Charlie Byrd - Forever Cool [feat. Keter Betts & Bill Reichenbach]

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:08
Size: 150,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:27) 1. Don't Explain
(2:43) 2. Makin' Whoopee
(1:47) 3. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(3:39) 4. My Funny Valentine
(4:42) 5. Satin Doll
(1:30) 6. Interlude
(3:45) 7. Speak Low
(4:15) 8. What's New
(3:24) 9. Django
(1:57) 10. Taking A Chance On Love
(9:41) 11. Taboo
(3:18) 12. My Heart Stood Still
(5:25) 13. Ginny
(3:01) 14. Nuages
(2:22) 15. Um Abraço No Bonfa´.mp3
(2:52) 16. Moonlight In Vermont
(5:45) 17. Four O'clock Funk
(2:05) 18. Cancio´n Di Argentina.mp3
(3:51) 19. Ring Them Harmonics

Charles L. Byrd (September 16, 1925 - November 30, 1999), better known as Charlie Byrd, was a famous jazz guitarist, born in Suffolk, Virginia. He was the only jazz guitarist of that era whose primary instrument was the classical guitar which gave him his uniquely identifiable sound.

Byrd primarily looked up to Django Reinhardt. He moved to Washington, D.C., to study classical guitar with the renowned Sophocles Papas. He later moved to Italy where he studied with Andrés Segovia. In the early 1960's he was on a State Department tour in South America where he was introduced to a new music, the bossa nova, which was the musical passion of Brazil beginning in the late 50's. Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz had been in Brazil about six months earlier than Byrd, also on a State Department tour, where he, too, was exposed to the bossa nova. A short time later Getz called Byrd in D.C. and suggested the idea that they collaborate on a bossa nova album. That album was the introduction of bossa nova to North America.

He is perhaps most well known as a collaborator with Stan Getz on the Jazz Samba album, which featured many themes of bossa nova, and of course, samba.
https://www.last.fm/music/Charlie+Byrd/+wiki

Forever Cool

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Charlie Byrd Trio - Au Courant

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:56
Size: 133,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:03) 1. This Can't Be Love
(3:33) 2. My Romance
(5:38) 3. St Louis Blues
(4:32) 4. On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
(3:26) 5. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(5:06) 6. If You Never Came To Me
(4:04) 7. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(3:06) 8. Avalon
(3:11) 9. Emily (Theme from The Americanization of Emily)
(4:24) 10. There's A Small Hotel
(4:09) 11. Blue Room
(4:18) 12. Have You Met Miss Jones?
(5:12) 13. Willow Weep For Me
(4:12) 14. Days Of Wine And Roses

That old Django Reinhardt buff Charlie Byrd actually gets something resembling the drive of the Hot Club Quintette on this CD at times, but with unusual means. With Charlie on acoustic guitar and brother Joe Byrd on bass, Charlie's longtime drummer Chuck Redd shifts over to the vibraphone, and the three independent voices tumble intricately all around each other in a collection of standards.

While not absolutely impeccable in technique, Byrd continues to get around his instrument in a swinging manner, and Redd proves to be a more than serviceable performer on the vibes. Inevitably (for Byrd), the Brazilian influence surfaces on tracks like "On a Clear Day," Jobim's "If You Never Came to Me," and Rodgers/Hart's "There's a Small Hotel," all of which bring us gently back to 1962. A modest yet pleasing experiment for the Charlie Byrd collector. By Richard S. Ginell
https://www.allmusic.com/album/au-courant-mw0000032148

Au Courant

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Charlie Byrd - Hollywood Byrd

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:06
Size: 58,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:30) 1. A Time for Love
(1:47) 2. Georgy Girl
(2:52) 3. Alfie
(3:14) 4. The Wishing Doll
(2:00) 5. Wish Me a Rainbow
(2:17) 6. Born Free
(2:11) 7. In the Arms of Love
(2:14) 8. Any Wednesday
(3:12) 9. Moment to Moment
(2:43) 10. I'll Be Back

Charlie Byrd jammed with Django Reinhardt, recorded with Woody Herman, studied with the great Segovia, and with Stan Getz introduced the Brazilian bossa nova to international audiences. He then proceeded to form a super guitar trio with Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis. His musical interests took in virtually every form in which the guitar found a prominent voice

Charlie Byrd began playing the guitar at an early age under the guidance of his father. In his teens he was playing plectrum guitar with local groups in Virginia and Washington. At the Polytechnic Institute in Virginia, he played guitar with the school band. During World War II he played with an Army band in Europe. After the war he settled in New York where he played with local jazz groups such as Joe Marsala and Freddie Slack. In 1950 Charlie Byrd returned to the Washington DC area where he began studying the classical guitar. He had always had an interest in classical guitar and decided at this time to begin a serious study of the instrument. He studied guitar with Sophocles Papas and music theory with Thomas Simmons. In 1954 he went to Italy to study with Andres Segovia.

