Donald Byrd – Byrd Blows On Beacon Hill (Blue Note Tone Poet Series)

Recorded in 1956 for producer Tom Wilson’s short-lived Boston-based label Transition Records, Byrd Blows On Beacon Hill presented trumpeter Donald Byrd in a relaxed and intimate quartet setting with his frequent collaborator Doug Watkins on bass along with Boston area musicians Ray Santisi on piano and Jim Zitano on drums. The standards heavy set was captured on a rainy Spring afternoon in the Beacon Hill home of engineer Steve Fassett which provided a casual atmosphere that gave the album both it’s title and it’s easy-going charm. Byrd is at his lyrical best on Joe Sullivan’s tune ‘Little Rock Getaway’ as well versions of ‘Polka Dots and Moonbeams,’ ‘If I Love Again,’ and ‘Stella by Starlight.’ The trumpeter lays out to let the trio shine on ‘People Will Say We’re in Love’ and ‘What’s New.’