Don Byas, byname of Carlos Wesley Byas, (born October 21, 1912, Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S.—died August 24, 1972, Amsterdam, Netherlands), American jazz tenor saxophonist whose improvising was an important step in the transition from the late swing to the early bop eras.
During the late 1930s Byas played in several swing bands, including those of Don Redman and Andy Kirk, and in 1941 he became a tenor saxophone soloist with Count Basie on such songs as “Swinging the Blues,” “Royal Garden Blues,” and, most notably, “Harvard Blues.” He also became associated with bebop innovators such as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. In small groups (1943–46) led by himself and others, Byas experimented with the new concepts of bop harmony and rhythm. His 1945 duets with bassist Slam Stewart, “Indiana” and “I Got Rhythm,” show his fluent style with long lines founded in Coleman Hawkins’s rich tone and phrasing but including modern bop harmonic elements.
CD1
01. Deep Purple [03:04]
02. Them There Eyes [03:03]
03. Out Of Nowhere [03:16]
04. Three O'Clock In The Morning [03:02]
05. One O' Clock Jump [02:47]
06. Harvard Blues [03:09]
07. Slam-in' Around [02:46]
08. Laura [02:49]
09. Stardust [03:04]
10. Slam, Don't Shake Like That [03:03]
11. Dark Eyes [03:02]
12. Embraceable You [03:03]
13. The Sheik Of Araby [03:04]
14. Super Session [02:59]
15. Melody In Swing [03:17]
16. I Don't Know Why [03:00]
17. London Donnie [02:51]
18. Old Folks [03:03]
19. Cherokee [03:00]
CD2
01. September In The Rain [02:59]
02. Living My Life [02:44]
03. To Each His Own [02:57]
04. They Say It's Wonderful [02:24]
05. Cynthia's In Love [02:46]
06. September Song [02:54]
07. St Louis Blues [02:59]
08. I've Found A New Baby [02:39]
09. Marie [02:56]
10. Working Eyes [02:58]
11. Gloria [03:06]
12. The Mohawk Special [03:19]
13. Yesterdays [02:31]
14. Summertime [02:47]
15. Talk Of The Town [03:25]
16. Stardust [03:15]
17. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody [02:56]
18. Old Man River [02:45]
19. Flamingo [02:50]
CD3
01. Just One Of Those Things [02:58]
02. Mean To Me [03:12]
03. Live And Love Tonite [03:27]
04. I Know That You Know [03:08]
05. Blue Lou [02:54]
06. You're Lucky To Me [02:35]
07. Night And Day [02:36]
08. The Man I Love [02:42]
09. Georgia On My Mind [02:50]
10. East To Love [02:56]
11. Over The Rainbow [02:48]
12. Where Or When [02:39]
13. Tenderly [03:26]
14. C'est Vous Cherie [02:55]
15. Trop Jeune [03:29]
16. Vanity [02:51]
17. Because of You [03:31]
18. Chloe [02:55]
19. And So To Sleep Again [03:24]
CD4
01. Infidelite (Cry) [03:26]
02. Slow Coach [02:40]
03. Un Amour Pleurait [03:01]
04. This Is Always [02:48]
05. This Is For Sale [02:49]
06. En Ce Temps-La [02:31]
07. La Bas [02:42]
08. Cognac Blues [02:41]
09. Cocktails For Two [02:42]
10. Moon Nocturne [03:03]
11. Sabla y Blu [03:05]
12. Blue and Sentimental [02:43]
13. Just One More Chance [03:11]
14. Just Blues [02:59]
15. Ain't Misbehavin' [02:57]
16. You Can Depend On Me [02:29]
17. That Old Feeling [02:28]
18. Don't Blame Me [03:39]