It was shortly after that trip that he formed a jazz trio for the first time and began performing in local clubs. His instrument of choice for his trio was the concert guitar. In the trio format Byrd’s found the perfect form for mixing his love of jazz and blues with classical music. The orientation of the music for the trio was jazz, but jazz infused with classical technique and sound. Between 1957 and 1960 his trio performed in and around Washington. During that time Charlie Byrd made some of his best recorded work: “Jazz Recital,” ‘(57) “Blues For Night People,” (’57) “Jazz at The Showboat,” (’58) “Guitar in the Wind,” (’59) “The Artistry of Charlie Byrd, was in 1960 and in 1961 he released “Charlie Byrd at The Village Vanguard.” It was this recording that introduced Charlie to a broader audience than he had had in Washington DC.

In 1962 Charlie Byrd and his trio traveled to South America under the sponsorship of the State Department. When he returned to the US he made the landmark recording with Stan Getz “Jazz Samba,” this record caught on with the listening public and made Charlie Byrd a household name.

Charlie Byrd continued to evolve, and did some exceptional recordings with Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis as “The Great Guitars,” often employing a rhythm section which featured his brother, Joe Byrd, on bass, and drummer Chuck Redd. He continued to record for Concord, and produced a prodigious amount of work for that label. His last recording was “For Louis,” his tribute to Louis Armstrong, done in 1999 right before his death. He brought to the concert guitar both a high degree of sophistication due to his classical training and a kind of down home quality that came through when he played blues and straight ahead jazz. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/charlie-byrd

Personnel: Charlie Byrd. guitar

Hollywood Byrd

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Charlie Byrd - Christmas Carols for Solo Guitar

Styles: Guitar, Christmas
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:57
Size: 62,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:20)  1. O Holy Night
(2:08)  2. The Bells of Bethlehem
(2:51)  3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
(1:51)  4. Silent Night, Holy Night
(1:34)  5. Do You Hear What I Hear?
(1:43)  6. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
(1:18)  7. Joy to the World
(1:41)  8. What Child Is This (Greensleeves)
(1:39)  9. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
(2:03) 10. Coventry Carol
(1:08) 11. Good King Wenceslas
(2:13) 12. The First Noel
(1:40) 13. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
(1:41) 14. We Three Kings

Christmas Carols for Solo Guitar is a lovely, understated collection that's not only ideal as low-key holiday music, but it's also a good showcase for Byrd's interpretive talents. He doesn't necessarily reinvent these songs, but his tasteful, elegant readings of "O Holy Night," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Joy to the World," "What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)," "The First Noel" and "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" are certainly individual. Holiday music is rarely this graceful; for fans of pretty instrumentals and accomplished guitar playing, this is a perfect Christmas record. ~ Robert Lovering https://www.allmusic.com/album/christmas-carols-for-solo-guitar-mw0000030230

Personnel: Guitar [Solo] – Charlie Byrd

Christmas Carols for Solo Guitar

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Charlie Byrd - The Great Byrd

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:19
Size: 85,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:47)  1. Wichita Lineman
(2:41)  2. For Once In My Life
(3:01)  3. Those Were The Days
(2:48)  4. Scarborough Fair / Canticle
(3:16)  5. Happy Together
(3:05)  6. Hey Jude
(4:02)  7. Abraham, Martin And John
(3:13)  8. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
(4:28)  9. Lullaby From Rosemary's Baby
(3:12) 10. I Don't Have To Take It
(2:40) 11. Who Is Gonna Love Me

Tasteful, low-key, and ingratiatingly melodic, Charlie Byrd had two notable accomplishments to his credit applying acoustic classical guitar techniques to jazz and popular music and helping to introduce Brazilian music to mass North American audiences. Born into a musical family, Byrd experienced his first brush with greatness while a teenager in France during World War II, playing with his idol Django Reinhardt. After some postwar gigs with Sol Yaged, Joe Marsala and Freddie Slack, Byrd temporarily abandoned jazz to study classical guitar with Sophocles Papas in 1950 and Andrés Segovia in 1954. However he re-emerged later in the decade gigging around the Washington D.C. area in jazz settings, often splitting his sets into distinct jazz and classical segments. He started recording for Savoy as a leader in 1957, and also recorded with the Woody Herman Band in 1958-59. A tour of South America under the aegis of the U.S. State Department in 1961, proved to be a revelation, for it was in Brazil that Byrd discovered the emerging bossa nova movement. Once back in D.C., he played some bossa nova tapes to Stan Getz, who then convinced Verve's Creed Taylor to record an album of Brazilian music with himself and Byrd. That album, Jazz Samba, became a pop hit in 1962 on the strength of the single "Desafinado" and launched the bossa nova wave in North America. Thanks to the bossa nova, several albums for Riverside followed, including the defining Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros, and he was able to land a major contract with Columbia, though the records from that association often consisted of watered-down easy listening pop. In 1973, he formed the group Great Guitars with Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel and also that year, wrote an instruction manual for the guitar that has become widely used. From 1974 onward, Byrd recorded for the Concord Jazz label in a variety of settings, including sessions with Laurindo Almeida and Bud Shank. He died December 2, 1999 after a long bout with cancer.~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/charlie-byrd-mn0000204968/biography

Personnel: Charlie Byrd - guitar;  Mario Darpino - flute;  Bernard Purdie - drums;  Vinnie Bell - electric guitar

