Blackjack (Donald Byrd album) explained

Blackjack
Type:Album
Artist:Donald Byrd
Cover:Blackjack (album).jpg
Released:March 1968[1]
Recorded:January 9, 1967
May 27, 1963 (Bonus track)
Studio:Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Genre:Jazz
Length:40:36
Label:Blue Note
BLP 4259
BST 84259
Producer:Alfred Lion
Chronology:Donald Byrd
Prev Title:Mustang!
Prev Year:1966
Next Title:Slow Drag
Next Year:1967

Blackjack is an album by American trumpeter Donald Byrd featuring performances by Byrd with Sonny Red, Hank Mobley, Cedar Walton, Walter Booker, and Billy Higgins recorded in 1967 and released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4259.[2] The CD reissue included one bonus track recorded in 1963. The title track was sampled by Gang Starr & Dream Warriors in their 1991 collaboration "I've Lost My Ignorance".

Reception

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 3 stars and stated "One can sense that Byrd wanted to break through the boundaries and rules of hard bop but had not yet decided on his future directions".[3]

Track listing

All compositions by Donald Byrd except as indicated

  1. "Blackjack" - 6:16
  2. "West of Pecos" (Sonny Red) - 5:29
  3. "Loki" (Red) - 5:53
  4. "Eldorado" (Mitch Farber) - 8:00
  5. "Beale Street" (Red) - 5:25
  6. "Pentatonic" - 4:59
  7. "All Members" (Heath) - 4:34 Bonus track on CD reissue

Recorded on May 27, 1963 (track 7) & January 9, 1967 (tracks 1-6).

Personnel

Tracks 1-6

Track 7

Notes and References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=DUUEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Byrd+Blackjack&pg=PA50 Billboard Mar 9, 1968
  2. http://www.jazzdisco.org/donald-byrd/catalog/#blue-note-blp-4259 Donald Byrd discography
  3. Yanow, S. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r136261|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic Review] accessed September 2, 2010