Don Byas - Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944 - 1946 [2023] (10 x CDs)

SUNDAY JAZZ

DON BYAS

Don Byas - Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944 - 1946 [2023] (10 x CDs)

Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944–1946 brings overdue focus to a musician who often sits just outside the main jazz narrative, despite being central to it. Compiled in 2023 by Mosaic Records, this collection gathers Don Byas during a brief but crucial stretch, when swing was loosening its grip and modern jazz was beginning to assert itself. Rather than presenting a polished summary, the set allows the listener to hear Byas in motion, adapting, refining, and quietly pushing the tenor saxophone forward.

Byas’s sound is unmistakable from the outset. His tone is broad and vocal, steeped in the language of Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins, yet shaped by a personal sense of lyricism that feels both relaxed and deliberate. Across studio dates, broadcast material, and informal sessions, he plays with an authority that never tips into showmanship. Even when navigating dense harmonic territory, his lines remain melodic, grounded, and expressive, suggesting a player more interested in conversation than conquest.

What makes this period so compelling is the company he keeps and the settings he moves through. These recordings place Byas in small groups and larger ensembles, in formal sessions and looser environments where ideas are tested rather than perfected. The variety gives the set its depth. You hear him responding to different rhythmic feels, different personalities, and different musical pressures, all while maintaining a clear and consistent voice. The music reflects a scene in transition, and Byas stands comfortably in the middle of it, neither clinging to the past nor chasing novelty.

This collection rewards time and attention. It is not built around a handful of famous performances, but around accumulation and presence. Spending time with these sessions reveals why Don Byas mattered, not as a footnote between eras, but as a musician whose clarity and elegance helped shape the path forward. For listeners willing to settle in, the set offers a rich, human portrait of jazz finding its next language. (B)

