SCCD 31868 Chris Byars “A Hundred Years From Today” For the past ten years saxophonist/composer/arranger/educator Chris Byars has passionately excavated and re-examined earlier gems of music by jazz’s historical contributors such as Gigi Gryce, Lucky Thompson, Freddie Redd, Duke Jordan, among others. For this new album Byars penned nine original compositions as a tribute to […]
Tag Archives: Chris Byars
Chris Byars “New York City Jazz” (SCCD 31842)
SCCD 31842 Chris Byars “New York City Jazz” Chris Byars, the award winning alto saxophonist, composer, arranger, jazz historian and a 100% native New Yorker set out to “curate the state of jazz to create a sort of time capsule” (Chris Byars) for this new album. What Byars successfully presents here is the genuine creative […]
Chris Byars “The Music of Frank Strozier” (SCCD 31824)
SCCD 31824 Chris Byars “The Music of Frank Strozier” Chris Byars’s ongoing endeavour to re-discover and celebrate works by outstanding jazz composers of the past generations produced here another collection of gems by alto saxophonist Frank Strozier superbly arranged by Byars. Born in Memphis, TN in 1937 Frank Strozier grew up playing piano in the […]
Freddie Redd “With Due Respect” (SCCD 31817)
SCCD 31817 Freddie Redd “With Due Respect” One of the handful of surviving original hard-boppers Freddie Redd is turning 88 this month. The famed composer of the 60’s iconic off-Broadway play The Connection Redd ’s recording career has been, however, sporadic despite his great talent. His trio album “Music For You” (SCCD 31796) in 2014, […]
Chris Byars Sextet – Two Fives (SCCD 31807)
SCCD 31807 Chris Byars Sextet “Two Fives” Award-winning saxophonist/composer CHRIS BYARS divides his artistic focus between development of original material and studying the vast repertoire of jazz composers of the 20th century. During the past five years under SteepleChase label Chris Byars released two albums of his own materials and four albums paying tribute to […]
Chris Byars – The Music Of Duke Jordan (SCCD 31787)
SCCD 31787 Chris Byars “The Music Of Duke Jordan” Award-winning saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator Chris Byars, apart from his focus on composing his own music, has been highly interested in studying the vast repertoire of jazz composers of the 20th century. His endeavour has so far culminated in Blue Lights (SCCD31662) – music of […]
Chris Byars – Jasmine Flower (SCCD 31773)
SCCD 31773 Chris Byars “Jasmine Flower” Chris Byars saxophone/composer/arranger leads his group in various formats including a quintet as in this album with guest instrumentalists (his father James Byars on English horn and his fiancée Mine Sadrazam on piano). Chris could be dubbed “Jazz Ambassador” conducting cultural exchange programs in the Middle East, Central Asia […]
Chris Byars – Music For Forever (SCCD 31743)
Following the successful tribute album to Lucky Thompson’s music “Lucky Strikes Again” Chris Byars and his 8-piece band dedicate this latest album to the music of Freddie Redd. Chris Byars notes, " Everything he has written is meaningful and has his own special perspective on beauty. I feel that this was an overdue tribute to […]
Chris Byars – Lucky Strikes Again (SCCD 31713)
Chris Byars-saxophone/composer/arranger in continuing his pursuit of tapping into the rich musical legacy of unsung heroes of jazz pays tribute this time to Lucky Thompson. “Chris Byars, who leads an octet through the enclosed tribute to the compositional achievements of Thompson, studied Lucky's canon with the same love and understanding that he has brought to […]
Chris Byars – Bop-ography (SCCD 31686)
Following up the intriguing 2009 SteepleChase debut album “Blue Light” (SCCD 31662) shedding lights on compositions of Gigi Gryce, saxophonist/composer Chris Byars with his quintet features legendary vibraphonist Teddy Charles in an attractive program including his own compositions together with works by Donald Byrd and a unheard composition by Gigi Gryce. . 1. Festival (George […]