Don Byas was a tenor saxophonist in the Coleman Hawkins tradition, showing complete command of chords, romantic on ballads, and with a distinctive pleasing and mellow tone. His contribution brings to mind a partial analogy between open-source software and jazz. “Open-source software permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software. Open source software is very often developed in a public, collaborative manner.” In a somewhat similar way, jazz music is open-source. Players can freely listen to and incorporate the innovations of other musicians. This is what is meant by saying that one player has influenced another. The results are personal musical products that draw on sources and, if innovative, are unique and may lead in new directions themselves. The cooperation and collaboration come through playing together, sharing musical knowledge, sharing the joy of playing, and encouragement.
Saxophonist Lew Tabackin explains the influence of Don Byas on his playing: “Though Don Byas must be in the same consideration as Art Tatum would. The way he handled the instrument and his sound, his sophistication. Byas was one of the giants. Byas systemized Hawkins’ approach a little bit.” When asked about his solid low register sound, which Byas also had, Tabackin explained: “Basically I try to formalize what Byas was doing – I started to work on what I considered to be a modified sub-tone. Playing low G down with very little bottom pressure from the lip, and I think sub-tone but with intensity. So it’s a sub-tone that kind of projects. Kind of basically drop the lower lip a bit and push more air to support the sound.” It’s interesting that Tabackin mentions Tatum because Byas has said: “I haven’t got any style, I just blow like Art”.
Saxophonists today are still figuring out what Byas was doing. This is musical “reverse engineering”. Here’s “Laura“, “I Got Rhythm“, and “Time on My Hands“.
Also born on this date were Carl Kress in 1907 and Eddie Harris in 1926.
4:25 am on October 21, 2012