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Track lists

CD01

01 Hot Lips Page's Swing Seven - Dance of The Tambourine 3:04

02 Hot Lips Page's Swing Seven - Paging Mr. Page 2:57

03 Don Byas's Swing Shifters - Riffinâ?? and Jivinâ?? 2:57

04 Don Byas's Swing Shifters - Free and Easy 2:52

05 Don Byas's Swing Shifters - Worried and Blue 3:17

06 Don Byas's Swing Shifters - Donâ??s Idea 2:55

07 Savoy Jam Session - Savoy Jam Party No. 2 3:14

08 Savoy Jam Session - Savoy Jam Party No. 1 3:01

09 Don Byas - 1944 Stomp 3:03

10 Don Byas - What Do You Want With My Heart 3:01

11 Don Byas's Swing Shifters - Bass C Jam 2:55

12 Emmett Berry Five - Sweet and Lovely 3:00

13 Emmett Berry Five - White Rose Kick 2:34

14 Emmett Berry Five - Deep Blue Dream 2:59

15 Emmett Berry Five - Byasâ??d Opinions 2:31

16 Hot Lips Page and His Orchestra - I Got What it Takes 3:09

17 Hot Lips Page's Swing Seven - Dance of The Tambourine (Alt #1) 2:53

18 Hot Lips Page's Swing Seven - Dance of The Tambourine (Alt #2) 3:08

19 Hot Lips Page's Swing Seven - Paging Mr. Page (Alt) 2:25

20 Don Byas's Swing Shifters - Free and Easy (Alt) 3:42

21 Don Byas's Swing Shifters - Donâ??s Idea (BD) 1:01

22 Don Byas's Swing Shifters - Donâ??s Idea (Alt) 2:55

23 Don Byas - 1944 Stomp (BD) 2:50

24 Don Byas - 1944 Stomp (Alt) 3:08

25 Emmett Berry Five - Deep Blue Dream (Alt) 3:04

CD02

01 Hot Lips Page and His Orchestra - Good for Stompinâ?? 3:09

02 Buck Ram's All Stars - Twilight in Teheran 2:59

03 Buck Ram's All Stars - Swing Street 3:12

04 Hank D'Amico Sextet - Hankâ??s Pranks 2:49

05 Hank D'Amico Sextet - Juke Box Judy 2:58

06 Hank D'Amico Sextet - Shy Little Witch From Greenwich 3:01

07 Hank D'Amico Sextet - Gone at Dawn 2:54

08 Joe Turner With Pete Johnson's All-Stars - S.K. Blues - Part I 3:02

09 Joe Turner With Pete Johnson's All-Stars - S.K. Blues - Part II 2:59

10 Joe Turner With Pete Johnson's All-Stars - Johnson & Turner Blues 3:01

11 Joe Turner With Pete Johnson's All-Stars - Watch That Jive 2:58

12 Albinia Jones With Don Byas' Swing Seven - Evil Gal Blues 3:08

13 Albinia Jones With Don Byas' Swing Seven - Salty Papa Blues 2:58

14 Albinia Jones With Don Byas' Swing Seven - Albiniaâ??s Blues 2:48

15 Albinia Jones With Don Byas' Swing Seven - Donâ??t You Wear No Black 2:53

16 Don Byas Quintette - Candy 3:19

17 Don Byas Quintette - How High The Moon 2:57

18 Don Byas Quintette - Donby 3:12

19 Don Byas Quintette - Byas-A-Drink 2:46

20 Hot Lips Page and His Orchestra - Good for Stompinâ?? 3:30

21 Hot Lips Page and His Orchestra - Good for Stompinâ?? (BD) 2:29

22 Buck Ram's All Stars - Twilight in Teheran (Alt) 3:02

23 Buck Ram's All Stars - Swing Street (Alt) 3:00

24 Joe Turner With Pete Johnson's All-Stars - Johnson and Turner Blues (Alt) 3:06

25 Don Byas Quintette - Candy (Alt #1) 3:18

26 Don Byas Quintette - Candy (Alt #2) 3:31

CD03

01 Earl Bostic and His Orchestra - Hurricane Blues 3:13

02 Earl Bostic and His Orchestra - All On 3:15

03 Don Byas Quartette - I Donâ??t Know Why 3:02

04 Don Byas Quartet - London-Donnie 2:54

05 Don Byas Quartet - Old Folks 3:05

06 Don Byas Quartette - Cherokee 3:02

07 Don Byas Quartette - September in The Rain 3:00

08 Don Byas Quartette - Living My Life 2:58

09 Don Byas Quartette - To Each His Own 2:59

10 Don Byas Quartet - They Say Itâ??s Wonderful 2:28

11 Don Byas Quartet - Cynthiaâ??s in Love 2:51

