Donald Byrd

Byrd In Hand Donald Byrd

Recorded in 1959 at the legendary Van Gelder Studios in Hackensack, New Jersey, this is considered one of Donald Byrd's finest LPs. Byrd had a fruitful run in the late '50s with the great baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams and here they are joined by tenor-man Charlie Rouse, and a great rhythm section like on "Devil Whip", an energetic tune with a nice call-and-response theme between the horns and the rhythm section. Here Byrd impresses with a few incredibly long phrases in his solo, however he still manages to play with very clear and logical phrasing. Other highlights are Frank Sinatra's "Witchcraft", the self-penned blues "Here Am I" and the Walter Davis written grooves "Bronze Dance" and "Clarion Calls".