I heard Charlie Byrd died the other day. He was born on September 16th, 1925 in Chuckatuck VA. Charlie Byrd will probably be best remembered for introducing Bossa Nova to Stan Getz and subsequently, to the American public. Byrd's landmark collaboration with Getz, "Jazz Samba," came out in 1962 and has remained a Brazilian-jazz touchstone ever since. A classically trained jazzman who even studied with the great Andres Segovia in Italy, Byrd was a swinging player who used nylon (or as they're also called, gut) strings instead of conventional steel. While this in itself was unusual in the jazz world, Byrd was also a gifted guitarist who effortlessly blended blues and jazz styles with his classical technique. Charlie Byrd even played with the immortal jazzman Django Reindhardt while in France during World War II. He was first discovered playing his unique style in Washington D.C. at a small club called the Showboat Lounge in the late fifties and went on to make records well into the nineties. Byrd worked in the Woody Herman band for a brief time before embarking on his solo career. His interpretations of music by Antonio Carlos Jobim and other Brazilian composers filled his recordings during the sixties and hold up well even today. Over the years Byrd also worked with musicians like Cal Tjader, Clark Terry, Nat Adderly and guitarist Laurienda Almeida. Some of Charlie Byrd's best albums include "Midnight Guitar," "Bluebyrd" and "Byrd At The Gate." Byrd also collaborated with six-string masters Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis as the "Great Guitars." Charlie's brother Joe Byrd played bass and sang with Charlie's group for many years. Charlie Byrd's style was understated but highly influential. His passing is sad but his presence will continue to be felt.
by Mitch Myers
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