Don Byas

小Don Byas是一位早期爵士樂的開墾樂手之一，由于他相當(dāng)常用“替代和弦”作為即興的依據(jù)，因此許多人認(rèn)為Byas算得上是咆勃爵士樂的先驅(qū)者，即使在進入咆勃爵士樂的興盛的時期，他也能很成功地將搖擺爵士樂與咆勃爵士樂結(jié)合起來。提起Don Byas實在不能不提到他的調(diào)情功力，許多人在談到早期薩克斯風(fēng)手的時候，總是認(rèn)為Coleman Hawkins、Lester Young為慢板抒情曲之代表，事實上，Don Byas的功力一點也不遜於上述兩位大師，他的演奏風(fēng)格深深受到Art Tatum的影響，而他之所以會以演奏爵士樂做為一生的職業(yè)，乃是受到Coleman Hawkins的影響。Charlie Parker對Don Byas后來的風(fēng)格有著難以比擬的引導(dǎo)力，也就是因為Parker，使得Byas開始朝著融合咆勃與搖擺的路線發(fā)展。

by Scott Yanow

One of the greatest of all tenor players, Don Byas decision to move permanently to Europe in 1946 resulted in him being vastly underrated in jazz history books. His knowledge of chords rivalled Coleman Hawkins, and, due to their similarity in tones, Byas can be considered an extension of the elder tenor. He played with many top swing bands, including those of Lionel Hampton (1935), Buck Clayton (1936), Don Redman, Lucky Millinder, Andy Kirk (1939-1940), and most importantly Count Basie (1941-1943). An advanced swing stylist, Byas playing looked toward bop. He jammed at Mintons Playhouse in the early 40s, appeared on 52nd Street with Dizzy Gillespie, and performed a pair of stunning duets with bassist Slam Stewart at a 1944 Town Hall concert. After recording extensively during 1945-1946 (often as a leader), Byas went to Europe with Don Redmans band, and (with the exception of a 1970 appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival) never came back to the U.S. He lived in France, the Netherlands, and Denmark; often appeared at festivals; and worked steadily. Whenever American players were touring, they would ask for Byas, who had opportunities to perform with Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Dizzy Gillespie, Jazz at the Philharmonic (including a recorded tenor battle with Hawkins and Stan Getz), Art Blakey, and (on a 1968 recording) Ben Webster. Byas also recorded often in the 1950s, but was largely forgotten in the U.S. by the time of his death.