The Great Byrd

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Various - The Music Of Henry Mancini

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:59
Size: 100.7 MB
Styles: Stage & Screen
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. Andy Williams - Moon River
[2:11] 2. Johnny Mathis - The Sweetheart Tree
[3:20] 3. Lola Albright - Dreamsville
[3:11] 4. Bobby Hackett - Theme From Peter Gunn
[1:59] 5. Buddy Greco - It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Sta Sera)
[2:53] 6. Andy Williams - Dear Heart
[2:52] 7. Don Costa And His Orchestra - Baby Elephant Walk
[2:53] 8. Charlie Byrd - Two For The Road
[2:50] 9. Patti Page - Days Of Wine And Roses
[3:19] 10. Johnny Mathis - Whistling Away The Dark
[2:30] 11. Andy Williams - Charade
[2:43] 12. Ray Conniff - Nbc Mystery Movie Theme
[2:32] 13. Bobby Hackett - Theme From Mr. Lucky
[2:14] 14. Henry Mancini - Natasha's Theme
[2:48] 15. Johnny Mathis - Darling Lili
[2:53] 16. Andy Williams - In The Arms Of Love

If the recognition of one's peers is the true measure of success, then few men are as successful as composer, arranger, and conductor Henry Mancini. In a career that spanned 40 years, writing for film and television, Mancini won four Oscars and twenty Grammys, the all-time record for a pop artist. For 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's alone, Mancini won five Grammys and two Oscars. Breakfast at Tiffany's includes the classic "Moon River" (lyrics by Johnny Mercer), arguably one of the finest pop songs of the last 50 years. At last count, there were over 1,000 recordings of it. His other notable songs include "Dear Heart," "Days of Wine and Roses" (one Oscar, two Grammys), and "Charade," the last two with lyrics by Mercer. He also had a number one record and won a Grammy for Nino Rota's "Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet." Among his other notable film scores are The Pink Panther (three Grammys), Hatari! (one Grammy), Victor/Victoria (an Oscar), Two for the Road, Wait Until Dark, and 10. His television themes include "Peter Gunn" (two Grammys, recorded by many rock artists), "Mr. Lucky" (two Grammys), "Newhart," "Remington Steele," and The Thorn Birds television mini-series.

Mancini's heyday was the early '60s, when his score for Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) yielded the Oscar-winning hit single "Moon River," which instantly became a pop standard. The following year, he wrote the music for Days of Wine and Roses, which also won an Oscar for its title song. Throughout the next three decades, he continued to be one of the most successful film composers in the world, as well as a popular concert conductor. He continued working until his death in 1994; just prior to his demise, he was writing the score for the musical adaption of Victor/Victoria.

What kept Mancini's work fresh was his ability to write in almost any style imaginable and his successful experimentations with unusual sounds and instruments. In his 1989 memoir Did They Mention the Music?, Mancini's co-author Gene Lees wrote that "More than any other person, he Americanized film scoring, and in time even European film composers followed in his path," and that Mancini wrote scores that "contained almost as many fully developed song melodies as a Broadway musical." Had he not remained true to his first love, film scoring, Mancini would have more than likely made as large an impact on the Broadway stage as he made on the silver screen. ~Kenneth M. Cassidy

The Music Of Henry Mancini mc
The Music Of Henry Mancini zippy

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Charlie Byrd Trio - Isn't It Romantic

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:31
Size: 106.5 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1984/1992
Art: Front

[3:30] 1. Isn't It Romantic
[3:02] 2. I Could Write A Book
[4:29] 3. Cheek To Cheek
[3:23] 4. The Very Thought Of You
[2:49] 5. Thou Swell
[4:05] 6. I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan
[4:01] 7. He Loves And She Loves
[3:45] 8. Last Night When We Were Young
[3:03] 9. One Morning In May
[3:51] 10. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[3:02] 11. There's A Small Hotel
[3:48] 12. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:38] 13. I Thought About You

Bass – Joe Byrd; Drums – Chuck Redd; Guitar – Charlie Byrd.

On this enjoyable set, Charlie Byrd's trio performs five classics by Rodgers & Hart and numbers by Ray Noble, Irving Berlin, Hoagy Carmichael, George Gershwin, and Jimmy Van Heusen. All of the songs are quite familiar, but Byrd (along with his brother Joe on bass and drummer Chuck Riggs) makes such potential warhorses as "Cheek to Cheek," "Thou Swell," and "I Thought About You" sound fresh and alive. Byrd's solo guitar interpretation of "Someone to Watch Over Me" is a highlight. ~Scott Yanow

Isn't It Romantic mc
Isn't It Romantic zippy

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Charlie Byrd - Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:05
Size: 105.5 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Latin jazz
Year: 1963/1992
Art: Front

