Charlie Byrd : The Guitar Artistry Of Charlie Byrd - 2x LP 180g 45rpm Vinyl

The year is 1960. The world is still shaped by the Eisenhower era and the quiet buzz of early rock ‘n’ roll, which is threatening to supplant jazz. And then “The Guitar Artistry Of Charlie Byrd” is released, previously recorded at Edgewood Studios in Washington, D.C. While The Guitar Artistry Of Charlie Byrd didn't crack the top of the Billboard charts like Byrd's later bossa nova blockbuster “Jazz Samba” with Stan Getz, it was a sleeper hit in jazz circles. Its initial limited release on Washington Records made it something of a rare Pokémon card for early collectors. When Riverside picked it up in 1963, it benefited from Byrd's growing popularity, especially after he introduced bossa nova to North America. Jazz fans who were already enthusiastic about Byrd's cross-genre genius snapped it up, and it became a must-have album due to its pure, unadulterated guitar artistry.

Byrd, the Virginia-born guitar virtuoso, worked his incomparable magic here with his trusty Spanish guitar, without amplification. It shows him at the height of his career, combining the improvisational passion of jazz with the refined finesse of classical technique. The track list reads like a declaration of love for versatility: from the upbeat “Taking A Chance On Love” to the dreamy “Moonlight In Vermont” to a tribute to his idol Django Reinhardt with “Nuages.” Not to mention “Django,” a solo guitar performance so intimate that you might think Byrd is playing it just for you in your living room. The mood of the album is like a martini – smooth, sophisticated, but with a kick that sneaks up on you. It's not background music, it's a dialogue between Byrd's fingers and your soul, with every plucked note saying, “Hey, jazz can be stylish and cool.” For a jazz collector, “The Guitar Artistry Of Charlie Byrd” is like the Holy Grail: a master class in guitar-driven jazz from a man who could make nylon strings sing like no other. It's the kind of record you play to remind yourself why you fell in love with jazz in the first place.

As part of the “Analogue Productions Fantasy 45 Series”, “The Guitar Artistry Of Charlie Byrd” is now being honored with a sonically outstanding reissue, lovingly mastered by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at Acoustech Mastering. The double LP, pressed on 180-gram vinyl by industry leader Quality Record Pressings (QRP) and cut at 45 RPM, comes in an old-style tip-on gatefold jacket from Stoughton Printing with a scuff-resistant, matte finish.

MUSICIANS

Charlie Byrd: guitar
Ketter Betts: bass
Buddy Deppenschmidt: drums