Charlie Byrd
Encyclopedia
Charlie Lee Byrd was a famous and versatile American guitarist
born in Suffolk, Virginia
. His earliest and strongest musical influence was Django Reinhardt
, the famous gypsy guitarist. Byrd became the American guitarist who best understood and played Brazil
ian music, especially the Bossa Nova
genre. In 1962, Byrd collaborated with Stan Getz
on the famous album, Jazz Samba
, a recording which pushed bossa nova
into the mainstream of North American music. Byrd played a classical guitar
with nylon strings using fingerstyle.
, in 1925 and grew up in the town of Chuckatuck, Virginia
. His father—a mandolin
and guitar player—taught him how to play the acoustic steel guitar
at age 10, though he eventually went on to study with the renowned Sophocles Papas
. He had three brothers, Oscar, Jack and one fellow musician, Joe Byrd. In 1942 he entered the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and played in the school orchestra there. By 1943 he had been drafted into the United States Army
for World War II
and subsequently saw combat, then was stationed in Paris
in 1945 and played in an Army Special Services band. He returned to the United States
and went to New York
, where he studied composition and jazz theory at the Harnett National Music School in Manhattan, New York. During this time he began using a classical guitar
. After moving to Washington, D.C.
in 1950, he studied classical guitar with Sophocles Papas
for several years. In 1954 he became a pupil of the Spanish classical guitarist Andres Segovia
and spent time studying in Italy with "the Maestro." Byrd's earliest influence was the gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt
, whom he saw perform in Paris.
in a Washington, D.C., club called The Vineyard. The two began doing gigs together, and by October they were frequently performing at The Showboat. In 1959 the pair joined Woody Herman
's band and toured Europe
for 3 weeks as part of a United States State Department sponsored "goodwill" tour. The other members of the band were Vince Guaraldi
, Bill Harris
, Nat Adderley
and drummer Jimmy Campbell. At other times, Byrd led his own groups that sometimes featured his brother, Joe Byrd.
During the late 1950s he trained several guitar students at his home in D.C., each being required to 'audition' for him, before he decided they had potential enough to warrant his input.
Byrd was first introduced to Brazilian music by his friend, radio host Felix Grant
, who had established contacts in Brazil in the late 1950s and who was well-known there by 1960, due to the efforts of Brazilian radio broadcaster Paulo Santos. Following a spring 1961 diplomatic tour of South America (including Brazil) for the United States State Department, Charlie Byrd returned home and met with Stan Getz
at the Showboat Lounge. Byrd invited Getz back to his home to listen to some bossa nova
recordings by João Gilberto
and Antonio Carlos Jobim
he had brought back. Getz liked what he heard and the two decided they wanted to make an album of the songs. The task of creating an authentic sound, however, proved much more challenging than either man had anticipated.
Getz convinced Creed Taylor
at Verve Records
to produce the album, and Byrd and he assembled a group of musicians they both knew to create the recordings. These early sessions did not turn out to either man's liking, so Byrd gathered a group of musicians that had been to Brazil with him previously and practiced with them in Washington, D.C.
until he felt they were ready to record. The group included his brother Gene Byrd, as well as Keter Betts
, Bill Reichenbach
and Buddy Deppenschmidt
. Bill and Buddy were both drummers, and the combination made it easier to achieve authentic samba
rhythms. Finally the group was deemed ready and Getz and Taylor arrived in Washington D.C. on February 13, 1962. They recorded in a building adjacent to All Souls Unitarian
Church because of the excellent acoustics found there.
The recordings were released in April 1962 as the album Jazz Samba
, and by September the recording had entered Billboard
s pop album chart. By March of the following year the album had moved all the way to number one, igniting a bossa nova
craze in the American jazz community as a result. It should be noted that the term bossa nova did not become used in reference to the music until later. The album remained on the charts for seventy weeks, and Getz soon beat John Coltrane
in a Down Beat
poll. One of the album's most popular tunes was a Jobim hit, titled "Desafinado".
In 1963 Byrd did a Europe
an tour with Les McCann
and Zoot Sims
, among others. Either in 1964 or 1965 Byrd appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival
with Episcopal priest Malcolm Boyd
, accompanying prayers from his book Are You Running With Me Jesus? with guitar. In 1967 Byrd brought a lawsuit
against Stan Getz and MGM, contending that he was unfairly paid for his contributions to the 1962 album Jazz Samba. The jury
agreed with Byrd and awarded him half of all royalties from the album.
