Donald Byrd - The High Flyer

Possessed of a razor sharp intellect and a thirst for knowledge his many years as an educator were matched by his sage-like mentoring of countless rising stars, not least Herbie Hancock. One of Blue Note’s best-selling artists, he spanned hard-bop’s heyday, spearheaded hip shaking soul-jazz, while his jazz funk band the Blackbyrds paved the way for fusion-era heroes such as The Headhunters and Weather Report. He reached the hip hop crowd too after being sampled dozens of times in the 1990s. A lover of fast cars and a qualified pilot, it wasn’t unusual for him to fly to his own gigs. Passing away in February, aged 80, he left behind an extraordinary legacy, which he discusses here with Michael Jackson in one of his last ever interviews, while Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock and others pay tribute to his profound influence

This is an extract from Jazzwise Issue #177 – to read the full article click on the image below to save money and receive a FREE CD and a complimentary annual subscription to our App and digital edition...