Yard Byard: The Jaki Byard Project
features Jamie Baum: Flute, Alto Flute , Adam Kolker: Saxes and Clarinets, Jerome Harris: Guitar, Ugonna Okegwo: Bass , George Schuller: Drums
(Jamie Baum voted #1 Rising Star in the Flute category of the 2012 DownBeat Critics Poll)
“Cool ensemble, great repertoire, very promising project…” – Howard Mandel (Jazz Journalists Association)“This Jaki Byard repertory outfit was impressive in the way they gave props to both the wily pianist’s serious and silly sides. Whimsy was part of the maestro’s swinging approach, and flautist Jamie Baum and saxophonist Adam Kolker capture that vibe while dropping some very hip solos….” – Jim Macnie, Village Voice
“The music was all Byard’s, played lovingly and a bit loosely…Most of the songs in the first set were fine examples of standard form gone just slightly haywire. The absence of a pianist in the group is good strategy…“Toni,” a ballad with waltz-like properties, was among the subtler highlights of the set. ” –Nate Chinen, New York Times
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Jaki Byard began playing professionally at the age of 15. “His playing was rich, masterful and above all, versatile, covering everything from stride and ragtime to bebop and free jazz. Pianist, saxophonist, composer, arranger, and teacher Jaki Byard had a career that followed the music — along the way he became a master of every style of jazz.” (NPR Jazz Profiles) He was an important influence for everyone he played with and taught.
He recorded extensively with Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin and Sam Rivers among others. As a leader, he recorded albums for the Prestige label during the 1960s and later led his big-band, The Apollo Stompers.