His earliest trios included bassist Keeter Betts and drummers Buddy Deppinschmidt and Bertel Knox. In the early 1960s Betts joined Ella Fitzgerald
and Byrd's brother Gene H. (Joe) Byrd became bassist for the group. Joe Byrd played with his brother until Charlie Byrd's death in 1999 of cancer. Byrd's trios also included drummers Billy Reichenbach for over ten years, Wayne Phillips for several years and for the last 19 years Chuck Redd.
In 1967, or more likely 1968, his quartet was on a state department tour in Asia, which included Katmandu, Nepal. Upon invitation by the pastor, that stop included him playing both Bach and a spiritual at the worship service of the (International) Protestant Congregation on Sunday morning.
In 1973 Byrd moved to Annapolis, Maryland
, and in September of that year he recorded an interesting album with Cal Tjader
titled Tambú, the only recording the two would make together. That same year Byrd joined guitarists Herb Ellis
and Barney Kessel
and formed the Great Guitars group, which also included drummer
Johnny Rae. Byrd collaborated with Venezuelan pianist and composer Maestro Aldemaro Romero in the album ONDA NUEVA/THE NEW WAVE.
From 1980 through 1996, he released several of his arrangements to the jazz and classical guitar community through Guitarist's Forum (gfmusic.com) including Charlie Byrd's Christmas Guitar Solos, Mozart: Seven Waltzes For Classical Guitar, and The Charlie Byrd Library featuring the music of George Gershwin
and Irving Berlin
. He also collaborated with the Annapolis Brass Quintet
in the late 1980s, appearing with them in over 50 concerts across the United States and releasing two albums.
Charlie Byrd, Joe Byrd and Chuck Redd were also a part of the famous act called "The Great Guitars" with electric guitarists Herb Ellis and Barnie Kessel. This group toured and recorded albums in the 1980s. Byrd collaborated with many famous jazz players over his lengthy career. A jazz supper club in Georgetown, DC also bore his name, "Charlie's". When he died, he was "at home" in the King of France Tavern of the Maryland Inn.
Upon his death, a scholarship was endowed in his name at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University
.
Byrd played for several years at a jazz club in Silver Spring, Maryland
, called The Showboat II which was owned and managed by his manager, Peter Lambros. He was also home-based at the King of France Tavern nightclub
at the Maryland Inn in Annapolis from 1973 until his death in 1999. In 1992 the book "Jazz Cooks"—by Bob Young
and Al Stankus—was published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, a compilation of recipes that include a few recipes from Byrd. He also authored the 1973 publication Charlie Byrd's Melodic Method for Guitar.
on December 2, 1999 at his home in Annapolis, Maryland
.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
born in Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
. His earliest and strongest musical influence was Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
, the famous gypsy guitarist. Byrd became the American guitarist who best understood and played Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian music, especially the Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova may refer to:*Bossa nova, a style of music*Bossa Nova , a dance form associated with the music*Bossa Nova , a 2000 film*Bossa Nova - album by John Pizzarelli...
genre. In 1962, Byrd collaborated with Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
on the famous album, Jazz Samba
Jazz Samba
Jazz Samba is a bossa nova LP by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd, released on the Verve label on April 20, 1962.Jazz Samba was the first major bossa-nova album on the American jazz scene. It was the real start of the bossa-nova excitement in America, which peaked in the mid-1960s...
, a recording which pushed bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
into the mainstream of North American music. Byrd played a classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
with nylon strings using fingerstyle.
Early life
Charlie Byrd was born in Suffolk, VirginiaSuffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
, in 1925 and grew up in the town of Chuckatuck, Virginia
Chuckatuck, Virginia
Chuckatuck is a neighborhood of the independent city of Suffolk, Virginia, United States. It is located at the junction of State Route 10/State Route 32 and State Route 125, just south of SR 10/32's crossing of Chuckatuck Creek. Its elevation is 36 feet above mean sea level...
. His father—a mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and guitar player—taught him how to play the acoustic steel guitar
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
at age 10, though he eventually went on to study with the renowned Sophocles Papas
Sophocles Papas
Sophocles Papas was an internationally renowned classical guitar pedagogue. He began teaching classical guitar in Washington, D.C., in the 1920s, when the lack of published guitar music led him to found the . The company publishes many arrangements and original compositions for the guitar,...
