Byrd's Word! is an album by American jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd with tracks recorded in 1958 and released on the Riverside label in 1962.[1] The album was first released on the Washington Records Offbeat imprint as Jazz at the Showboat[2]

Byrds's Word!
Studio album by
Released1962
Recorded1958
StudioEdgewood Recording Studios, Washington, D.C.
GenreJazz
Length41:24
LabelRiverside
ProducerOrrin Keepnews
Charlie Byrd chronology
Midnight Guitar
(1957)
Byrds's Word!
(1962)
Byrd in the Wind
(1959)

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [3]

Allmusic awarded the album 4 stars stating "Byrd's Word! is an early Charlie Byrd recording that finds the guitarist in a variety of settings... Though there are really no bad cuts on the album, the content is so diverse – acoustic trios, electric guitar with brass, and acoustic guitar with vocals – that the album doesn't flow as a whole... The variety of material and styles gives the impression that Byrd was experimenting, but even so, his experimentation was conservative... Byrd's Word! may not be a great album, but it is certainly a good place to get a look at Byrd's early development".[3]

Track listing

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All compositions written by Bobby Felder except as indicated

  1. "Byrd's Word" – 5:32
  2. "Blue Turning Grey Over You" (Andy Razaf, Fats Waller) – 2:55
  3. "Bobby in Bassoonville" – 4:26
  4. "Satin Doll" (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Mercer) – 4:20
  5. "Tri-X" – 4:29
  6. "Conversation Piece" (Charlie Byrd, Keter Betts) – 3:36
  7. "What's New?" (Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke) – 4:14
  8. "Stompin' at the Savoy" (Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Edgar Sampson, Razaf) – 3:21
  9. "Don't Explain" (Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday) – 3:27
  10. "Buck's Hill" – 4:37

Personnel

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  • Charlie Byrd – guitar
  • Bobby Felder – valve trombone (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7 & 10)
  • Kenneth Pasmanick – bassoon (track 3)
  • Buck Hilltenor saxophone (tracks 1, 5, 7 & 10)
  • T. Carson (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7 & 10), Charlie Schneer (track 8) – piano
  • Keter Bettsbass, cello (tracks 1, 3–8 & 10)
  • Eddie Phyfe (tracks 4, 6 & 8) Bertell Knox (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7 & 10) – drums
  • Ginny Byrd – vocals (tracks 2 & 9)

References

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  1. ^ Riverside Records discography accessed October 26, 2012
  2. ^ Washington Records discography accessed October 29, 2012
  3. ^ a b Lankford, Jr., R. D. Allmusic Review accessed October 26, 2012