12 Don Byas Quartet - September Song 2:59

13 Don Byas Quartet - St. Louis Blues 3:01

14 Don Byas Quartet - I Found A New Baby 2:43

15 Don Byas Quartet - Marie 2:59

16 Don Byas Quartette - I Donâ??t Know Why (Alt) 3:01

17 Don Byas Quartet - Danny Boy (London-Donnie) (Alt) 3:05

18 Don Byas Quartette - Cherokee (Alt #1) 2:53

19 Don Byas Quartette - Cherokee (BD #1) 2:08

20 Don Byas Quartette - Cherokee (BD #2) 1:32

21 Don Byas Quartette - Cherokee (Alt #2) 3:11

22 Don Byas Quartette - September in The Rain (BD #1) 3:18

23 Don Byas Quartette - September in The Rain (BD #2) 1:58

24 Don Byas Quartette - September in The Rain (Alt) 2:45

25 Don Byas Quartet - September Song (Alt) 2:54

CD04

01 Don Byas - Whispering 4:48

02 Don Byas - Star Dust 5:35

03 Don Byas - Medley (My Ideal / Sweet Lorraine / Sweet and Lovely) 11:47

04 Don Byas - Donâ??t Blame Me 7:48

05 Don Byas - Medley (Star Dust / Memories of You / I Can't Get Started) 11:03

06 Don Byas - My Gal Sal 5:38

07 Don Byas - Indiana 4:40

08 Don Byas - I Got Rhythm 4:52

09 Don Byas - Rose Room 7:49

10 Don Byas - Sometimes Iâ??m Happy 7:49

CD05

01 Don Byas - Donâ??t Blame Me 8:53

02 Don Byas - Worried and Blue 7:08

03 Don Byas - I Gotta Right to Sing The Blues 5:06

04 Don Byas - Embraceable You 4:10

05 Don Byas - These Foolish Things 8:35

06 Don Byas - Tea for Two 7:08

07 Don Byas - Lady Be Good 4:34

08 Don Byas - Embraceable You 9:32

09 Don Byas - Moonglow 6:41

CD06

01 Don Byas - Medley (Just You, Just Me / How High The Moon) 9:53

02 Don Byas - Rose Room 7:14

03 Don Byas - Body and Soul 11:58

04 Don Byas - Cherokee 10:53

05 Don Byas - unidentified title 5:54

06 Don Byas - Crazy Rhythm (Beginning Cut) 8:52

07 Don Byas - Lullaby in Rhythm 10:28

08 Don Byas - What is This Thing Called Love? (Beginning Cut) 11:16

CD07

01 Don Byas - I Got Rhythm #1 (Ending) 0:37

02 Don Byas - I Got Rhythm #2 (Beginning Cut) 8:36

03 Don Byas - Sweet Georgia Brown (Beginning Cut) 9:45

04 Don Byas With Frank Froeba and His Boys in The Back Room - Cuckoo (Swing Test) 2:51

05 Don Byas With Frank Froeba and His Boys in The Back Room - Sometimes Iâ??m Happy 2:20

06 Don Byas With Frank Froeba and His Boys in The Back Room - Body and Soul 1:38

07 Don Byas With Frank Froeba and His Boys in The Back Room - Indiana 3:45

08 Cozy Cole's All Stars - Comes The Don 2:33

09 V-Disc All Star Jam Session - Rosetta 4:45

10 Clyde Hart All Stars - Whatâ??s The Matter Now? 2:52

11 Rubberleg Williams With Clyde Hart's All Stars - 4-F Blues [G.I. Blues] 2:20

12 James "Trummy" Young's All Stars - Seventh Avenue 2:54

13 James "Trummy" Young's All Stars - Sorta Kinda 2:44

14 Dizzy Gillespie With Rubberleg Williams With Clyde Hart's All Stars - Ooh! Ooh! My! My! Oh! Oh! 2:50

15 Oscar Pettiford and His 18 All Stars - Something for You 2:31

16 Oscar Pettiford and His Orchestra - Worried Life 2:55

17 Oscar Pettiford and His Orchestra - Empty Bed Blues - Part 1 2:35

18 Oscar Pettiford and His 18 All Stars - Empty Bed Blues - Part 2 2:33

19 Cozy Cole's All Stars - Comes The Don (Alt) 2:42

20 V-Disc All Star Jam Session - Rosetta (Alt) 5:18

21 Rubberleg Williams With Clyde Hart's All Stars - 4-F Blues [G.I. Blues] (Alt) 2:28

CD08

01 Dizzy Gillespie Sextet - Good Bait 2:50

02 Dizzy Gillespie Sextet - Salted Peanuts [Salt Peanuts] 3:04

03 Dizzy Gillespie Sextet - Be-Bop [Dizzy Fingers] 3:04

04 Don Byas All Star Quintet - Pennies From Heaven 3:15