. He had three brothers, Oscar, Jack and one fellow musician, Joe Byrd. In 1942 he entered the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and played in the school orchestra there. By 1943 he had been drafted into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and subsequently saw combat, then was stationed in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1945 and played in an Army Special Services band. He returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and went to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he studied composition and jazz theory at the Harnett National Music School in Manhattan, New York. During this time he began using a classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
. After moving to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1950, he studied classical guitar with Sophocles Papas
Sophocles Papas
Sophocles Papas was an internationally renowned classical guitar pedagogue. He began teaching classical guitar in Washington, D.C., in the 1920s, when the lack of published guitar music led him to found the . The company publishes many arrangements and original compositions for the guitar,...
for several years. In 1954 he became a pupil of the Spanish classical guitarist Andres Segovia
Andrés Segovia
Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquis of Salobreña , known as Andrés Segovia, was a virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist from Linares, Jaén, Andalucia, Spain...
and spent time studying in Italy with "the Maestro." Byrd's earliest influence was the gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
, whom he saw perform in Paris.
Career
In 1957 Byrd met double bassist Keter BettsKeter Betts
Keter Betts was an American jazz double bassist. Born William Thomas Betts in Port Chester, New York, he was nicknamed "Keter", a short form of the word mosquito.-Career:...
in a Washington, D.C., club called The Vineyard. The two began doing gigs together, and by October they were frequently performing at The Showboat. In 1959 the pair joined Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
's band and toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for 3 weeks as part of a United States State Department sponsored "goodwill" tour. The other members of the band were Vince Guaraldi
Vince Guaraldi
Vincent Anthony "Vince" Guaraldi was an Italian American jazz musician and pianist noted for his innovative compositions and arrangements and for composing music for animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip...
, Bill Harris
Bill Harris (musician)
Bill Harris was a jazz trombonist.-Biography:Early in his career, Harris performed with Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, and Eddie Condon. He is renowned for his broad, thick tone and quick vibrato that remained for the duration of each tone. He went on to join Woody Herman's First Herd in 1944...
, Nat Adderley
Nat Adderley
Nathaniel Adderley was an American jazz cornet and trumpet player who played in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. He was the brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley....
and drummer Jimmy Campbell. At other times, Byrd led his own groups that sometimes featured his brother, Joe Byrd.
During the late 1950s he trained several guitar students at his home in D.C., each being required to 'audition' for him, before he decided they had potential enough to warrant his input.
Byrd was first introduced to Brazilian music by his friend, radio host Felix Grant
Felix Grant
Felix E. Grant was a disk jockey who specialized in jazz during a long career in radio and television in Washington, D.C.; primarily on station WMAL, the local ABC affiliate. In addition to playing records, he was distinguished for his many interviews with performers. Many of those interviews...
, who had established contacts in Brazil in the late 1950s and who was well-known there by 1960, due to the efforts of Brazilian radio broadcaster Paulo Santos. Following a spring 1961 diplomatic tour of South America (including Brazil) for the United States State Department, Charlie Byrd returned home and met with Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
at the Showboat Lounge. Byrd invited Getz back to his home to listen to some bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
recordings by João Gilberto
João Gilberto
João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira, known as João Gilberto , is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. His seminal recordings, including many songs by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, established the new musical genre of Bossa nova in the late 1950s.-Biography:From an early age, music...
and Antonio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim , also known as Tom Jobim , was a Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist. He was a primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style, and his songs have been performed by many singers and instrumentalists within...
he had brought back. Getz liked what he heard and the two decided they wanted to make an album of the songs. The task of creating an authentic sound, however, proved much more challenging than either man had anticipated.
Getz convinced Creed Taylor
Creed Taylor
Creed Taylor is an American record producer, best known for his work with CTI Records, which he founded in 1968. Taylor’s career also included work at Bethlehem Records, ABC-Paramount, Verve, and A&M Records...
at Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
to produce the album, and Byrd and he assembled a group of musicians they both knew to create the recordings. These early sessions did not turn out to either man's liking, so Byrd gathered a group of musicians that had been to Brazil with him previously and practiced with them in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
until he felt they were ready to record. The group included his brother Gene Byrd, as well as Keter Betts
Keter Betts
Keter Betts was an American jazz double bassist. Born William Thomas Betts in Port Chester, New York, he was nicknamed "Keter", a short form of the word mosquito.-Career:...