[1:56] 1. Yvone
[2:20] 2. Um Abraco No Bonfa
[3:10] 3. Meditation
[2:53] 4. Voce E Eu (You And I)
[2:38] 5. Coisa Mais Linda
[1:54] 6. O Barquinho (Little Boat)
[2:28] 7. Desafinado
[2:00] 8. Samba Triste
[1:49] 9. Bim-Bom
[2:11] 10. Ho-Ba La-La
[2:33] 11. Ela Me Deixou
[3:08] 12. O Passaro (The Bird)
[3:14] 13. Outra Vez
[3:26] 14. Presente De Natal (Christmas Gift)
[2:57] 15. Insensatez
[2:21] 16. Three Note Samba
[2:00] 17. Samba Da Minha Terra
[2:59] 18. Limehouse Blues

Having been a major part of Stan Getz's very popular Jazz Samba album, it was only fitting that guitarist Charlie Byrd would start recording his own bossa nova records. This CD reissue brings back the 12 songs originally on the Riverside LP Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros plus six of the 11 tunes from Once More! Bossa Nova. Byrd and his trio (which included bassist Keter Betts and drummer Bill Reichenbach) are augmented on some selections by strings, extra percussion, plus horns. In reality the background musicians are not needed since Byrd was at the top of his form in those days. Unlike some of his earlier sets, these pretty and melodic recordings are very concise (lacking a sense of adventure), clocking in between one-and-a-half and three-and-a-half minutes, and looking toward the guitarist's later Columbia dates. Highlights include "Meditation," "O Barquinho," "Desafinado," "Bim Bom," "O Passaro" and "Limehouse Blues." ~Scott Yanow

Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros mc
Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros zippy

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Charlie Byrd - Jazz Recital

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:05
Size: 73.4 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1957/2009
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. Prelude
[3:37] 2. My Funny Valentine
[3:45] 3. Little Girl Blue
[3:17] 4. My Heart Stood Still
[1:32] 5. Interlude
[3:06] 6. Spring Is Here
[3:36] 7. A Foggy Day
[2:15] 8. Spanish Guitar Blues
[4:07] 9. Chuck A Tuck
[3:43] 10. Homage To Charlie Christian

Bass – Al Lucas, Drums – Bobby Donaldson, Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Tom Newsom, Guitar – Charlie Byrd.

Tasteful, low-key, and ingratiatingly melodic, Charlie Byrd had two notable accomplishments to his credit -- applying acoustic classical guitar techniques to jazz and popular music and helping to introduce Brazilian music to mass North American audiences. Born into a musical family, Byrd experienced his first brush with greatness while a teenager in France during World War II, playing with his idol Django Reinhardt. After some postwar gigs with Sol Yaged, Joe Marsala and Freddie Slack, Byrd temporarily abandoned jazz to study classical guitar with Sophocles Papas in 1950 and Andrés Segovia in 1954. However he re-emerged later in the decade gigging around the Washington D.C. area in jazz settings, often splitting his sets into distinct jazz and classical segments. He started recording for Savoy as a leader in 1957, and also recorded with the Woody Herman Band in 1958-59. A tour of South America under the aegis of the U.S. State Department in 1961, proved to be a revelation, for it was in Brazil that Byrd discovered the emerging bossa nova movement. Once back in D.C., he played some bossa nova tapes to Stan Getz, who then convinced Verve's Creed Taylor to record an album of Brazilian music with himself and Byrd. That album, Jazz Samba, became a pop hit in 1962 on the strength of the single "Desafinado" and launched the bossa nova wave in North America. Thanks to the bossa nova, several albums for Riverside followed, including the defining Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros, and he was able to land a major contract with Columbia, though the records from that association often consisted of watered-down easy listening pop. In 1973, he formed the group Great Guitars with Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel and also that year, wrote an instruction manual for the guitar that has become widely used. From 1974 onward, Byrd recorded for the Concord Jazz label in a variety of settings, including sessions with Laurindo Almeida and Bud Shank. He died December 2, 1999 after a long bout with cancer. ~ Richard S. Ginell

Jazz Recital

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Charlie Byrd Trio - I've Got The World On A String

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:02
Size: 155.7 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
[3:13] 2. Blue Skies
[4:15] 3. How Deep Is The Ocean
[2:49] 4. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[3:48] 5. I've Got The World On A String
[3:48] 6. Goody Goody
[4:05] 7. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[2:55] 8. Avalon
[3:41] 9. Just You, Just Me
[4:51] 10. One To Nothing
[4:13] 11. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[4:57] 12. Satin Doll
[4:23] 13. Travellin' On
[4:03] 14. Someone To Light Up My Life
[4:09] 15. So Danca Samba
[5:10] 16. Imagination
[4:08] 17. Straight, No Chaser

Charlie Byrd - guitar, vocals; Joe Byrd - bass; Chuck Redd - drums. Recorded at Studio Murec, Milano.

Charlie has always liked to sing. That's one of the reasons he wanted to make this recording. He's only been featured singing once before on record - on one of his old Columbia albums. His singing voice is just as sweet and soft and tinged with his lovely Southern accent as his speaking voice. It's just right for such songs as Blue Skies and Gee Baby, Ain't I Cood To You?

