of

Art Blakey – Holiday for Skins, Volume 1 (1959)

Blue Note – BLP 4004Rec. Date : 11/09/1958 Drums : Art Blakey, Art Taylor, Philly Joe JonesBass : Wendell MarshallBongos/Congas : Sabú Martinez, Ray Barretto, Conguito Vincente, Victor Gonzales, Julio MartinezMaracas : Andy DelannoyPiano : Ray BryantTimbales : Fred PaganiTrumpet : Donald Byrd Strictlyheadies : July 4, 2019Stream this Album Cashbox : 07/04/1959Jazz Pick of the Week Take three jazz drummers (Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Art Taylor),

Hank Mobley – Jazz Message #2 (1957)

Savoy – MG 12092Rec. Dates : July 23, 1956, November 7, 1956Stream this Album Tenor Sax : Hank MobleyBass : Doug WatkinsDrums : Kenny Clarke, Art TaylorPiano : Barry Harris, Hank JonesTrumpet : Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan   Billboard : 05/27/1957Score of 74 A blowing session of some heat and significance on material in the hard, clipped, boppish idiom. Lengthiness of tracks lend

Horace Silver – Silver’s Blue (1957)

Epic – LN 3326Rec. Dates : July 2, 1956, July 17, 1956, July 18, 1956Stream this Album Piano : Horace SilverBass : Doug WatkinsDrums : Kenny Clarke, Art TaylorTenor Sax : Hank MobleyTrumpet : Joe Gordon, Donald Byrd Billboard : 03/30/1957Score of 77 The Silver-Byrd combination, offshoot of the old Jazz Messengers, is all over the place these weeks, and is featured here, except

Don Byrd / Gigi Gryce – Jazz Lab (1957)

Columbia – CL 998Rec. Dates : January 13, 1957, February 4 & 5, 1957, March 13, 1957 Stream this Album Trumpet : Donald ByrdAlto Sax : Gigi GryceBaritone Sax : Sahib ShihabBass : Wendell MarshallDrums : Art TaylorFrench Horn : Julius WatkinsPiano : Wade Legge, Tommy FlanaganTrombone : Jimmy Cleveland, Benny PowellTuba : Don Butterfield

The Jazz Messengers – The Jazz Messengers (1956)

Columbia – CL 897Rec. Dates : April 6, 1956, May 4, 1956 Stream this Album Drums : Art BlakeyBass : Doug WatkinsPiano : Horace SilverTenor Sax : Hank MobleyTrumpet : Donald Byrd Billboard : 12/01/1956Spotlight on… selection The Messengers’ first Columbia album carries on in the brilliant, free-wheeling fashion that attracted so much critical admiration

Kenny Clarke – Bohemia After Dark (1955)

Savoy – MG 12017Rec. Dates : June 28, 1955, July 14, 1955 Stream this Album Drums : Kenny ClarkeAlto Sax : Cannonball AdderleyBass : Paul ChambersCornet : Nat AdderleyFlute : Jerome RichardsonPiano : Horace Silver, Hank JonesTenor Sax : Jerome RichardsonTrumpet : Donald Byrd Billboard : 12/03/1955Score of 76 Some of the freshest, most imaginative

Kenny Drew – This Is New (1957)

Riverside – RLP 12-236Rec. Dates : March 28, 1957, April 3, 1957 Piano : Kenny DrewBass : Wilbur WareDrums : G.T. HoganTenor Sax : Hank MobleyTrumpet : Donald Byrd Billboard : 09/30/1957Score of 76 Straight ahead modern blowing by Drew, D. Byrd, H. Mobley, etc., that is impressive for its vitality and lava-hot flow. Pianist Drew plays inventively and with strong rhythmic thrust,