, Bill Reichenbach
William Frank Reichenbach Sr.
Bill Reichenbach Sr., was an American jazz drummer and percussionist, who co-developed the jazz-samba drumming style.- Life and career :...
and Buddy Deppenschmidt
Buddy Deppenschmidt
Buddy Deppenschmidt is an American jazz drummer. He recorded with Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd and Bill Reichenbach. Their album Jazz Samba, recorded live on February 13, 1962, started a craze in North America for Latin American music...
. Bill and Buddy were both drummers, and the combination made it easier to achieve authentic samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
rhythms. Finally the group was deemed ready and Getz and Taylor arrived in Washington D.C. on February 13, 1962. They recorded in a building adjacent to All Souls Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
Church because of the excellent acoustics found there.
The recordings were released in April 1962 as the album Jazz Samba
Jazz Samba
Jazz Samba is a bossa nova LP by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd, released on the Verve label on April 20, 1962.Jazz Samba was the first major bossa-nova album on the American jazz scene. It was the real start of the bossa-nova excitement in America, which peaked in the mid-1960s...
, and by September the recording had entered Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s pop album chart. By March of the following year the album had moved all the way to number one, igniting a bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
craze in the American jazz community as a result. It should be noted that the term bossa nova did not become used in reference to the music until later. The album remained on the charts for seventy weeks, and Getz soon beat John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
in a Down Beat
Down Beat
Down Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
poll. One of the album's most popular tunes was a Jobim hit, titled "Desafinado".
In 1963 Byrd did a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an tour with Les McCann
Les McCann
Les McCann is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.-Biography:...
and Zoot Sims
Zoot Sims
John Haley "Zoot" Sims was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor and soprano.-Biography:He was born in Inglewood, California, the son of vaudeville performers Kate Haley and John Sims. Growing up in a performing family, Sims learned to play both drums and clarinet at an early age...
, among others. Either in 1964 or 1965 Byrd appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
with Episcopal priest Malcolm Boyd
Malcolm Boyd
Malcolm Boyd is an American Episcopal Priest and author.-Biography:In the 1960s Boyd became known as “The Espresso Priest” for his religiously-themed poetry-reading sessions at the “Hungry i” nightclub in San Francisco. Boyd went on to become a prominent white clergyman in the American Civil...
, accompanying prayers from his book Are You Running With Me Jesus? with guitar. In 1967 Byrd brought a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against Stan Getz and MGM, contending that he was unfairly paid for his contributions to the 1962 album Jazz Samba. The jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
agreed with Byrd and awarded him half of all royalties from the album.
His earliest trios included bassist Keeter Betts and drummers Buddy Deppinschmidt and Bertel Knox. In the early 1960s Betts joined Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
and Byrd's brother Gene H. (Joe) Byrd became bassist for the group. Joe Byrd played with his brother until Charlie Byrd's death in 1999 of cancer. Byrd's trios also included drummers Billy Reichenbach for over ten years, Wayne Phillips for several years and for the last 19 years Chuck Redd.
In 1967, or more likely 1968, his quartet was on a state department tour in Asia, which included Katmandu, Nepal. Upon invitation by the pastor, that stop included him playing both Bach and a spiritual at the worship service of the (International) Protestant Congregation on Sunday morning.
In 1973 Byrd moved to Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, and in September of that year he recorded an interesting album with Cal Tjader
Cal Tjader
Callen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr. a.k.a. Cal Tjader was a Latin jazz musician, though he also explored various other jazz idioms. Unlike other American jazz musicians who experimented with the music from Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America, he never abandoned it, performing it until his...
titled Tambú, the only recording the two would make together. That same year Byrd joined guitarists Herb Ellis
Herb Ellis
Mitchell Herbert "Herb" Ellis was an American jazz guitarist. Perhaps best known for his 1950s membership in the trio of pianist Oscar Peterson, Ellis was also a staple of west-coast studio recording sessions, and was described by critic Scott Yanow as "an excellent bop-based guitarist with a...
and Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel
Barney Kessel was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. Generally considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 20th century, he was noted in particular for his vast knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies...
and formed the Great Guitars group, which also included drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Johnny Rae. Byrd collaborated with Venezuelan pianist and composer Maestro Aldemaro Romero in the album ONDA NUEVA/THE NEW WAVE.
