Don Byas

Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas (October 21, 1912 – August 24, 1972) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, associated with swing and bebop. He played with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and also led his own band. He lived in Europe for the last 26 years of his life.

Biography Oklahoma and Los Angeles Byas was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States. Both of Byas' parents were musicians. His mother played the piano, and his father, the clarinet. Byas began his musical education in the European classical tradition, learning to play violin, clarinet and alto saxophone, which he played until the end of the 1920s.

Byas switched to the tenor saxophone after he moved to the West Coast, He worked in Lionel Hampton's band at the Paradise Club in 1935,

In September 1940, he had an eight bar solo on "Practice Makes Perfect", recorded by Billie Holiday. He participated in sessions with the pianist Pete Johnson, trumpeter Hot Lips Page, and singer Big Joe Turner. In 1941, at Minton's Playhouse he played with Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk and Kenny Clarke in after hours sessions.

In early 1941, after a short stay with Paul Bascomb, he had his big break when Count Basie chose him to succeed the post of Lester Young in his big band.

He played in small bands in New York clubs, including the Coleman Hawkins orchestra (1944), and he associated with beboppers such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, George Wallington, Oscar Pettiford and Max Roach at the Onyx Club from early 1944.

On January 4, 1945, Byas recorded with Clyde Hart, singer Rubberlegs Williams, Gillespie, Parker, Trummy Young, and on January 9, 1945, Gillespie, Byas and Young recorded "Be Bop", "Salt Peanuts", and "Good Bait" for Manor. On June 9, Byas and Slam Stewart played a live duet at The Town Hall. Byas led a small group for several sessions for Savoy during 1945–46. He was second-place winner in tenor sax of the Esquire All-American Awards in January 1946, and in February, he recorded again with Gillespie on "52nd Street Theme" and "Night in Tunisia".

Despite his bebop associations, Byas remained deeply rooted in the sounds of swing.

Paris In September 1946, Byas began his exile in Europe to tour with Don Redman's big band in Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany. They were the first civilian jazz big band to tour the continent after the war. After playing in Belgium and Spain, he finally settled in Paris. Pianist Tete Montoliu sneaked into the Copacabana Club in Barcelona to hear Byas. Byas collaborated again with Andy Kirk and recorded together on Vogue in 1953. Byas also recorded with Mary Lou Williams in 1953 and Beryl Booker in 1954.

Netherlands Byas moved to the Netherlands in the early 1950s; in 1955, he married Johanna "Jopie" Eksteen.

He worked extensively in Europe, often with touring American musicians. He also recorded with fado singer Amália Rodrigues during his time in Europe. Byas did not visit the U.S. until 1970, appearing at the Newport Jazz Festival. He died in Amsterdam in 1972 from lung cancer at the age of 59.

Byas' last Dolnet tenor saxophone (purchased from his widow) is on display at Rutgers University's Institute of Jazz Studies. His first custom Dolnet Bel Air tenor sax is owned and played by James Carter.

Discography As leader

1941 - Midnight at Minton's (Onyx, 1973) reissued as Midnight At Minton's (High Note, 1999) 1945 - Don Byas at Town Hall (Commodore Records?) 1944-45 - The Chronological Don Byas (Classics #882?) 1945-01 - The Chronological Don Byas (Classics #910?) 1945-02 - The Chronological Don Byas (Classics #959?) 1946 - The Chronological Don Byas (Classics #1009?) 1944-46 - Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944-1946 (10 CDs) (Mosaic Records, 2023) As leader, co-leader or featured session man 1946-54 - The Complete 1946-1954 Paris Recordings (3 CD) (Solid Jazz Recordings?) originally released on the Swing, Vogue and Blue Star labels 1954 - Don Carlos Meets Mary Lou (Vogue, 1954) See previous boxset 1961 - A Tribute to Cannonball (Columbia, 1979), with Bud Powell 1962 - Don Byas at Nalen (Riverside, 2012) 1963 - April in Paris! Don Byas with Strings (Battle, 1963) 1963 - All The Things You Are (Jazz life, 1988) 1963 - Anthropology (Black Lion, 1972) 1964 - Don Byas' 30th Anniversary Album (Fontana, 1964) Reissued by Polidor in 1968 as Live At The Montmartre Copenhagen 1965 - Autumn Leaves (Jazz House, 1998) 1967 - Don Byas featuring Sir Charles Thompson (Storyville, 2000)

As sideman Beryl Booker, Beryl Booker Trio with Don Byas in Paris (Discovery, 1954) Bill Coleman, Lausanne 1949 (TCB 2010) Coleman Hawkins, 52nd Street: Vol. 2 (Onyx, 1974) Amalia Rodrigues, Encontro (Columbia, 1972) Ben Webster, Ben Webster Meets Don Byas (SABA, 1968) Mary Lou Williams, Messin' 'Round in Montmartre (Storyville, 1956)