New York City Jazz is a 2018 album by American jazz saxophonist Chris Byars. After its recording, guitarist Pasquale Grasso signed a record deal with Sony Music, which prevented him from recording with Byars,[1]: 3:17 though in 2022 he returned with Byars on the album Look Ahead.[2]
Composition
As Byars toured for the U.S. State Department for several years, many of the compositions featured on the album have foreign influences.[3] "The General's Song"[Note 1] was composed by Saudi Arabian musician Tarek Abdel-Hakim, and was given to Byars as a gift after the two met in 2008 in Jeddah, where Byars was touring as a jazz ambassador. Solos on the track are played over the chord changes of Sweet Georgia Brown.[3][1]: 27:10–30:45 "Quick Turnaroud" was titled in reference to a plane trip between the neighboring countries of Albania and Kosovo, in which Byars took a detour to New York City so he could catch his daughter preforming in a high school play.[1] "No Message" is based on tradional Bahrainian folk song.[3]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Tom Hull | B+[4] |
Robert Rusch, writing for Cadence Magazine, stated that "Given some give you could see much of this as a get together with 50s Phil Woods, early Eric Dolphy, Jimmy Raney and Gigi Gryce or you just could sit back, forget the conjecture and enjoy the CD."[5] Derek Taylor, of Dusted Magazine, praised Byars sidemen, saying that "each player fits the leader’s specifications while retaining sharply delineated respective personalities."[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Transfiguration" | Gigi Gryce | 5:59 |
| 2. | "Quick Turnaround" | Byars | 8:11 |
| 3. | "Dawn in the City" | Freddie Redd | 6:01 |
| 4. | "Hot Dog" | Byars | 8:12 |
| 5. | "No Message" | Byars | 6:48 |
| 6. | "Chess" | Byars | 9:08 |
| 7. | "Bridge of Locks (Köln Evolution Suite Part V)" | Byars | 5:13 |
| 8. | "The General's Song" | Tarek Abdel-Hakim | 5:50 |
| 9. | "B. G.'s Holiday" | Gryce | 9:21 |
Personnel
- Chris Byars – alto saxophone
- John Mosca – trombone
- Stefano Doglioni – bass clarinet
- Pasquale Grasso – guitar
- Ari Roland – bass
- Stefan Schatz – drums
Source[6]
References
- ^ a b c Byars, Chris (April 30, 2018). "Jazz Flashes Podcast # 11 - Chris Byars on New York City Jazz" (Interview). Interviewed by Anton Garcia-Fernandez – via YouTube.
- ^ Vacher, Peter. "Chris Byars Quartet: Look Ahead". Jazzwise. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ a b c d Tayor, Derek (April 9, 2018). "Chris Byars – New York City Jazz (Steeplechase)". Dusted Magazine. Retrieved 2024-02-25 – via Tumblr.
- ^ Hull, Tom. "Tom Hull: The Best Jazz Albums of 2018". tomhull.com. Notes. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
- ^ Rusch, Robert. "Papatamus". Cadence.
- ^ "Chris Byars Discography". Noal Cohen's Jazz History Website. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
Notes
- ^ The name is a reference to Hakim's former status as a general in the Saudi army. Byars did not know of the original Arabic title