Jazz Lab is an album by American jazz trumpeter
Donald Byrd and saxophonist
Gigi Gryce, released in 1957 by Columbia.
Alto saxophonist/arranger Gigi Gryce and trumpeter Donald Byrd's innovative, but unfortunately short-lived Jazz Lab Quintet recorded several sides during 1957, seven of which were released on this excellent Columbia album (a handful of other titles were collectively made for Riverside, Verve, and RCA). The nucleus band of Gryce, Byrd, pianist Tommy Flanagan (a spot also filled by Wade Legge and Hank Jones), bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Art Taylor are augmented on four cuts here by trombonists Benny Powell and Jimmy Cleveland, French horn player Julius Watkins, baritone saxophonist Sahib Shihab, and tuba player Don Butterfield. The expanded ensemble turn in fleetly swinging renditions of Horace Silver's "Speculation" and Gryce's "Nica's Tempo," while varying the mood a bit with a ballad reading of Benny Golson's "I Remember Clifford" and a Far East-tinged waltz take on Randy Weston's "Little Niles" (shades of Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool group are heard in the complex, yet featherweight arrangements by Gryce). The quintet tracks include Gryce's "Sans Souci" and a provocative version of "Over the Rainbow." With some of the best arrangements heard in jazz and excellent solos by Gryce, Byrd, and Flanagan, Jazz Lab makes for an excellent introduction to the hard bop catalog.
CD1
01. Nica's Tempo [05:29]
02. Smoke Signal [03:28]
03. Speculation [03:39]
04. Over The Rainbow [08:18]
05. Sans Souci [07:13]
06. I Remember Clifford [04:53]
07. Little Niles [07:00]
08. Blue Concept [04:59]
09. Satellite [04:26]
10. An Evening In Casablanca [05:02]
11. Social Call [04:39]
12. Stablemates [04:56]
13. Steppin' Out [05:27]
CD2
01. Medley: Early Morning Blues / Now, Don't You Know [03:42]
02. Early Bird [07:36]
03. Elgy [06:25]
04. Exhibit A [08:34]
05. Ergo The Blues (Take 2) [07:41]
06. Ergo The Blues (Take 3) [06:24]
07. Capri [04:57]
08. Splittin' [05:18]
09. Passade [06:25]
10. Byrd In Hand [09:41]
11. Blue Lights [04:00]
12. Onion Head [04:41]
CD3
01. Isn't It Romantic? [04:47]
02. Batland [07:02]
03. Bangoon [04:58]
04. Imagination [05:40]
05. X-Tacy [08:26]
06. Love For Sale [08:02]
07. Geraldine [05:37]
08. Minority [06:28]
09. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart [06:05]
10. Straight Ahead [09:33]
11. Wake Up! [04:35]
Personnel:
CD1:
Tracks #1-8: "Jazz Lab"
Donald Byrd (tp), Gigi Gryce (as), Benny Powell (tb), Julius Watkins (fhr), Don Butterfield (tu), Sahib Shihab (bar), Tommy Flanagan (p), Wade Legge (p #6-8), Wendell Marshall (b), Art Taylor (dr).Recorded in New York, February 4 & 5 and March 13, 1957.Tracks #9-13: "Modern Jazz Perspective"
Donald Byrd (tp), Gigi Gryce (as), Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Julius Watkins (fhr), Don Butterfield (tu), Sahib Shihab (bar), Wynton Kelly (p), Wendell Marshall (b), Art Taylor (dr).Recorded in New York, August 30 and September 5, 1957.
CD2:
Tracks #1-3: "Modern Jazz Perspective"
Donald Byrd (tp), Gigi Gryce (as), Wynton Kelly (p), Wendell Marshall (b), Art Taylor (d), Jackie Paris (vcl, bj).Recorded in New York, September 3, 1957.Tracks #4-10: "New Formulas from the Jazz Lab"
Donald Byrd (tp), Gigi Gryce (as), Hank Jones (p), Paul Chambers (b), Art Taylor (dr).Recorded in New York, July 30 & 31 and August 1, 1957.Tracks #11-12: "Jazz Lab" (Jubilee)
Donald Byrd (tp), Gigi Gryce (as), Hank Jones (p), Paul Chambers (b), Art Taylor (dr).Recorded in New York, August 9, 1957.
CD3:
Tracks #1-5: "Jazz Lab" (Jubilee)
Donald Byrd (tp), Gigi Gryce (as), Hank Jones (p), Paul Chambers (b), Art Taylor (dr).Recorded in New York, August 9, 1957.Tracks #6-11: "Gigi Gryce and the Jazz Lab Quintet"
Donald Byrd (tp), Gigi Gryce (as), Wade Legge (p), Wendell Marshall (b), Art Taylor (dr).Recorded in New York, February 27 and March 7, 1957.