05 Don Byas All Star Quintet - Should I? 5:13

06 Don Byas All Star Quintet - You Call it Madness, But I Call it Love 5:26

07 Don Byas All Star Quintet - Jamboree Jump 3:00

08 Nat Jaffe and The V-Disc Jumpers - The Jeepâ??s Jumpinâ?? 2:47

09 Timmie Rogers and His All Star Orchestra - Daddy-O 3:08

10 Savannah Churchill and Her Orchestra - All Alone 2:46

11 Don Byas and Orchestra - Double Talk 2:55

12 Don Byas Quartet - Fruit Salad 2:50

13 Don Byas - Don John 2:48

14 Don Byas - Spots 3:05

15 Cozy Cole and His Quintette - Hallelujah 3:03

16 Cozy Cole and His Quintette - Through for The Night 3:01

17 Cyril Haynes Sextet - Morning Madness 2:28

18 Cyril Haynes Sextet - One Sad Thursday 2:57

19 Cyril Haynes Sextet - Across The Road 2:46

20 Cyril Haynes Sextet - Cedar Manor 2:40

21 Guarnieri Quartet - Iâ??d Do Anything for You 3:02

22 Guarnieri Quartet - Sophisticated Lady 3:08

23 Guarnieri Quartet - Armand The Groove 2:59

24 Guarnieri Quartet - Dotâ??s My Baby 3:21

CD09

01 Don Byas' All Star Quintet - Little White Lies 2:25

02 Don Byas' All Star Quintet - Deep Purple 2:48

03 Don Byas' All Star Quintet - Them There Eyes 3:00

04 Don Byas' All Star Quintet - You Came Along (From Out of Nowhere) 3:00

05 Trummy Young and The Guys From V-Discs - Four Or Five Times 3:18

06 Henry Wells, Trummy Young and The Guys From V-Discs - I Want A Little Girl 3:04

07 Don Byas Quartet - Three Oâ?? Clock in The Morning 3:13

08 Don Byas Quartet - One Oâ?? Clock Jump 3:02

09 Don Byas Quartet - Harvard Blues 2:48

10 Don Byas Quartet - Slam-Inâ?? Around 2:59

11 George Williams and Orchestra - A Woman Gets Tired of One Man 2:48

12 George Williams and Orchestra - Donâ??t Care Blues 2:58

13 Don Byas Quartet - Laura 2:50

14 Don Byas Quartet - Star Dust 2:44

15 Don Byas Quartet - Slam, Donâ??t Shake Like That 2:54

16 Don Byas Quartet - Dark Eyes 2:31

17 Hot Lips Page and His Orchestra - The Lady in Debt 2:43

18 Hot Lips Page and His Orchestra - They Raided The Joint 2:58

19 Hot Lips Page and His Orchestra - Willie Mae Willow Foot 2:57

20 Hot Lips Page and His Orchestra - Race Horse Mama Blues 3:07

21 Don Byas Quartet - Embraceable You 2:57

CD10

01 Don Byas - The Gypsy 2:25

02 Don Byas - Nancy 2:48

03 Don Byas - Poor Butterfly 3:00

04 All Star Rhythm Section - Annie Laurie 3:00

05 Don Byas All Star Quartet - Once in A While 3:18

06 Don Byas All Star Quartet - Avalon 3:04

07 Don Byas - Blue and Sentimental 3:13

08 Don Byas All Star Quartet - My Melancholy Baby 3:02

09 Don Byas Quartet - Humoresque 2:48

10 Don Byas - Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams 2:59

11 Don Byas - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes 2:48

12 Don Byas Quartet - Slamboree 2:58

13 Benny Carter and His All Star Orchestra - Diga Diga Do 2:50

14 Benny Carter and His All Star Orchestra - Some of These Days 2:44

15 Benny Carter and His Orchestra - Rose Room 2:54

16 Don Redman and His Orchestra - Dark Glasses 2:31

17 Don Redman and His Orchestra - Mickey Finn 2:43

18 Don Byas and His Tenor Sax - You Go to My Head 2:58

19 Don Byas and His Tenor Sax - Don'??t You Know I Care? (Or Don'??t You Care to Know) 2:57

20 Don Byas and His Tenor Sax - Gloomy Sunday 3:07

21 Don Byas and His Tenor Sax - More Than A Mood [At Home With The Blues] 2:57

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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