Slam stewart don byas biography

  • Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas (October 21, 1912 – August 24, 1972) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, associated with swing and bebop.
  • American jazz tenor saxophonist whose improvising was an important step in the transition from the late swing to the early bop eras.
  • Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart (September 21, 1914 – December 10, 1987) was an American jazz double-bass player whose trademark style was his ability to bow the.

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    Don Byas was one of the few musicians of his era to strike a compromise between swing and bebop. In addition to the rhythmic feeling of modern jazz, he incorporated elements of Coleman Hawkins's harmonic advances and Lester Young's lyrical style. He often played with a relaxed subtone embroidered with gentle vibrato, reserving the boisterous "Texas tenor" sound for the climax of his solos. Lucky Thompson and Benny Golson claim him as an influence, and most modern tenor players are aware of his work as a bebop pionjär. The Byas influence of Golson’s phrasing is particularly strong.


    Born to musical parents, Don studied violin and clarinet prior to the alto sax. In his teens, he worked in territorial bands based in Oklahoma City and then led his own grupp at Langston University (1931—32). After switching to tenor, Byas left Oklahoma in 1933 for California and spent kvartet years in Los Angeles working for Li

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    Don Byas

    American jazz saxophonist

    Musical artist

    Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas (October 21, 1912 – August 24, 1972)[1] was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, associated with swing and bebop. He played with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and also led his own band. He lived in Europe for the last 26 years of his life.

    Biography

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    Oklahoma and Los Angeles

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    Byas was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States.[2] Both of Byas' parents were musicians. His mother played the piano, and his father, the clarinet. Byas began his musical education in the European classical tradition, learning to play violin, clarinet and alto saxophone,[3] which he played until the end of the 1920s.[2]

    Benny Carter, who played many instruments, was his idol at this time. Byas started to perform in local orchestras at the age of 17, with Bennie Moten, Terrence Holder and Walter Page.[2] H

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    Slam Stewart

    Home » Jazz Musicians » Slam Stewart

    Slam Stewart was a superior swing-oriented bassist whose ability to bow the bass and hum an octave apart made him famous in the jazz world. He had thought of the idea while studying at Boston Conservatory when he heard Ray Perry singing along with his violin. In 1936, Stewart was with Peanuts Holland's group and the following year he started playing regularly with guitarist/singer/comedian Slim Gaillard in a group logically dubbed "Slim and Slam." "Flat Foot Floogie" became a huge hit and kept the group working through the early '40s. After leaving Gaillard, Stewart was in great demand. He played with Art Tatum's trio, was featured on records with the Benny Goodman Sextet, Red Norvo (a famous session with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie), and Lester Young (a classic rendition of "Sometimes I'm Happy"), and led his own group which for a period featured the up-a

  • slam stewart don byas biography