From 1980 through 1996, he released several of his arrangements to the jazz and classical guitar community through Guitarist's Forum (gfmusic.com) including Charlie Byrd's Christmas Guitar Solos, Mozart: Seven Waltzes For Classical Guitar, and The Charlie Byrd Library featuring the music of George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
and Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
. He also collaborated with the Annapolis Brass Quintet
Annapolis Brass Quintet
The Annapolis Brass Quintet was a brass quintet founded by trumpet player David Cran and trombone player Robert Posten in 1971 as America's first full-time performing brass ensemble. During the course of its 22-year career through 1993, it played concerts in all fifty states and throughout Europe,...
in the late 1980s, appearing with them in over 50 concerts across the United States and releasing two albums.
Charlie Byrd, Joe Byrd and Chuck Redd were also a part of the famous act called "The Great Guitars" with electric guitarists Herb Ellis and Barnie Kessel. This group toured and recorded albums in the 1980s. Byrd collaborated with many famous jazz players over his lengthy career. A jazz supper club in Georgetown, DC also bore his name, "Charlie's". When he died, he was "at home" in the King of France Tavern of the Maryland Inn.
Upon his death, a scholarship was endowed in his name at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
.
Byrd played for several years at a jazz club in Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, called The Showboat II which was owned and managed by his manager, Peter Lambros. He was also home-based at the King of France Tavern nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
at the Maryland Inn in Annapolis from 1973 until his death in 1999. In 1992 the book "Jazz Cooks"—by Bob Young
Bob Young
Robert "Bob" Young is an entrepreneur who made a great deal of money from Red Hat software. He was born in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. He attended Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Victoria College at the University of Toronto.He created the ACC...
and Al Stankus—was published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, a compilation of recipes that include a few recipes from Byrd. He also authored the 1973 publication Charlie Byrd's Melodic Method for Guitar.
Personal life
Byrd was married to Rebecca Byrd, and has two daughters from previous marriages, Carol Rose of Charlotte, NC, and Charlotte Byrd of Crownsville, MD. He loved sailboating, and owned a twenty-six foot boat called "I'm Hip" that he sailed to various parts of the world. Charlie Byrd died of lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
on December 2, 1999 at his home in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
.
Awards
- 1999 - KnightKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed by the government of BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
as a Knight of the Rio BrancoRio BrancoRio Branco is a Brazilian city, capital of Acre. Located in the Valley of Acre in northern Brazil, it is the most populous county in the state, with 305,954 inhabitants, according to a 2009 estimate - almost half the state population.... - 1997 - deemed a "Maryland Art Treasure" by the Community Arts Alliance of MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
Discography
| Title | Release | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| First Flight | 1957 | Compilation from 'Jazz Recital' (tracks 1-10) and 'Blues For Night People' (tracks 11-17) |
| Jazz Recital | 1957 | February 4, 1957 |
| Blues for Night People | 1957 | August 4, 1957; Same as 'Midnight Guitar' with slight difference in the 1st track |
| Midnight Guitar | 1957 | Same as 'Blues for Night People' with slight difference in the 1st track |
| Byrd's Word | 1958 | Riverside Records Riverside Records Riverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade... |
| Mr. Guitar | 1959 | Riverside |
| The Guitar Artistry of Charlie Byrd | 1960 | Riverside |
| Charlie Byrd at the Village Vanguard | 1961 | Riverside |
| Blues Sonata | 1961 | Riverside |
| Latin Impressions | 1962 | Riverside |
| Bossa Nova Bossa Nova Bossa Nova may refer to:*Bossa nova, a style of music*Bossa Nova , a dance form associated with the music*Bossa Nova , a 2000 film*Bossa Nova - album by John Pizzarelli... Pelos Passaros |