The other thing that Charlie wants to do with this record is spotlight his regular trio. Charlie, his brother Joe, and drummer Chuck Redd have been working as a tight unit for 14 years...yet they haven't been recorded that much. Joe is an excellent bass player who also sings (though not on this recording) in a style that recalls Mose Allison. Chuck Redd is one of the most respected young drummers on the D.C. scene. He's got big ears - you often see him at the clubs, after he's finished playing his own gigs, checking out the other musicians. It's always a pleasure to hear the Charlie Byrd trio...and it's often a surprise. Even if you know his music well, you sometimes slip into making that instant connection: 'Charlie Byrd = Brazilian music.' It's a treat to hear... again...how much else he can do. ~Tom Cole

I've Got The World On A String

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Charlie Byrd - Latin Byrd

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:21
Size: 163.3 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[5:33] 1. The Duck (O Pato)
[2:00] 2. Amor Flamenco
[3:32] 3. Azul Tiple
[2:03] 4. Cancion Di Argentina
[2:33] 5. Manha De Carnival
[3:12] 6. Homage A Villa--Lobos
[3:50] 7. Bogota (Pasillo Colobiano)
[2:47] 8. Mexican Song No. 2
[0:56] 9. Mexican Song No. 1
[2:54] 10. Samba De Uma Nota So
[2:10] 11. Galopera (Acualero Azuncena)
[5:32] 12. Vals (Opus 8.No 4)
[3:13] 13. Outra Vez
[3:25] 14. Presente De Natal
[2:55] 15. Insensatez
[2:20] 16. Three Note Samba
[1:59] 17. Samba Da Minha Terra
[3:00] 18. Limehouse Blues
[2:23] 19. Saudade Da Bahia
[4:37] 20. Anna
[2:39] 21. Socegadamente (Softly)
[3:13] 22. Chega De Saudade
[4:22] 23. Cancao De Ninar Para Carol

This single CD reissues two complete Charlie Byrd LPs (Latin Impressions and Charlie Byrd's Bossa Nova), some of which had been available previously on a 1970s two-fer. Byrd, the master of the acoustic guitar whose gentle and lyrical style perfectly fit bossa nova, is heard in prime form on 23 rather pretty numbers. There are six unaccompanied solos and many workouts with his quartet, which is sometimes augmented by four cellos, a French horn, trumpeter Hal Posey, vibraphonist Tommy Gwaltney, and/or extra percussionists. Surprisingly there are only two Antonio Carlos Jobim songs among the ones performed, but the other selections (which include five Byrd originals) are very much in the idiom. This CD shows that pretty music does not have to be Muzak or new age. Highly recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Latin Byrd

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Herb Ellis, Charlie Byrd - Guitar Guitar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:24
Size: 78.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1964/2009
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. Se Todos Fossem Iquais A Voce
[3:01] 2. Chung King
[3:14] 3. Carolina In The Morning
[2:43] 4. Three Quarter Blues
[3:13] 5. Take Care Of Yourself
[3:06] 6. St. Louis Blues
[2:01] 7. Jazz 'n' Samba
[2:45] 8. Oh, Lady Be Good
[4:39] 9. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[3:34] 10. A Hundred Years From Today
[3:22] 11. Bluesette

Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd -- two peas in a jazz guitarist's pod if there ever was one -- recorded this date in 1963 and proved how compatible their styles were. Though Ellis emphasized the amplified electric model and Byrd stuck to nylon-string acoustic, the balance of their instruments and their occasional role reversals are heard during this program of standards, blues, Brazilian tunes, and a small handful of originals. This is not a duet album, as a rhythm section with bassist Keter Betts and drummer Buddy Deppenschmidt is present, but not accounted for in the credits of the reissued CD version. Stereo separation segregates the two players, and considering the recording technology of the time, it does sound somewhat dated in a quaint, bachelor pad sort of way. None of the selections are long-winded, with Duke Ellington's "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" the most stretched in a beautiful unison swing. The two brilliantly swap overlapping lines on the waltz "Three Quarter Blues," load up on languid chords for the nostalgic ballad "A Hundred Years from Today," and lope along the backwoods trail of "Carolina in the Morning." Blues is a big factor in their playing, most prevalent during the Texas-styled swinger "Take Care of Yourself," the slowed "Lady Be Good," and the toothy "Bluesette," due to their staccato riffs digging into a deft reharmonization. The Brazilian numbers are standard fare, refined in later years by their continued association, but here they take "St. Louis Blues" to Rio in bossa nova trim, while "Jazz 'n' Samba" is fairly straitlaced. The guitarists also do a funky, contemporary number, "Chung King," which is slightly off-color for them considering the primordial soul-jazz time period. This recording is more important for what these two would do as follow-ups rather than the basic music presented here. It's not essential as a standalone CD, but good to hear for what it foreshadowed down the line. ~Michael G. Nastos

Guitar Guitar

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Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, Mundell Lowe - The Return Of The Great Guitars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:12
Size: 135.5 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[4:17] 2. When Lights Are Low
[4:28] 3. A Smooth One
[5:13] 4. My Funny Valentine
[4:23] 5. The Lady In Red
[3:50] 6. Soft Winds
[4:25] 7. Bernie's Tune
[4:44] 8. I Remember You
[4:30] 9. Waltz For Wes
[4:35] 10. Seven Come Eleven
[4:28] 11. Billy Bean!
[4:33] 12. Night Roby Get-A-Way
[4:48] 13. On The Trail

