A Modernist Byas

This track shows Don Byas’ mastery of a standard of the hard bop repertoire, Jordu. He is thoroughly comfortable with the frequent chord changes and his style fits the rapid harmonic pivoting necessary to play or imply them.

Critics and historians don’t know what to do with Byas. They wind up giving him short shrift. He unsettles the narrative that modern jazz (aka bop, bebop, rebop) was created one day in 1942. And that is a narrative many of them take as an article of faith.

The narrative says that swing preceded modern jazz. Don Byas is both. At the same time. 

Because he can do both, musically. And he was part of both, historically.

Byas cut his eye teeth in territory big bands during the 1930s—the “Swing Era.” (Actually, he was already gigging in the late 1920s, when he was in his late teens). Then he came to New York with Basie in 1941, just after Lester Young left.

Byas then participated in jam sessions at Minton’s that were supposed to have been founding moments for the main currents of what we think of and hear as “jazz” today. (I’m sure they were in fact, but Charlie Parker did not like Minton’s and there has to be more to the story.) He was there with Thelonious Monk and Charlie Christian.

Parker heard Byas and was influenced by him. Byas probably heard Parker and in turn was influenced by him. They were original, quick, and had their ears to the ground. For those who do want to trace lineages, both greatly admired Art Tatum.

And all saxophonists to come along later knew him. When Byas played in Europe, John Coltrane used to sit in the audience, saying nothing, and listen all night (according to a Byas interview.)

Fast forward to 1970. Byas came to the US to tour with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Hard bop. Blakey knew what Byas could do. As Dizzy said simply: "Don Byas was a master."