Stereophile: Jaki Byard

Jaki Byard’s Sunshine of My Soul (High Note) has come to my attention a bit late, otherwise it would have made my Top 10 list at the end of last year. Yet another long-lost concert-tape dug out of the vaults, it takes us to San Francisco’s Keystone Korner in June 1978, where Byard is flying barrel-rolls solo. Byard—who died in 1999 at 77, gunned down on his doorstep for still-unknown reasons—was a pianist both virtuosic and rowdy. His left hand is rock-solid, his right hand fleet with fury. Imagine Willie “The Lion” Smith pressure-cooked by Mingus (Byard played in Mingus’ band through most of the ‘60s), and you get some idea. He was a teacher to Jason Moran and Fred Hersch, two of today’s most versatile jazz pianists, and you can hear much of his influence in their work as well, especially Moran when he cruises through stride licks.

This is high-energy music, not quite as stormy as his live recordings in the mid-‘60s with a quartet that included the shamefully underrated Joe Farrell on tenor sax—Live! and The Last from Lennie’s (those albums make you sweat!)—but close enough. The sound quality is good, not great, but the music transports you with its wit, blues, and zest.

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Reader Comments

Posted Sat Feb 9, 2008, 9:30 AM — By Tony

Has Jaki's death ever been cleard up? I believe he was shot in his home, but from the time it happened, it seemed no clear (or straight) answers have been given as to what happened. Has there been any information on this?

Posted Mon Feb11, 2008, 2:33 PM — By howard

tony beats me to my point: as best as i can remember, byard was inside his house and there was some original thought that it was simply a stray drive-by shooting, but i don't think the case has ever been cleared. as for the brilliant byard, i was fortunate to live in boston in the years when he taught at new england conservatory and helmed his apollo stompers on, iirc, monday nights at michael's pub....

Posted Mon Sep15, 2008, 6:45 PM — By by Steve

Does anyone know how jaki's tune "Aluminum Baby" got it's name.

Posted Sat Jun 6, 2009, 6:40 PM — By Lloyd Anderson

I once asked Jaki about the origin of "Aluminum Baby." His reply was, "Elizabeth Taylor." I guess I looked puzzled because he further explained that he had seen a photo of Taylor wearing a dress made of aluminum. He saw it in a Sunday supplement of a newspaper.

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