The first recording by the Great Guitars in over a decade has a change in personnel. A serious stroke had ended Barney Kessel's career, but Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd were still very much active. Fellow veteran guitarist Mundell Lowe took Kessel's place, and as a wild card, on eight of the 13 selections the versatile Larry Coryell is heard on fourth guitar. With fine backup by bassist John Goldsby and drummer Tim Horner, the guitarists swing hard on a variety of bop and swing-oriented tunes including "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," "A Smooth One," "The Lady in Red," and "Seven Come Eleven," in addition to some more recent originals. ~Scott Yanow

The Return Of The Great Guitars

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Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis - Great Guitars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:12
Size: 121.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1975/2007
Art: Front

[6:49] 1. Undecided
[4:55] 2. O Barquinho
[5:41] 3. Slow Burn
[8:32] 4. Charlie's Blues
[6:31] 5. Topsy
[4:53] 6. Latin Groove
[4:23] 7. Down Home Blues
[4:14] 8. H And B Guitar Boogie
[7:10] 9. Benny's Bugle

Bass – Joe Byrd; Drums – John Rae; Guitar – Barney Kessel, Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis. Recorded live at Concord Boulevard Park, Concord, California. p+c 1975 Concord Jazz, Inc.

Charlie Byrd was teamed up with Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis (along with bassist Joe Byrd and drummer John Rae) for this rather exciting concert. While Ellis and Kessel have three unaccompanied duets, the inclusion of Byrd (thought of as a Brazilian specialist rather than a bopper) is the wild card that makes this set a major success. While Byrd is excellent on his features "Charlie's Blues" and "O Barquinho," it is the three stomps featuring all the guitarists ("Undecided," "Topsy" and "Benny's Bugle") that are most memorable. ~Scott Yanow

Great Guitars

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Various - The Colors Of Latin Jazz: Corcovado

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:40
Size: 143.5 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Latin jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[6:46] 1. Karrin Allyson - Corcovado (Quiet Nights)
[6:41] 2. Manfredo Fest - Tristeza De Nos Dois (Sad For Both Of Us)
[5:16] 3. Marcos Silva - So Far Away
[3:35] 4. Tania Maria - Triste
[3:31] 5. Charlie Byrd - How Insensitive
[5:07] 6. Manfredo Fest - Ela E Carioca (She's A Child Of Rio)
[4:28] 7. Susannah McCorkle - Caminhos Cruzados
[5:00] 8. Hendrik Meurkens - A Summer In San Francisco
[4:26] 9. Karrin Allyson - Coração Vagabundo
[5:28] 10. Trio Da Paz - Vera Cruz
[5:04] 11. Tania Maria - Comecar De Novo (To Begin Again)
[7:14] 12. Charlie Byrd - Corcovado

Not many artists have immersed themselves in quite the cultural combination that Concord Special Products has assembled for the Colors of Latin Jazz series. This six-CD series captures the sweet, hot, happy, and rhythmic joys of Latin jazz. Colors of Latin Jazz: Corcovado! is the perfect culmination for the initial offerings of this splendid and exciting series. The perfect nightcap is the sweet voice of Karrin Allyson originally heard on Daydream and here on "Corcovado." She's as soft as the tear of a raindrop. Her serene essence is heard again in Portuguese singing Caetano Veloso's "Coracao Vagabundo," a soft bossa nova originally issued on From Paris to Rio. Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, and Duduka Da Fonseca join Trio Da Paz on the five-minute reprise of "Vera Cruz" featured from Brasil From the Inside. By the time you hear "Summer in San Francisco" by Hendrik Muerkens or Manfredo Fest and Susannah McCorkle emanating their resonant beauty on a pair of Antonio Carlos Jobim classics, you will have enjoyed the fluid, relentless pull of great bossa novas that have evolved into modern day Latin jazz classics for the 21st century aficionados and keepers of the Latin jazz flame. Tania Maria's sweet edge on "Triste" and "Comegar de Novo" prove why you have to blame it on the bossa nova, since she leaves you with such a pleasant feeling that expands with each listen. The great Charlie Byrd strums a beautiful "How Insensitive" originally issued on his The Bossa Nova Years. The clarinet solo of Ken Peplowski is a glowing example of the beauty and adaptability of the instrument in a Latin jazz ensemble. Charlie Byrd also closes the set with a reprise of "Corcovado," playing with the quiet, cool restraint that he is known for. Colors of Latin Jazz: Corcovado! is not only beautiful for the sheer range of the bossa novas it includes, but it is the spring amidst the rocks and a tree with its first leaves bearing The Colors of Latin Jazz. A generous gift from some of the finest artists performing Latin jazz. ~Paula Edelstein

The Colors Of Latin Jazz: Corcovado

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Charlie Byrd - Byrd And Brazil (2-Disc Set)

Charlie Byrd (guitar), Joe Byrd (bass), Wayne Phillips (drums on disk one), Charles Redd (drums on disk two), Bud Shank (alto saxophone on disk two)

Once again Concord Records has reissued two simpatico dates as a budget two-CD collection, this time two live sets by guitarist Charlie Byrd, originally issued as '80's Sugarloaf Suite and '82's Brazilville. Both sets are indicative of Byrd's lightweight and low-key approach to Brazilian music, which he discovered while in his mid-30s and dedicated much of his musical career to afterwards. Somewhat unique in that he worked in jazz ensembles using strictly a classical guitar, he went on to popularize such forms as the bossa nova and the samba, especially on his '62 collaboration with Stan Getz, the largely popular Jazz Samba.

