The Guitar Artistry of Charlie Byrd

Digging through the bargain bins and record-boxes at charity shops in search of old jazz records, one comes to learn that, in this part of the world at least, the politer (and whiter) kinds of jazz are much more readily available than the rawer & rootsier varieties; or the further-out & more experimental ones. Before one Sonny Rollins record comes to light, for example, one might find a dozen or more Dave Brubecks. What was more popular back in the day is often less sought-after now, and vice versa.

With most of my jazz vinyl having been obtained locally & on the cheap, it reflects those bygone biases. Even so, I'm still more than happy to pick up top-quality slices of lighter jazz, with The Guitar Artistry of Charlie Byrd being a prime example. It's a 1962 issue of an album first released a couple of years earlier under the unwieldy title of Charlie's Choice: Jazz At The Showboat, Volume IV. On it, Byrd leads a trio with Keter Betts on bass and Buddy Deppenschmidt on drums.

The first side of the record comprises eight short & melodic tracks, which, as Willis Conover's liner notes say, may once have been considered 'ideal for improving the space between commercials, provided commercial radio stations still leave space between commercials.' Of these, Byrd's rendition of Django Reinhardt's 'Nuages' is a stand-out. The other side features four slightly longer pieces, allowing the musicians more room to manoeuvre: the beautifully-played 'Ring Them Harmonics' might be my favourite of those.

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