Don Byas

Today we’re listening to Don Byas, an American saxophonist from Oklahoma. Born in 1912, he grew up playing many instruments – violin, clarinet, alto sax – and then focused on saxophone at Langston College.¹ In the early/mid ‘30s he played on the west coast of the United States and there adopted the tenor sax. In the late ‘30s and early ‘40s he played in New York with Monk, Gillespie, and other greats. In ‘46 he left for Europe, a permanent move that, as a forthcoming book by Con Chapman argues, cost him future name recognition. Nevertheless, we’re playing his studio recordings Laura from the early ‘50s and Amoureusement Vôtre from the early ‘60s. His playing has a purity to it, proving the tenor sax’s wide-band expressiveness.

Laura - Don Byas (55m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal

Amoureusement Vôtre - Don Byas (46m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal

Have a great Thursday.

1. Wikipedia