Disc One, Sugarloaf Suite, is a live recording from the '79 Concord Jazz Festival, and it finds Byrd in a trio setting with brother Joe on bass and Wayne Phillips on drums. With a programme that mixes original Brazilian-informed tunes with pieces by Jobim, Caymmi and Bonfa, the pace is easy-going and unhurried. Even up-tempo numbers like the up-tempo waltz "Na Praia (At the Seaside)" and the bossa "Sapatos Novos (New Shoes)" breeze along with a relaxed approach that makes the entire set pleasantly engaging, if not a little bland. This is not music that demands attention, but there is no doubt that Byrd, who passed away in '99 after a long bout with cancer, understood the source of the music that so captured his spirit.

Disc Two, Brazilville, a live club date from '81, is notable for the addition of Bud Shank on alto saxophone. Less emphasis on original material and more on Brazilian composers, as well as some standards, makes this a slightly more varied set. While also known to be a passionate player in the Phil Woods/Jackie McLean mould, here Shank is definitely playing more in the West Coast "cool" form, as even and gentle as Byrd, although moments of fire occasionally slip through. Even tunes like Kurt Weill's "Speak Low" get the balmy South American treatment.

While there are plenty of artists, including Egberto Gismonti and Nana Vasconcelos, who have shown that Brazilian music can be rawer and more full of fire, the popularized American variant of the music seemed to be at its most successful when at its least confrontational. In that respect Byrd is the perfect proponent, with a tasteful and lyrical approach that is sure to appeal to a wider audience. But it would have been nice, just occasionally, to hear him let his hair down and attack the material with a little intensity and spirit. Still, for those looking for an easy-listening couple of hours of light jazz, one could do far worse than listen to Charlie Byrd and Byrd & Brazil. Well-played and with a clear understanding of its roots, Byrd's work could never be accused of being anything less than authentic. ~John Kelman

Album: Byrd And Brazil (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:45
Size: 100.2 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Samba
Year: 2004

[6:44] 1. Primeira Palavra (First Word)
[4:07] 2. Triste
[4:06] 3. Favela
[4:49] 4. Na Praia (At The Seaside)
[5:30] 5. Meninas Brincando (Little Girls At Play)
[6:19] 6. Saudade De Bahia
[8:24] 7. Sapatos Novos (New Shoes)
[3:43] 8. The Gentle Rain

Byrd And Brazil (Disc 1)

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Album: Byrd And Brazil (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:12
Size: 101.2 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Samba
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Brazilville
[5:39] 2. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[4:30] 3. Zingaro
[5:48] 4. Speak Low
[6:01] 5. How Insensitive
[5:08] 6. Saquarema
[5:07] 7. Charlotte's Fancy
[6:43] 8. Yesterdays

Byrd And Brazil (Disc 2)

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Various - Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms Vol 1

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 67:05

Size: 153.6 MB

Styles: Latin rhythms

Year: 2001

Art: Front

[2:34] 1. Roberto Menescal - Influencia Do Jazz

[7:33] 2. Odell Brown - Mas Que Nada

[2:58] 3. Os Cincos-Pados - Berimbau

[4:17] 4. Jongo Trio - Waters Of March

[2:44] 5. Quarteto Em Cy Com Tamba Trio - Water To Drink

[2:47] 6. Pedrinho Mattar Trio - Samba Pro Pedrinho

[3:15] 7. Charlie Byrd - Bamba Samba

[2:19] 8. Breno Sauer Quinteto - A Felicidad

[3:11] 9. Nelson Riddle Orchestra - Lamento

[2:46] 10. Zimbo Trio - To Live Happily

[2:26] 11. Os Catedràticos - Os Grilos (Crickets Sing For Anamaria)

[3:57] 12. Lalo Schifrin Orchestra - Samba De Una Nota

[3:05] 13. Geraldo Trio - Chora Tua Tristeza

[2:44] 14. Bossa Jazz Trio - Canto De Ossanha

[2:59] 15. Os Cobras - Cheiro De Saudade

[2:26] 16. Continentals - String Of Pearls

[2:33] 17. Joao Meirelles - Batucada

[2:06] 18. Chris Montez - The Face I Love

[4:29] 19. Martin Denny - Exotique Bossa Nova

[5:45] 20. Quartette Tres Bien - Boss Tres Bien

Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms

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Charlie Byrd - The Guitar Artistry Of Charlie Byrd

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:51
Size: 105.0 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Brazilian jazz
Year: 1960/1997
Art: Front

