Search - Donald Byrd :: Free Form

Free Form Fun

earl rlabaci | 06/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album by Donald Byrd was aptly titled. When you listen to it you hear much space and openess. The first track entitled "Pentacostal Feeling", starts out with Butch Warren doing an ad-lib bass line. Herbie Hancock and Billy Higgins join in to set the groove. Byrd and Wayne Shorter play the simple melody line as if there's nothing to it. Byrds solo is very sparse and made of short effortless lines. Shorter solos with the same spacious feeling. herbie hancock contributes a nice ballad, "Night Flower". Most of the album is straight ahead jazz played with a good sense of freedom. The title track, however, is a much more Free piece not only concerning melodically but rhythmnically as well as some very neat Harmonies between Byrd and Shorter. This is the only recorded set with Byrd and Wayne Shorter together. This is also a fine Rhythmn section that has played before on some bluenote albums. "French Spice" is Hardbop piece that bears some resemblance to Miles Davis' "So What."



This is a great album played in a very free manner."

A Salute to the Boys

Brian D. Fitzpatrick | Medford, MA | 11/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As the story goes Herbie Hancock entered the 'room' the big leagues through Donald Bryd.He knew of Herbie when he was going to college(U.of Chicago?),and they needed a fill in,in Chicago one night,and the rest is history.Donald has four originals,and Herbie contributes two of his own.

This is classic stuff. With Herbie,Butch Warren,and the 'house'blue note

regular Billy Higgins,and Shorter and Bryd. featuring!Higgins is on fire,

poppin. There is a nice balance throughout the set.Byrd plays suberbly on

Herbie Hancock's 'Night Flower'.On 'French Spice'Wayne puts down one of the finest solos I can think of during his tenure at Blue Note.And 'NAI NAI'a tune written by Byrd you should reserve for when you want to pick your spirits up.Yeh,life is good!All this and more welcome you in the room for some vintage music.Enjoy folks"

Good and a half

William R. Nicholas | Mahwah, NJ USA | 11/26/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There is nothing wrong with Free Form--a solid album by the usually phonomonal Donald Byrd.



Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter back Byrd here, and a lot of the music is not far from the inventive hard bop both were doing with Miles Davis. Hancock uses an electric panio, a move even far more conservative players made in 1969, as rock began to truely permiate jazz. There is also some freedom in the soloing.



But Free Form does not contain the invention of A New PerspectiveorBlack Byrd. It is good hard bop, not the leap forward the name of the album implies."