1962 | Riverside |
| Once More! Bossa Nova | 1963 | Riverside |
| Guitar/Guitar | 1963 | In collaboration with Herb Ellis |
| Charlie Byrd Trio at the Village Gate | 1964 | Riverside |
| Brazilian Byrd | 1965 | - |
| Travellin' Man | 1965 | - |
| The Touch of Gold | 1965 | Columbia |
| Byrd Song | 1965 | - |
| Solo Flight | 1965 | Riverside |
| Byrdland | 1966 | Columbia CS 9392/CL 2592 |
| Hollywood Byrd | 1967 | - |
| More Brazilian Byrd | 1967 | - |
| Christmas Carols for Solo Guitar | 1967 | - |
| Music for "Villa Lobos Heitor Villa-Lobos Heitor Villa-Lobos was a Brazilian composer, described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the best-known and most significant Latin American composer to date. He wrote numerous orchestral, chamber, instrumental and vocal works... " |
1967 | - |
| Delicately | 1968 | - |
| Hit Trip | 1968 | - |
| The Great Byrd | 1969 | - |
| Byrd Man | 1969 | |
| Let It Be | 1970 | - |
| For All We Know | 1971 | - |
| The Stroke of Genius | 1971 | sometimes known as 'Aquarius' |
| Crystal Silence | 1973 | - |
| The World of Charlie Byrd | 1973 | double album |
| The New Wave (La Onda Nueva) | 1974 | In collaboration with Venezuelan Aldemaro Romero Aldemaro Romero Aldemaro Romero was a Venezuelan pianist, composer, arranger and orchestral conductor. He was born in Valencia, Carabobo State.-Biography:... . Label: Columbia Records |
| Byrd by the Sea | 1974 | live |
| Great Guitars | 1975 | live w/ Barney Kessel & Herb Ellis |
| Top Hat | 1975 | - |
| Great Guitars 2 | 1976 | live w/ Barney Kessel & Herb Ellis |
| Charlie Byrd Swings Downtown | 1976 | live |
| Bluebyrd | 1979 | - |
| Sugarloaf Suite | 1980 | recorded live at the Concord Jazz Festival Concord Jazz Festival The Concord Jazz Festival is an annual event that was established in 1969 in Concord, California.The festival was launched by Carl Jefferson, a car dealer and jazz enthusiast, who managed to get a group of friends to support the concept. The city agreed to pay for half the cost... , Concord CA, in August 1979 |
| Great Guitars at the Winery | 1980 | - |
| Brazilville | 1981 | - |
| Brazilian Soul | 1981–1983 | with Laurindo Almeida |
| Latin Odyssey | 1981–1983 | with Laurindo Almeida |
| Charlie Byrd Christmas Album | 1982 | - |
| Isn't It Romantic | 1984 | - |
| Tango | 1985 | - |
| Byrd and Brass | 1986 | w/Annapolis Brass Quintet Annapolis Brass Quintet The Annapolis Brass Quintet was a brass quintet founded by trumpet player David Cran and trombone player Robert Posten in 1971 as America's first full-time performing brass ensemble. During the course of its 22-year career through 1993, it played concerts in all fifty states and throughout Europe,... |
| It's a Wonderful World | 1988 | - |
| Christmas With Byrd and Brass | 1989 | w/Annapolis Brass Quintet Annapolis Brass Quintet The Annapolis Brass Quintet was a brass quintet founded by trumpet player David Cran and trombone player Robert Posten in 1971 as America's first full-time performing brass ensemble. During the course of its 22-year career through 1993, it played concerts in all fifty states and throughout Europe,... |
| Great Guitars: Straight Tracks | 1991 | w/ Herb Ellis & Barney Kessel |
| Tambu | 1992 | - |
| Rise and Shine | 1992 | - |
| The Washington Guitar Quintet | 1992 | - |
| Music to Dine By | 1993 | - |
| Aquarelle | 1993 | - |
| I've Got the World on a String | 1994 | - |
| Moments Like This | 1994 | - |
| Jazz & Samba | 1995 | - |
| Du Hot Club De Concord | 1995 | - |
| Live At Music Room | 1996 | live |
| Return of the Great Guitars | 1996 | live w/ Herb Ellis & Mundell Lowe |
| Au Courant | 1997 | - |
| My Inspiration: Music of Brazil | 1999 | - |
| For Louis | 2000 | - |
| Charlie Byrd | 2000 | Label: Delta |
| Byrd in the Wind | 2002 | Riverside |
| Charlie Byrd Plays Jobim | 2002 | - |
| Bamba Samba Bossa Nova | 2005 | - |
| Aquarius | 2005 | - |
| Byrd at the Gate: Charlie Byrd Trio at the Village Gate | 2005 | Extended CD Release, live |
| Everybody's Doin' the Bossa Nova | 2005 | - |
| Great Guitars Concord Jazz | 2005 | label: Concord Jazz, live |
| Let Go | 2005 | - |
| Lodovico Roncalli Suites | 2005 | - |
| Music of the Brazilian Masters | 2005 | with Laurindo Almeida and Carlos Barbosa-Lima |
| World of Charlie Byrd | 2005 | - |
External links
- Pixinguinha