[1:54] 1. Taking A Chance On Love
[2:50] 2. Moonlight In Vermont
[3:42] 3. Speak Low
[3:00] 4. Nuages
[2:17] 5. Everything I've Got (Belongs To You)
[2:41] 6. Makin' Whoopee
[3:21] 7. Django
[1:44] 8. Nice Work If You Can Get It
[5:26] 9. The House Of The Rising Sun
[3:47] 10. Ring Them Harmonics
[9:40] 11. Taboo
[5:24] 12. To Ginny

Before he toured South America and discovered bossa nova, guitarist Charlie Byrd already had his recognizable sound formed. A master on the acoustic guitar who was well trained in classical music, Byrd performed regularly in Washington D.C. from 1958-1960, recording for the tiny Offbeat label. This CD reissue of a set originally on Offbeat and then put out by Riverside features Byrd and his regular trio (with bassist Keter Betts and drummer Buddy Deppenschmidt) performing concise versions of eight jazz standards, including two songs under two minutes, and longer versions of three obscurities, plus "The House of the Rising Sun." The melodic music is pleasing (if not too substantial), predictable and reasonably enjoyable, with the highlights including "Moonlight in Vermont," "Nuages," "Django," and the lengthy "Taboo." ~Scott Yanow

The Guitar Artistry Of Charlie Byrd

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Charlie Byrd - Rhythm Of Life

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:07
Size: 178.8 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Guitar jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. Satin Doll
[3:15] 2. My Heart Stood Still
[5:26] 3. The House Of The Rising Sun
[3:41] 4. Speak Low
[4:11] 5. What's New
[1:44] 6. Nice Work If You Can Get It
[2:59] 7. Nuages
[3:25] 8. Don't Explain
[1:53] 9. Taking A Chance On Love
[2:49] 10. Moonlight In Vermont
[5:42] 11. Four O'clock Funk
[3:45] 12. Little Girl Blue
[1:27] 13. Interlude
[2:41] 14. Makin' Whoopee
[9:39] 15. Taboo
[3:21] 16. Django
[4:35] 17. Buck's Hill
[3:37] 18. My Funny Valentine
[5:23] 19. To Ginny
[3:47] 20. Ring Them Harmonics

In 1962 Charlie Byrd and his trio traveled to South America under the sponsorship of the State Department. When he returned to the US he made the landmark recording with Stan Getz Jazz Samba. Unlike the Laurindo Almeida and Bud Shank recordings of Brazilian music, this record caught on with the listening public and made Charlie Byrd a household name.

Rhythm Of Life

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Charlie Byrd - Jazz 'n' Samba

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:11
Size: 94.3 MB
Styles: Samba, Latin jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[2:19] 1. Limehouse Blues
[2:43] 2. Take Care Of Yourself
[2:02] 3. Jazz 'n' Samba
[2:43] 4. A Man And A Woman
[2:22] 5. Sweet Georgia Brown
[2:23] 6. Chung King
[3:18] 7. Bluesette
[2:10] 8. When Your Lover Has Gone
[1:26] 9. Someone To Light Up My Life
[2:29] 10. Willow Weep For Me
[3:45] 11. Danza No. 5
[2:47] 12. Carolina In The Morning
[2:18] 13. One Note Samba
[3:07] 14. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[3:05] 15. Oh, Lady Be Good
[2:07] 16. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

Charlie Byrd (acoustic guitar); Herb Ellis (electric guitar); Joe Byrd (bass); Bill Reichenbach (drums). Recorded in 1965.

Tasteful, low-key, and ingratiatingly melodic, Charlie Byrd had two notable accomplishments to his credit -- applying acoustic classical guitar techniques to jazz and popular music and helping to introduce Brazilian music to mass North American audiences. Born into a musical family, Byrd experienced his first brush with greatness while a teenager in France during World War II, playing with his idol Django Reinhardt. After some postwar gigs with Sol Yaged, Joe Marsala and Freddie Slack, Byrd temporarily abandoned jazz to study classical guitar with Sophocles Papas in 1950 and Andrés Segovia in 1954. However he re-emerged later in the decade gigging around the Washington D.C. area in jazz settings, often splitting his sets into distinct jazz and classical segments. He started recording for Savoy as a leader in 1957, and also recorded with the Woody Herman Band in 1958-59. A tour of South America under the aegis of the U.S. State Department in 1961, proved to be a revelation, for it was in Brazil that Byrd discovered the emerging bossa nova movement. Once back in D.C., he played some bossa nova tapes to Stan Getz, who then convinced Verve's Creed Taylor to record an album of Brazilian music with himself and Byrd. That album, Jazz Samba, became a pop hit in 1962 on the strength of the single "Desafinado" and launched the bossa nova wave in North America. Thanks to the bossa nova, several albums for Riverside followed, including the defining Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros, and he was able to land a major contract with Columbia, though the records from that association often consisted of watered-down easy listening pop. In 1973, he formed the group Great Guitars with Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel and also that year, wrote an instruction manual for the guitar that has become widely used. From 1974 onward, Byrd recorded for the Concord Jazz label in a variety of settings, including sessions with Laurindo Almeida and Bud Shank. He died December 2, 1999 after a long bout with cancer. ~bio by Richard S. Ginnell

Jazz 'n' Samba

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